First off, I'm new to this forum so hello to everyone! The name is justin, and I am a new home owner trying his best to turn a very boring back yard into something worth looking at! I recently got into Japanese maples because, well, do I really have to say anything? Anyway my latest is a Kashima dwarf. I saw it sitting at the edge of the nursery, it was the only kashima there and I immediately knew it had to go home with me! I've been doing some research on maintaining JMs and I know typically you should wait awhile after planting before trying to prune. I understand pruning is done partly to encourage proper air flow which helps keep the plant healthy. Looking at mine it seems like maybe it is a little too bushy. It came in a five gallon container but I have no idea how old it is. I'm guessing 4-5 years by the size, however you might notice in some of the pictures there is a considerable amount of fertilizer present, perhaps that may have lead to faster growth. Anyway I was wondering if the tree is old enough, should I still wait a season before pruning, or do I need to wait for the roots to settle in? I don't want to rush into pruning if it's not necessary. Any advice would be appreciated!