Ken,

Thanks for the reply, I ended up calling MSU and they told me it would be fine. I limbed it up once a couple years ago with no negative results and basically pruned off another level this time. Long process but its a fairly young shrub, about 6 years old.

thats exactly what i would have done .... or i do do .. when i am lifting the canopy of a tree ... just a level at a time ...

my motto is.. you can always take more next year ... but you cant glue them back on .. lol ...

but i tend to try to prune at one inch ... easier on me.. smaller wounds.. etc ... but bottom line.. you do what you gotta do.. when you got the time to do it ...

ken

I think you've got this, but here is a guide which I created.

==>>>https://plumtreetrading.blogspot.com/2017/06/pruning-multi-stemmed-shrubs-as-trees.html

Lol Ken.

Thanks for the guide Logan. Regarding the canopy portion, theres so many horizontal branches on a shrub I find it is hard to decide what should stay and what should go. Those branches that are growing inwards don't seem to be a problem until they start rubbing into others. I guess at that point I can prune them off. Its looking pretty good so far, when I get time I can post a photo.

Yes, do post a photo. When you are pruning, remember the goal (mine would be walking under it) and get the branches up to that height. It may look awkward for a few years, but it will grow in time.

Looking good! From here on out, I would just continue removing growth along those scaffold branches, and allow the top to grow out a bit.

What do you think about removing some of those lower lateral branches that are growing off the scaffold branches lower down? It seems like if I remove them I won't have much of a canopy though. If I cut them, I am assuming the growth would be directed upward more.

I don't think you should remove any more branches at this point. I would wait until winter where I could see the branching structure.