Clean your pruning tools before and after use.

If you can reach that split up high I'd go for one of them competing leaders and something like every other branch on the lower rung of branches with a plan to get the rest by next spring. I'm paranoid about girdling a tree with pruning cuts.

What is it, a quarter of a tree you can remove on a year?

Learn how to make that pruning cut like Bill says.

Just to add, that kind of tree is famous for forming multiple trunks that start a foot or two off the ground. Yours is well on it's way in that respect. The good part is you're getting to them at an early age while the tree is small. I've seen people prune huge branches and extra trunks after the tree is quite large, which gives opportunity for pathogens to start in.

In a large open area like you have, the tree probably wouldn't cause any problems even if it wasn't pruned at all, growing in all directions. So it's your call on what kind of tree you're after. But now's the time to start to train the tree, if that's what you want.

I'd at least prune it so it could be mowed under. Bald cypress looks good branches to the ground. I haven't seen many acer rubrums left all natural in the park fringes calling me to grow the same.

Thanks for the video link and the tips! The only thing I don't quite get in the video is when he cuts back that competing leader branch (just partially so it doesn't outgrow the central leader) I am thinking that THAT branch should also be cut ALL the way back because it has a narrow crotch angle? Why do you suppose he leaves that branch and chooses instead to just make a heading cut instead of a thinning cut?

Leaving part of the branch as a 'temporary' lowers the percentage of branches that get removed. That gives the tree some extra leaves to make food this year. That branch becomes 'subordinate' (not as competitive). It also will form more of a 'branch collar' at the base during the year so will be a healthier prune next year that will close better. It all boils down to not doing too much to the tree the first time around.

A lot of people tend to 'butcher' the tree and the tree spends the rest of the year recovering. And as toronado said, you can girdle the trunk with too many cuts and the tree can break off in a wind storm.

Ok got it. Thanks so much for taking the time to reply!

man.. where are you.. on the prairie.. where the wind comes sweeping down the plain ... lol.. wait.. thats OK ...

anyway ... what kind did we decide it was??? .. not that i think it matters ....

i would remove about half of them in the circle .... the other half either fall or next spring.. or winter..much will depend on how you can get the saw in there ... i would probably spend more time figuring out how to attack.. than it would take me to cut them off if you use the saw i mention below ....

and even though it might leave it looking a bit crooked ... i would remove one half of the lower Y ... if there is one in the second pic.. it might be a camera pic i am seeing ....

i wouldnt bother with higher Ys ... for me.. it was all about the tractor i rise when mowing the tundra ... and not have to slow down around a tree ... so also ... remove some of the stub up and down the trunk.. so two or 3 years down the line.. your arent having to saw those off ....

speaking of slowing down ... i might also make a mulch ring of a couple feet ... simply for speed ... yours is a bit small ...

the basic idea is that you dont want to remove too much canopy all at once ...

and second.. imo ... you can barely kill these things ... so i would not mind being a bit aggressive with the second culling ...

get a cheap tree saw ... it will really make a difference.. i link to walmart to show how cheap they can be ... i have seen the same at lowes.. tractor supply. .. etc ... you wont be using it all that much.. so no need to invest in a $100 john deere version ... lol ...

i didnt watch the video.. but i would be curious if i am close to what they said.. or way off ....

looking deep into your pix.. i bet you have perfect neighbors... lol.. they live a half mile away ... lol ...

ken

and then i forget the link.. duh ...

https://www.walmart.com/ip/7-Inch-Folding-Utility-Saw-Triple-Edge-Razor-Tooth-Portable-Saw-with-Gear-Lock-by-bogo-Brands/915337201

Ken, we are in Nebraska where the wind does blow for sure! It looks so wide open (Bare!) after we cut the grasses for hay. We have such a nice view of the neighbors acreage, they have done such a nice job with their trees.

The forum came up with most certainly a silver maple...I did plant a sugar maple on the other side of the drive, I have had advice to plant a grouping of three on each side, am waiting to see if the sugar maple seems like it can handle the conditions there.

Your advice is pretty much what the video recommends, just a bit more aggressive lol. I have a tree saw ready to go, just need the courage to use it!:)

I agree with the others, most of those lower branches would be targets for me. Especially the larger ones bc they are the first of multiple trunks forming and you will be raising the crown at the same time.

Don't worry about doing a perfect pruning job, get the most obvious offending branches this time around. By fall the tree will have developed further and you can plan on what needs to be done next spring. It's good to prune branches before they reach a 2" dia.