08/26/2026
Japanese maples are hands down my favorite thing to work on in the garden. They're not hard to take care of, but timing really matters if you want them looking their best.
Here's the short version:
🍂 Heavy pruning & shaping wait for dormant season (late Nov–late Feb). Tree's asleep, no stress, and you can actually see what you're doing without the leaves in the way.
✂️ Light corrective touch-ups once new growth hardens off in mid-to-late summer, you can go back in for some light shaping.
🪵 Deadwooding….anytime. Dead wood doesn't care what season it is, get it off there when you see it.
If your maple's overdue for some attention, give me a call and let's get it on the schedule before the window closes. 802-281-0658
— Ryan, Green Mountain Gardening