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enter image description hereWe purchased our Acer platanoides globosum last year and noticed that our ball is very too heavy with leaves with not a lot in the middle and lower sections. I have asked the nursery for advice and have only been told “it is a nice specimen”.

My question is, how hard can I cut it back so that over time we can have a nice round ball?

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    How about a photo Jamie? Jul 30 at 6:07
  • Hi, I have just added a picture thank you.
    – Jamie
    Jul 31 at 7:00

2 Answers 2

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From the Hillier website:

This variety of Norway Maple has a particularly tight global crown, which is grown and then grafted onto the trunk of a Norway Maple at 2.2m high for the vesicular tissues to join. The compact canopy is initially round in shape, but as the tree matures it reaches out a little to form a longer, rugby ball shape which can stretch to 5m across. It remains consistently dense and uniform, without any requirement for future pruning or annual maintenance schedules.

So there shouldn't be any need to prune it.

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  • Thank you, I have added a picture above to show what mine looks like. Compared to the one you attached, mine seems very top heavy with not a lot of leaves and branches in the mid section.
    – Jamie
    Jul 31 at 7:01
  • @Jamie - Is that a boundary fence? If yes, are you hoping to stop it growing over the fence? If yes, you're going to have to prune it the best way you can. In general, it's best to let amenity trees grow into their natural shape. Norway maples are reasonably vigorous trees and you're going to have your work cut out trying to restrain its size. Ideally, you'd just plant it where it has room to do its own thing and then leave it unpruned.
    – Peter4075
    Jul 31 at 14:26
  • Thanks for replying. That is a boundary fence. It would be best if it stayed in our yard, so we will probably need to find a new home for it.
    – Jamie
    Jul 31 at 22:53
  • @Jamie - a new, more spacious home would be ideal.
    – Peter4075
    Aug 1 at 11:46
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Googling it, Acer platanoides globosum can be used for bonsai and I see many images of round balls. Without photos it is hard to know, but other Acres are very hardy (in terms of pruning).

Light pruning is fine all year round, but I would do heave pruning only in winter. Its best to be patient with it, You can definitely cut 20 odd percent of branches to the trunk.

Bonzai

Round Shape

enter image description here

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