Last year my Japanese Maple looked it's best in the approx. 5 years I've had it. It came through a blizzard and didn't lose a branch. This spring, most of it seems dead in the middle half of the branches and then there are leaves at the tips. Do I prune these branches all the way back to the trunk? It doesn't look like there would be much tree left after that.
Tom, I have done something called Root Flare to all my JM and fruit trees.
Check this link and scroll down till you come to root flare. There are a number of pages on root flare.
http://www.dirtdoctor.com/organic/garden/faq/letter/R/
It looks very odd but it will make a big difference in a trees health.
Dwight
Toni, the root flare problem might be something to look into if you have the time and inclination to do so but to answer your question about pruning, if it were my tree I think I would just sit tight for now and see how it develops this growing season before I would do anything drastic.
Thank you Dwight and GardenSox for your responses.
I am a novice with trees and this is the only tree I've grown in my garden other than a pine tree that had to be removed b/c it was leaning and threatening to take out the garage with a good wind. At this point, I am inclined to wait and see if the branches that are bare in the middle with leaves at the tips, will send some offshoots. I don't know what to expect this gardening season with the unusually warm weather patterns we've been experiencing.
