The Bare Naked Ladies

[Sean Regan]

Well.. Not quite but they are heading that way. They've dropped a lot of leaves in the last couple of days.

Already on the larger of the two I can see some dead wood.

This happens every year. Some of the lower branches turn whiter progressively through the winter. But they are always replaced by new growth at the top.
Once the leaves have all fallen off, I'll remove them. Then I can decide if any "untrainable" new branches need to be removed or others wired to fill up any gaps left by the dead branches. I will probably put a net over the large one tied down to stakes to get it to retain the "dome shape" I like. The smaller one is O.K. I got into training that one from the day we bought it. The larger one was ten years old before I decided to train it.

 

[Silentrunning]

Sean, can you please post some pictures of the trees when all the leaves have fallen off? I would like to see the structure.

 

[Sean Regan]

Sean, can you please post some pictures of the trees when all the leaves have fallen off? I would like to see the structure.

This type of acer palmatum naturally grows with a canopy, but it often isn't even.

To get a more balanced shape, I surrounded it with bamboo canes connected by strong garden wire. Then connected more wires to individual branches and attached them to the wire around the canes, then over a period of months I tightened the wires to pull the branches where I wanted them a few inches at a time. It took about a year to get it as I wanted it.

 

[roadrunner]

Sean, can you please post some pictures of the trees when all the leaves have fallen off? I would like to see the structure.

And don't forget some pictures of the bare naked ladies

 

[Sean Regan]

And don't forget some pictures of the bare naked ladies

Really?

Well... as you asked, I hope they aren't a disappointment for you.

But if they are, how about a topless waitress?

 

[Silentrunning]

I knew that top picture was coming sooner or later.