Training Japanese Maples To Grow Properly

Tips, Tricks

1. Should the root flare be exposed mid/slightly above the soil? A gardener planted mine, but it looks like a telephone pole sticking out of the ground, so I dug out the soil with a spoon exposing a little of what I believe is the root flare. Doing some basic research, it looks like the root flare needs to be slightly exposed otherwise the roots will start growing upward, and if you're going to mulch the area, leave at least a 3 inch radius around the tree with no mulch.
2. Mike, would you care to mention something about the soil you grow your Japanese Maples in and how you keep all the weeds away? Also, what would you do with a group of field grown plants that has weeds and grass that has outgrown the plants after weeks of rain?
   
   thanks! (from a long-time fan)
3. I have one of those trees in my yard , but what I want to know is when will mind make seeds , I planted my tree in 2005 , I have never seen any seed from it yet ?? Oh I like to say this their is a lady down the street from so she let me get some seeds today 6-18-2016 , I put the seeds in some sreenwire , to dry out, now my question is , is its ok for me to do ??!
4. Maple butcher!
5. Hack. Bad pruning practice.
   (I'm a tree care professional with 30+ years experience)
6. The more growth that's left on the tree, the thicker the trunk will get, and the faster it will grow. Give it ten years to do it's thing, then if you don't like something, take it off. The more branches you take off of the bottom, the harder it's going to be to grow a branch down low in the future should you decide you want one there. 
7. Silly question, but as they grow so close to each other, how do you dig them up without
   damaging the one next to it?
8. I lost two Japanese Maples in two different winters.  I live in zone 6, so be careful !! 
9. furthermore: why would one be 'thinning out' red variety dissectums which are to be grown in shaded areas? Trying to let light in on trees that scorch in the sun as far north as Pennsylvania is a double standard. Doing so will not promote growth with jap maps.
10. this is very unfortunate. Take notice of Mike's backyard Japanese maple garden: every tree is spindly and resembles the Charlie Brown xmas tree. The reason for this is all of that haphazard pruning of upper foliage on the young maples. Any Japanese technique literature will explain the most crucial aspect of pruning Japanese maples is to not touch them for years; training yes, pruning no. My jap maps are far more dense and lush, because they're not pruned! These trees do not benefit from 'thinning out' the canopy to let light in--resist your urge to cut things people!
11. Dear Mike, My newly planted acer "Viridis" lost its head - leader branch- under the snow, two winters ago. I couldn't get to try training a new leader until just now. The advice you give us in this video is extremely precious and will probably give my beautiful tree a new posture. Thank you!
12. if you want it to grow faster than keep it, more leaves = faster growth only trim a branch like that if it get really fat because you don't want to leave a cut scare even though the scare will heal over time search .....sacrifice branching 
13. One question , japanese maples take innumerable shapes offering every possibility of form: dwarf, upright, mounding, rounded, weeping, spreading, and vase, which of these am I supposed to use as the rootstock for the Acer Palmatum Dissectum, I want to have small trees if I decide to fully grow them so perhaps the dwarf variety. 
14. I totally want to do this, growing my own trees they're lovely. 
15. I think the cuttings from Japanese maples are very hard to root, and if you are lucky and get one to root they don't do well as a rule because the root systems on cuttings don't develop well. I guess he could use them for grafting, which is a skill I would like to develop. I tried it about 10years ago and it was a total flop. I actually let the seedling maples (that I had not used for grafting) grow into trees. They don't look half bad and the price can't be beat!
16. ...very informative...
17. Can these be grown in the full sun?
18. Thank you, thank you - Now I know how to care for this gorgeous tree I have.
19. Livin in a van, down by THE RIVER!!!!
20. Great Video as always, but Mike, Are you tossing those cuttings? I would have imagined you would make scion wood or even tried to root the cuttings so as not to let it go to waste?