Cutting acer, guidance needed.

Hi all,

I need to cut my Acer as it is growing over the patches circle in image. Would it be ok if I cut it where the red line is?
Near the bottom.

 

Yes - but you'll need to wait until winter.
Acers bleed copious amounts of sap if they're pruned harshly during the growing season which can weaken the tree significantly.
Trimming off thin growth is OK at most times, but anything thicker than a pencil should be pruned in the dead of winter - ideally during a very cold spell.

I'd cut it off even lower than your line - cut it right at the base of the branch but leave a stub about 1" long

 

Great advice, thank you @Pete8

I will trim it and chop it later as suggested.

 

I'd be reluctant to cut that unless you really have to.
They do have a spreading habit which is part of the look of maples.

 

It keeps poking me when I walk past it. Also carrying things down the path is a pain. I think I need to but not necessarily so drastically.

I could cut it further up.

Whats the worst that can happen?

 

Well its obviously your tree so if its bothering you cut it off, I was just expressing my opinion.
I'd then do as @Pete8 says and go right back to the main stem after leaf fall.

 

I was asking, what is the worst the can happen? I have another
Acer that I think might be diseased so I’m apprehensive about making cuts.. can cutting it kill it ?@pete

 

It shouldn't kill it if done at the right time, I suppose disease getting in can always be possible, its a risk you always take when cutting any tree back.

Just use a clean saw and leave a clean non jagged finish to the cut, be careful not to rip the bark,so do a rough cut further up to take the weight off the branch and then a final clean cut where you want to take it back to.

 

Ah I have the same issue for which I started another thread, but this thread is helpful. I'm not quite clear though as there is a red circle about halfway down the branch and a red line about a foot above the ground. I'm assuming the higher circle is intended, but not sure about the lower red line is indicating

 

It was just to show that both lines could be used for cutting back to @berarde, depending on what was needed, and what would work best in the site.
Taking that whole branch off, right to the main trunk, rather than leaving about a foot, was being suggested so that the path was clear, as that was a problem for the OP. That would also give a better shape than just chopping part of the branch off, which would look very uneven, and although new growth would come away, you'd be back to the same problem in future with it overhanging the path too much. Just taking a bit off the top of that branch would look quite ugly, and also wouldn't solve the overhanging problem.
Acers, if nicely/correctly pruned, can look very good with clear trunks round the bottom, and the top spreading, as many of then naturally have that broad, spreading habit anyway.
The important thing, as already said, is to do heavier pruning when they're properly dormant, to avoid problems.

 

Yes, there's a well worn myth that persists even from respected well qualified UK gardeners, that if you cut any Acer it will bleed to death, so technically that is the worst thing that could happen: but it is untrue.
That said the advice above is correct. This would be a substantial cut but done at the correct time it should be OK. Even so some caution is worthwhile, wait till after leaf fall and if we get a proper cold spell, then make some cuts near the upper area of the branch to check no sap flows. Last winter was so mild it never really got cold enough for this major work. If all is OK cut it down in stages, because as with any large branch cut, if you try to cut it at the base in one step you risk the weight breaking it and tearing bark on the trunk.

 

For the past few years I've been trimming odd branches off Acer brilliantisimum in January; just where it overhangs the neighbours drive and bits that get in my way over the path. So far, fingers crossed, it's not had a problem.

 

It often comes down to experience, and also confidence. If someone asks about what they should do with an acer, and when to prune etc, I'm always wary of what I suggest. Saying to anyone novicey, or inexperienced with them [and that's often why they're asking the question] to do it at any other time than during winter can lead to mistakes. That's simply because they might be pruning heftier branches, with problems then happening.
It can also be that similar thing to cutting your own hair....I've taken a bit off and now it's squint. I'll just take off some more and level it up.....
Thin twiggy bits, especially anything that's obviously dead, are fine at any time, but if you want to do some serious re shaping and pruning, it's always better to be a bit cautious, and do it gradually, and when it's fully dormant.
As @Allotment Boy says, you take a bit off, check the conditions of the branch/stem, and then review it. Keep any cuts clean and sharp.