Japanese maple Osakazuki - some branches not leafing

Hello

Am looking for advice for my acer Osakazuki. I planted this tree in the ground last year in April. I kept it watered and especially this spring which has been so dry (I am in London). It started to leaf up nicely from April, but a couple of the branches remain bare. They are big branches too that are growing from the base off the main trunk. They have very small buds on them but didn't swell and still have not opened for around 5 weeks now. I'm worried because the buds look like they are shrivelling up and the branches are an odd colour, mix of pale and brown/ red/ black, almost burnt-looking. I snipped off the ends of a couple of them and they are still green. But can't tell further down the branch as the bark is too thick to scrape.

Does anyone know what is happening here? Should I cut the branches off? If so, where - right at the base where it's growing off the main trunk which is quite thick and feels a bit drastic as it's so much off the tree or further along where the branches are smaller? Also can this be done now or do I wait till autumn/ winter/ early spring next year? I'm worried the tree is diseased but I don't want to kill it or weaken it by taking off too much.

Hope someone can help, would be grateful. Thank you.

 

Acers do "shed" branches naturally especially if they are stressed. The very pale almost white ones are definitely dead and can be removed now. As I have just said on another thread Acers are woodland edge plants and tend not to do that well in exposed positions. If you want to wait till the end of May, as well as removing dead you can gently trim up some of the other branches to get a bed shape overall. Contrary to popular belief trimming in summer will NOT cause it to bleed and die as long as you don't cut anything thicker than a pencil.

 

Thanks for the input, very helpful. I'm just not sure how far back along the branch to remove since some of the pale white parts are midway along the branch? Does that imply the parts after that (which isn't white) are also dead or will become dead? And the bigger thicker parts before that (also not pale or white) are possibly still alive so should leave those alone?
Which part of the year do you recommend removing unwanted healthy branches that are thicker than a pencil? Have read many conflicting opinions!

 

I would just take the fully white branches to begin with. You can do this now as they are certainly dead. I would leave the others a while to see what develops. As for other pruning, you can take larger branches in late Autumn as they are shutting down for winter or for complete safety wait till the leaves are off in winter. Don't leave it too late in winter tho as I have noticed the sap rising earlier and earlier, even by end of February.
The Japanese experts prune in all 4 seasons but they spend years in training with a master gardener before they are allowed free rein.

 

When you are ready to remove the branches, follow the white part back to a green/growing shoot, remove the dead length back to that bud or leaf. If they go back to a thick branch remove cleanly, do not leave any stumps.

 

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated. And will do.

 

Thanks. Where the branch still has a greenish part as well as white, do I cut into the green part or cut the white part as close to the green as poss?

 

Cut back the white section to just short of the green part. I would not cut into the green section of the stem. Use sharp clean secateurs to avoid introducing disease into the wound.

 

Thanks very much, will do.