Ask Extension - How much to prune maple tree? (Forest & Tree Health)

I have a beautiful maple tree in my back yard. Unfortunately, it hasn't been pruned in many years and has a few large branches that are now in conflict with the nearby house and are just too low to the ground. Could I send someone a couple of photos and get an opinion as to if they could all be pruned at one time without hurting the tree? Also, what months would be best to do a large pruning in?

Kind Regards, Danielle

Extension Message
From:	Christopher Evans Forestry Extension and Research Specialist Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences cwevans@illinois.edu

Hello Danielle, In general you should prune trees in the dormant season when the leaves are off. In terms of how much pruning can be done at one time, the general rule of thumb is to not remove any more than about 20% of the canopy at a time. Here is a great article about proper pruning of trees - https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2021-02-04-proper-pruning-trees. You can also reach out to our Extension Forestry, Justin Vozzo, with direct pruning questions - vozzo2@illinois.edu.

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