A: If you prune selectively, almost any time is the right time to prune a Japanese maple. With that said, these maples are most easily pruned in winter or summer.

Bleeding may not be as harmful as it would seem to be for mature trees, especially since birches and many of the maples do not need much pruning of viable stems.

When to Prune Japanese Maple Trees Do the bulk of Japanese maple pruning in the late winter or early spring months, during the tree’s dormancy period and after the extreme cold has passed.