Thank you ja-gardener. That is pretty similar to where my very uneducated eye was going too; I know that the one branch is too low and has to come off, but I figured the stuff in the middle was more critical as it could effect the integrity of the tree. I'll let the lower branch on for another year or two. I am thinking that if it is carefully pruned as it matures it will end up with two to three main branches coming off the trunk. It was not perfect when we bought it, but not nearly so crowded! Other than taking off too very thin low limbs I've mostly let it go. It went in the ground nearly four years ago, but the first year ended up being terribly dry. We watered it diligently but it was stressed so I wanted to give it several years to make food for roots before taking anything off the top. This will help me start the conversation with the arborist and I'll see what he says. I might have him out to look at it before it leafs so he can get a good idea of the structure, then have him prune it this summer.

"Would you? Could you?" From my childhood memories, squirrel is very tasty but so many have to die to feed me a meal (I'm a big eater) that I can't really get behind it. Not a fairly advanced mammal, that looks so cute. Now, 1 chicken could feed me a meal. A cow would feed me a number of meals. One squirrel is an appetizer. Your ethics may vary. Richard.

let me put it this way ... i hate poplars.. lol ... the problem you saw in 5 or 10 years.. on the poplar.. you WILL SEE on the maple.. in 30 to 50 years ... as to your age.. and if that will be an issue in 30 to 50 years.. i do not know ... of all the trees in this wide world.. i wonder.. why you are limiting yourself.. to ONLY these two options ???? what about oak??? where are you .... and are you open to other options???? another way to say this.. is that anything that claims to be FAST GROWING.. which is the ONLY salable point of a poplar ... is going to be fast to be a problem.. and fast to die ... as you have learned ... and one might suggest.. if this maple is marketed under the same idea.. of fast growing.. well.. my gut tells me.. its might be another problem tree .. but again.. its the time frame of how fast it will all happen ... ken ps: i hate maples too.. lol .. but that is because i can not garden under them ... and if you had poplar.. i will presume.. you werent gardening under them anyway .. so it doesnt matter ... but if you have any inclination ... to want to do such ... you need something beyond a maple .. pps: you will probably be killing root suckers from that poplar.. for upwards of 3 years.. even if you have the stump ground out ... they will need to be snipped and treated with roundup or stump killer.. until they stop coming back ... let us know when this happens ....

The tree farm owner-manager where (Central Oklahoma) we have purchased trees for the past 15 yrs. reports that they no longer carry the "Red Sunset" maple, due to the fact that the "Autumn Blaze" and "October Glory" varieties have superior growing habits, and display more reliable, as well as spectacular fall color in this area. Our "Red Sunset", planted in 2000, confirms that assessment. While being a healthy specimen with a dense round crown of branches and leaves, our "Red Sunset" has been inconsistent in producing good fall color. Conversely, our "Caddo Maple" and a neighbor's "Autumn Blaze" have produced amazing colors almost every year since they were planted some nine years ago. The "Caddo" tends to have a rounded crown, but the "Autumn Blaze" is more oval in shape. I have ordered two "Autumn Blaze"(2.5 inch)to be planted in the opposite ends of our backyard as soon as they become dormant (late November to early December).