take both the lower ones ... to get over the mailbox.. we are talking 4 feet MIN ... and we are going after that now ... why wait until you are cutting off one inch branches.. making big wounds??? and i would still reduce the dominance of the second leader.. to favor what i might call the third ... and finally.. keep in mind.. almost NOTHING there now.. will be there.. when the canopy is to your preferred height ... and.. again ... if you look at the first pic ... all that will be there is the leader that looks like it goes in the garage ... crikey... WHY DO YOU WANT/NEED TO DEVELOP MULTIPLE LEADERS DOWN BELOW ???? ALL THE LEAVES ARE FOOD MAKING MACHINES.. TO GROW THE ROOT MASS.. TO MAKE A FUTURE TREE .. carp.. darn caps lock ... so we never want to remove too much at once .....but if your goal is height.. why do you want multiple leaders down low now ... again.. trees heal wounds .. but its easier to heal a 1/4 wound .... than a inch or two wound ... one trick.. as you drive around town.. just look at other specimens.. if you cant find JM's to look at.. you arent trying very hard .... just study how others have done it.. and when you start 'seeing' what they did wrong.. you will be well taught ... [you usually find the bad ones.. in front of businesses .. lol micky d's.. etc.. when they prune them 3 times of year.. to our horror ...] ken

In the top picture there is a narrow 'V' where the two main branches diverge. Narrow crotches like this split easier than branches that go out at a wider angle. Snow and ice usually do it as the branches get larger. Kids and dogs are also culprits, as is mishandling. If you look closely this has already happened at the very top of the maple. Choose a maple with a good structure that will hold a good canopy in the future. The lower left limb on my maple has no future as it will eventually be superceded by the branches above it. It does not contribute to supporting the canopy. It has subsequently been removed. I should have spotted it earlier.

tapla, I am searching out help in japanese maple bonsai and I noticed you suggested layering off the tree above the graft union. I have purchased two japanese maples ( at an excellent price for practicing ) and after reading this thread I went back and checked the trees for the graft union. In my excitement at the price I did not notice them before, but yes, the union on one of my trees is definitely visible and now that I can see it, it seems to not belong with the tree. Can I take the top off and root it with hormone, should I scar the bark, dust it with hormone and plant it with the graft union beneath the soil, thus letting roots form from the scion itself, and then remove the rootstock? Or is air layering the way to go? Assuming all this will be done at the right time of year. Which I have read, for maples is just before bud break. The other graft union is not so visible, so can I leave it or do you consider that the change in bark structure is detrimental to the beauty of the tree. Or will this union become more visible with time?

jmg1717, the ultimate choice to prune or not to prune is yours :-) Your post has garnered a number of differing opinions, including several from folks extremely familiar with growing these trees and their particular habits. With Japanese maples. most pruning decisions are going to be personal - there are simply no hard and fast rules about their pruning and all decisions should be made on a case by case basis. You seem to be assigning a lot of weight to the opinion of your landscape architect. I would just comment that because JM's do not develop a distinct leader, there is no apically dominant growth point in the tree, but all branch tips will share in apical growth. Removing the branch(s) in question will not necessarily cause the tree to grow taller faster but could very well produce increased overall growth of the canopy......there IS a difference :-) Also you want to be cautious with heavy pruning very late into the winter. Sap begins to move quite early with JM's and pruning after about mid-December may create a lot of bleeding. btw, although not necessarily obvious with this format, there are individuals that post here with some equally impressive credentials. Mike (miketann) is an extremely knowledgeable landscaper (now retired) with many years of experience and an entire personal "forest" of JM's :-) I too have a degree in horticulture and many years experience as a landscape designer and a nurseryperson. Just saying you are getting the benefit of a lot of years of professional experience on this forum as well.