how long has it been against that wall.. and do you think that could have any impact on its situation ,... especially during winter ...

where are you .. big city name ..

ken

Thanks for the advice, @gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)! If I do decide to prune the grey-maybe-dead branches, do you have any advice on where exactly to do it? Should I just cut the tips back to the node? Should I take off the whole branch one, two, or three nodes behind the dead stuff?

Hey @ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5. That's not so much a wall as it is a hollow cylindrical column. It doesn't have much thermal mass so it's neither radiating heat nor is it absorbing heat. If anything, it's protection from the wind.

I think telling you the big city name will confuse things. This is on a patio that's mostly covered overhead, so it's not subject to the typical climate elsewhere in the city. I acquired it in winter 2020 from somewhere else, where it was getting pummeled by Pacific Northwest rains and cold. It was very rootbound; I cut off 1/3 of the root ball and gave it a new pot. It lost all of its leaves early in the summer/fall of 2020 and I thought it was a goner, but it spung back as pictured in spring of 2021 after wintering in the shelter of our patio.

You just remove the dead portion....and it should be pretty obvious where the live tissue ends and the dead starts :-) Twig and stem dieback on JM's is not at all uncommon....there is always a small amount present after leaf out on even very healthy trees. Don't confuse this with some sort of disease - it's not - so cutting back beyond any dead wood is unnecessary.

ETA: knowing a big city name is irrelevant in this instance. This sort of stem dieback can occur anywhere the tree may be located.

btw, the PNW is an almost ideal climate for growing JM's, both in the ground or in containers.

Thanks for the advice, @gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)! So, do I just basically make cuts where indicated by the white lines, up to but not including the node?

If I do decide to prune the grey-maybe-dead branches

==>>> grey is dead ... not maybe dead ...

on your last pic.. the cut would probably made to the right of your pic ... or you can cut it back there next spring.. when no viable buds pop out oif where you think they might ... but you can dismiss that though ...

in my MI ... the wall would reflect winter sun.. and POSSIBLY cause the plant to go in and out of dormancy.. the heat build up.. on the bark or under it .... leading to exactly what you are seeing with your tree... dismiss it if you want ...

though i doubt its an issue in the pnw ... but if your sure your location is irrelevant.. dismiss if you want ...

trees grow in tree time.. counted in decades .. there is rarely a hurry to prune for aesthetic .. the easy answer is let it bud out next spring.. and then just prune out the dead stuff ... what exactly is your hurry ...

but dismiss that also.. if you want ...

ken

Steven, I'd cut back to the next node (to the right). Yes, I said you did not need to go back into healthy tissue, but I'd still like to see healthy buds or growth at the node.

There is NO issue with reflected heat during winter causing this nor is this a discussion about aesthetic pruning. It is often best to filter out unnecessary data, especially when originating from a JM unfriendly climate :-)

Thanks for the follow up @ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5! That wall is a round column, and it's in shade at all times of year – it faces the building. The tree gets light as the sun comes around either side of the column. I think I might take your advice and get rid of the dead stuff now, lest it encourage rot during the wet winter months!

Thanks @gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9). I think I'll take some sanitized shears to it tonight, cutting from the first dead node, backward to the next node(s), until I see only healthy tissue.

oh no..after the comments here I'm worried about my bargain maples (75% off..less than 16 each)..hard to see but they're missing leaves..would you keep them?..they do have a one year guarantee..

One on the left looks a bit iffy.....the right is much better. But at that price, I'd plant 'em and see what happens next season. 75% off is unheard of in my area and they still offer a 1 year guarantee??? That's like giving them away!!

I bought the ugliest one first..then a few days later at another store I find the better one..I thought I'd return the first one when I was buying the second one..husband says "just keep both"..they were the best ones at each store..other people were buying uglier ones when the ones I'd picked were on my cart..I couldn't resist..even if they're never perfect they're an asset to my garden right?..

Yep, I'd keep them both (and probably buy the uglier ones too). They'll just have a little more character when they start growing well under your care.

steve..thanks for the thought about "more character" and "growing well under your care"..

you made me laugh!.."and probably buy the uglier ones too" Lol!..

they're not planted..it's rained a lot..my soil's too wet to plant..but I think they look better already!..

Probably better to wait until later to plant anyway.