I think this sounds like a great idea. I notice that you are in ohio, so the full sun will not be as bad of a problem as it could be. Having said that, your trees still could get some leaf burn in late summer. Many cultivars of japanese maples do have a layering habit, but a little pruning enhances this quality. You are right about the 'bloodgood' being an upright large (for JM standards) tree. It would likely get 30 ft high and 20 or so wide in a reasonable time (and in like 50 years significantly larger). There are hundreds of cultivars, so recommending just a few would be difficult. However, we can give a few good common trees, and you can check around to see what's available. There are several semi-upright reds that are considered smaller than 'bloodgood'. Unfortunately, most growers do not shape their uprights to have a nice spreading shape. They pack them in tight and the trees grow straight up, but you might be able to find a few oddballs that have started getting some horizontal branching. 'Fireglow' is supposedly a smaller red with similar color to 'bloodgood' (there is conflicting information as to its size, it may get almost as large as 'bloodgood'). The habit will be similar, but you might find a tree with good horizontal structure. 'Moonfire' is another similar tree, probably with more purple than the above. There is also conflicting information about this tree, some say it is as large as 'bloodgood' and some say half the size. Judging from the trees I have seen, I would say it is on the smaller end of that range. It seems to have more horizontal growth and less long leggy limbs. 'Pixie' is a dwarf red similar to 'bloodgood' in color (perhaps not holding quite as long), but much smaller. Many of these trees I have seen had good layerered branch structure. However, it is difficult to tell whether this was natural or trained. There are several others and some other folks will probably reccomend a few more like 'shin deshojo', but I'll move on. There are many greens that could fit into this middle sized layered type. I don't know where to start here, but perhaps a weeping variety like 'waterfall' or 'viridis' would be good. They will usually spread wider than tall, but they are often staked and pruned to be more upright or mushroom shaped. There are several mid sized trees like 'tsuma gaki' that would be beautiful (although it might not do well in the sun), but the likelihood of finding one at a local nursery is slim. As far as low mounding types, a red weeping dissectum like 'crimson queen' could be used here if it hadn't been staked. It will grow more or less horizontally and along the ground if untrained. However, it can get quite wide in the 10 ft range. There are several dwarf shrubby types like 'shaina' that you might run accross that would be signifcantly smaller and have a low mounding habit.

Hello all, thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. I too would prefer to leave the tree alone if possible. The only reason I thought it needed some heavier pruning was because I thought that a 50/50-ish "V" split at the base weakened the tree. For this reason, I felt it might have been a good idea to prune the right side canopy this year to slow its growth and eliminate it completely next year. But if the overall sentiment is that the tree is healthy and the large split at the base won't weaken it, then I am relieved to know I can leave it alone. With regards to shape: I am ok with its current shape. The tree does look like it was trying to escape from the shady spot, and from some angles it's easy to see it was growing in a specific direction... Also, after transplanting it to its new spot, the canopy does brush against the deck (more than brush, I'd say some of the branches can easily go a couple of feet past the railing in some spots), but if that can be left alone, I will. Thank you for the heads up about the cut paste. I already ordered it, but I will refrain from using it. PS= if anyone has any advice on the best way to propagate some of the cuts from this tree, it would be great. Is there a branch diameter after which propagation becomes impossible? I understand smaller, younger cuts are easier to propagate, but some of the larger pieces I cut (see pic) are about 2cm in diameter at the base, and I would love to propagate them as well if there's a way.

Planting a Japanese maple is really no different from planting any other type of tree. You want a planting hole that is at least 2-3 times the diameter of the rootball but slightly less deep and with gently sloped sides. Site the tree in the hole so that the root flare (where the trunk begins to spread out into the root mass) is at or slightly above the soil surface. When in doubt, higher is always better :-)) Backfill with the soil removed (no amendments!!) and firm in well. Water thoroughly and mulch well....any amendments you might want to have added can be used as the mulch or topdressing. Just avoid this material from actually touching the trunk. And since it is now nearly summer and not a great time for planting trees, you will need to pay very close attention to watering needs

Yellow to orange to red... hmm no wonder why i see all these colors of this maple in the pictures I found. And I did not know there was a Japanese maple whose main attribute is NOT its fall color! I guess thats not the only thing about Japanese maples overall. Btw, do you know if there are any Japanese maples that has fall colors that turn only to orange? I know the green laceleaf varieties do but I'm looking for an upright version.