Cutting Down Acer Tree

[FanFckingTastic]

We are having a new fence put in and unfortunately our Acer bends over where the fence line will be. We can take it out completely but I'm really loathed to do this. Does anyone know whether it would continue to grow if we cut it right back (so the trunk remains but not much else)

Hoping that someone will be able to advise!

Yes you can prune them, and this time of year is as good as any. Just check the trunk carefully for a graft, and don't cut it back beyond that. If you have vaseline in the house, rub that all over the cut area, it helps to stop disease.

Most ornamental varieties of acer are fairly delicate and don't do well on their own roots, so they are grafted onto the stem of a bog-standard one. In essence the top part of the tree is one variety, and the bottom section of trunk and the roots are another. There is usually a lumpy bit fairly low down on the trunk, or where the bark looks slightly different in colour or texture.

What kind of acer is it? A japanese maple? How big is it?