Co-dominant Trunks – Pruning

Q: I have heard you speak about “co-dominant” trunks, emphasizing that multiple trunks are not conducive to a tree’s health. My Bloodgood Japanese maples have co-dominant trunks. Do I prune them?

A: Having two parallel trunks can be a problem for trees taller than 20 feet but your ‘Bloodgood’ maple won’t grow that big. Remove twiggy branches from the top anytime to improve air flow and branch structure. I don’t think pruning out multiple trunks would make the tree look better or live longer.