For most trees, the best time to pollard them is late winter or early spring. The exception is maple tree—avoid pollarding a maple in early spring because that's when its sap is running and it would be a sticky mess.

Can a maple tree be pollarded?

The best time for pollarding many trees and shrubs is in late winter or early spring. However, bear in mind the following: Avoid pruning Acer species in spring when they are prone to bleeding sap. Summer can be a suitable time to pollard.

Can a maple tree be topped?

"Topping" a tree is more like decapitation than a cosmetic procedure, causing serious pruning wounds and destroying the maple's natural shape. If you own a maple whose upper branches scrape an electric line, you can use crown reduction pruning to reduce the tree's height.