Acers, also known as Japanese Maples, can be a wonderful addition to gardens, brightening displays with vibrant red foliage. If you're starting off with a small or baby acer planted in a pot and it's starting to look a little bit unruly, there's no need to fret, as the plant can be easily "trained".

In a recent video, gardening expert and TikTok creator Ish shared some helpful advice for anyone struggling to make the most of the plant. However, it's very easy to resolve. Ish shared three little things anyone with an Acer can do to ensure the leaves bloom bolder and brighter in the years to come.

Ish said: "If you've got a small Acer like this, and you want it to look big like that one over there, then let me show you how easy it is to do. We're gonna train this to become a nice potted acer tree, and it's really, really simple."

First of all, you want to focus on the two main stems of the plant. When looking at the larger stems where most of the foliage is starting to grow, gardeners will want to remove any sparse shoots or leaves.

Simply pinch the shoots off to remove them. Make sure you remove all shoots from the stem, as this will help divert energy to the shoots that will become the plant's focus.

Removing the shoots will also help thicken and harden the stem, ensuring a sturdy base for the leaves to grow from. To ensure that the structure is sound, Ish recommended tying some cane or bamboo shoots to the branches.

Loosely tie them to the branches with some string. This will help the acer grow and shape itself into a classic tree shape.

Giving the acer some structure will prevent the branches with leaves from bending and drooping. The last step you'll need to take is to give the plant some feed, specifically an Acer feed.

Acers only require feeding once or twice a year, and now, in late April-early May, is a great time to do it. Take a handful of the feed and sprinkle it over the base of the plant in the soil, then water it in.

Ish said: "A good slow-release feed on an Acer is absolutely crucial; it doesn't need anything fast, that'll do."

You can also top up the pot with a decent multipurpose compost. When positioning the Acer in your garden, locate it in an area with partial sun and protected from any area that could leave it exposed to strong winds.

He continued: "Now, next year when it loses its foliage again, and we cut away any of the dead stems, train all of the new shoots off and carry it on, and as a result, this will get thicker and look just as gorgeous as the original."