Japanese maple #8 sacrifice branches

All multiple trunks like this have a similar problem. The center tree gets weaker and weaker. It just does not get enough water with minerals compared to the outer trunks. And then all trunks at one time were about the same width. If one does nothing the center trunk will become thinner compared to the others all the time. But artistically one wants just the opposite. It is hard work to overcome this problem. One has to let grow the center trunk uninhibited EVERY year. So this tree looks quite untidy EVERY summer. Many visitors will wonder why I did not bother to clean my trees before they came. October is a good time to get rid of the sacrifice branch before the tree goes into winter storage.
See last image s of May 2008 as I go the tree. Three was some development in only three years due to my method.