Ask-a-Dave's-Gardener: Pruning help with Cotinus ‘Grace’, 2 by owltraveler

owltraveler wrote:
I have a tree form of Cotinus ‘Grace.’ I’ve had it two years. It grows insanely each season. I find that then the next season the really long branches will leaf out only at the tips, making for lots awkwardness (see the photo with the leaves). Last spring I pruned the longest branches by one-third to one-half, which seemed to eliminate the problem of bare branches, at least until late summer when some branches had grown so long, up to 6 feet, that they dropped their lower leaves.

In hindsight I probably shouldn\'t have bought it, but the money is now spent. I have a small space, 24\' by 36\', so it is a focal point.

Should I do this same pruning this year, and all subsequent years? But then will I create more of a problem? What about shaping? Is there any logic to which branches I should and should not prune and how much so I don\'t create an awkwardness of a different sort? The branches I pruned last year sprouted 2-3 new branches each. Over time I fear this will lead to the crape murder effect.

The two images with no leaves are how the tree looks currently.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Jennifer