Quick tip: Now is not a great time to prune! Go lightly on the pruning, so it’s protected during the winter. (No “recreational pruning”)   With the long monsoon season there is a lot of extra growth out there, so a very light second pruning might be okay.

John explains “Benign Neglect” and what it means to tree care.

Bottom Line when pruning…..Be very very careful!

Callers:

• Jenny – She just moved into a new home and wants some recommendations on trees that will grow fairly rapidly to fill in and also wants tips on trimming her mulberry tree.

Recommendation –  Visit John’s site, here!  He has all kinds of tips for both of her questions.

We continue our conversation on pruning:

• NO “Recreational Pruning!”
• Less is almost always more.

Callers:

• Greg – He has 4 large olive trees in a new home he purchased. He likes them, but the suckers are shooting up everywhere.

Recommendation – You can treat them chemically, but it should be done professionally. Stay ahead of them and pick them off when they’re very little. Try Scottsdale Weed Control for tips.

• Scott – His mature mesquite tree has split right down the middle and he heard it can be repaired. Is it possible to save it?

Recommendation – Yes! Bracing is used…..Drill through the trunk and bolt it together so it grows back together. Doing it sooner rather than later is better too.

• Hal – He has lemon trees that are dropping pods and he doesn’t know what they are….

Recommendation – The guys finally get “stumped.”  Take pictures and send them in so we can figure it out!

• Kristina – She has a pomegranite tree and the seeds seem to vary and wants to know how to care for it so she can harvest the fruit.

Recommendation – Seed color varies, so just make sure it’s getting watered and fertilized properly. Make sure to wait for the fruit to mature.

• Scott – He has a few fruit trees and the leaves are turning yellow and not doing very well. What should he do to get them on track….

We give recommendations in the next break….

Recommendations for Scott – Treating the soil is very key to success. Our rocky soils and drainage issues are usually the main factors in fruit trees suffering here.

Callers:

• Dick -He has a very successful orange tree, but he wants to know what to do about all the shutes growing out.

Recommendation – Its usually a good sign your tree is healthy, but it’s not a major factor to be concerned about it. He should be just fine, but if he wants to prune, be very careful and go very lightly. Leaves insulate the fruit and plant!

*John shares tips on preventing damage to your trees with a weed whacker!

Have a tree question.?.? Contact John at Integrity Tree Service at 602-788-0005!