How to Care for a Vitex Tree in Arizona
Vitex is sometimes called Texas lilac or chastetree. The plant is a heat-tolerant shrub or small tree that is often grown in warm climates as a substitute for lilac. In Arizona, vitex may be grown in zones 7 through 10, which occur primarily in the western and southern parts of the state. The shrub must be pruned into a standard or tree form when it is young. In this form, the tree may grow up to 20 feet tall. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Shovel
- Garden hose
- Pruning shears
- Balanced, granulated (10-10-10) fertilizer
Instructions
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Plant vitex trees in locations with well-drained soil that receive full sun. Open a planting hole that is twice as wide as the vitex root ball, but no deeper. Place the root ball into the hole and fill in around the sides and top with soil.
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Water the vitex with 5 to 7 gallons of water once weekly until the plant's roots become established. Gradually taper the amount of watering until you only water the shrub when the roots need it. To check the roots, insert your finger into the soil up to the second knuckle bone. Water when the soil feels dry. The soil should remain as damp as a wrung-out sponge.
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Prune the vitex in late winter or early spring. Blooms form on new growth that appears each spring. To keep the plant in shrub form, cut it to the ground yearly. For vitex in tree form, prune away low-growing branches as well as any branches that rub or weak and spindly growth. Remove spent blooms to encourage new blossoms.
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Apply a balanced, granulated fertilizer (10-10-10) each spring according to the package directions by spreading the fertilizer in a ring around the perimeter of the plant. Directions will vary by manufacturer.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit lilac image by Henryk Olszewski from Fotolia.com
