How to Care for & Prune Sonoran Desert Trees
Sonoran Desert trees require minimal care, as long as they grow in their native environment, they do not need a whole lot of attention. Trees are only pruned to meet human needs, so if you have trees in your yard that are part of the natural desert, leave them alone. Wildlife will thank you. Other pruning such as to raise the canopy so you can walk or sit underneath, can be done any time of year. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Prune newly planted trees minimally. Newly planted trees should not be pruned at all, unless there are broken, crossing or damaged branches. If there is any mistletoe present, remove that as well. Using sharp tree loppers, cut branches that fit those categories back to the starting point of the branch, but never cut so that the incision damages the bark on the adjacent branch or trunk.
Do not remove lower branches on a newly planted tree as they should be left on for at least two years to allow the trunk to grow sturdy and strong.
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Do not stake native desert trees. As a general rule, native desert trees, especially those with more than one trunk, do not need to be staked. In fact, staking weakens trees as they become dependent on the support and do not learn how to stand up on their own. If the tree can stand up on its own when planted, then do not stake.
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Prune mature trees only as needed. Mature desert trees should only be pruned to accommodate a certain need. For example, you want to be able to walk or sit under the tree, or it is rubbing against the roof of your house. Pruning out mistletoe infestations will not prevent it from eventually killing the tree, but will set it back some. Prune mistletoe out by cutting back the infested branch to where it starts.
If pruning is necessary, do so before you end up removing large branches (over 3 to 4 inches), which is rarely advised. Prune branches back to where they start, but do not cut into the bark of the branch you are cutting back to or into the bark of the trunk. Always keep the cut outside of what is called the "branch bark ridge," which is a slightly raised area where the branch attaches to the trunk. Pruning desert trees can be done at any time, but winter allows you to see the structure of the tree and where mistletoe is a problem.
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Do not fertilize trees. Native desert trees, and most trees for that matter, do not need fertilizing. Trees that are in the legume family, which produce seed pods after flowering, have the ability to "fix" their own nitrogen from the soil. This amazing attribute means that adding nitrogen fertilizer is never necessary. In fact, if you feed trees that are nitrogen fixers, they will "forget" how, and cease the ability to perform nitrogen fixation.
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Water trees minimally. Native trees will do better with supplemental irrigation, but less is more. Water established trees in your landscaping once a week in the hottest part of the summer. The rest of the year, twice a month is sufficient.
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Tips & Warnings
Before selecting a new desert tree, make sure you are picking one that is suitable for the planting area (in that it will not grow too big for the space) and that it is hardy in your climate zone.
