Q.old, tall hachiya persimmon tree — can I shorten it?
I have a very old Hachiya Persimmon tree…maybe 50 years old. It’s about 30 feet tall–with no low branches and is getting stressed by the drought/heat here in Los Angeles. I’m thinking that shortening it would help–and I don’t mind that it will take a long time for fruit-bearing branches to grow. I just don’t want to kill it if I trunk chop…
Is this possible to do while it’s dormant this winter—without killing it?!
drtreelove
Answered on November 29, 2018
You can do some crown reduction pruning during dormancy, but be conservative and don't cut too radically.
Light thinning and shaping down of the tallest leaders should not exceed 25% of the length of the branch being cut or 25% of the total foliage in a one year period. Next year you can do some more.
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