When And What To Trim

When planted, too much watered in, 6 yrs ago. The advise was to not trim for awhile. Now it hasn’t been trimmed at all, and there are suckers and ivy at the base. There was so much rain this winter that it’s crown is not greening up. So, my question is, should the ivy be cut way back because it’s keeping water in the soil, and also, is it safe to trim off the suckers and/or lower branches this late in this zone, 9b? Is there a charge for correct advise? Lots of other pepper trees in my neighborhood are looking great. Mine looks like it’s going to die.

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1 Comment To "When And What To Trim"

#1 Comment By BushDoctor On 05/04/2022 @ 9:49 am

It is ok to trim off the suckers at any time. I would take soils samples before doing any work though. That ivy may be keeping in precious moisture that it needs. There may be a soil nutrient or pH issue, though.

Once you know for sure, you can begin corrective action. These articles will help you to take soil tests:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/testing-moisture-in-plants.htm ^[1]

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/testing-soil.htm ^[2]

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/soil-ph-plants.htm ^[3]

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/test-soil-for-pests-and-diseases.htm ^[4]

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/making-sure-soil-drains-well.htm ^[5]

This article will help you with the care of your tree:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/pepper-tree/california-pepper-tree-care.htm ^[6]

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