Dear Arborist,

My young tree is growing crazily. I know I should trim it, but I have no idea where to start. Help!

-Branchy in Sacramento

Dear Branchy,

Your tree is growing like a typical adolescent tree! A little all over the place, and it has not yet defined a central leader… Not to fear, this is very common for many species such as Chinese pistache and trident maple. I recommend you attend one of our arborist-led pruning workshops where you can learn how to make a good, clean cut just outside the branch collar and how to train a young tree to grow up strong and healthy.

The best time to prune your young shade tree is in the winter when the tree is dormant and the leaves are off. It’s also easier to see the branch structure at that time.

We also have a pruning guide with more details, and a lot of other tips in our tree pruning videos.

In the meantime, here is what I would do for your tree.

In short, young trees are not really supposed to have the form they will have when mature. An adult Chinese pistache is round and full, but when young it’s helpful to train it to grow tall and strong first before it spreads out. That includes selecting only one central leader (main trunk), removing or reducing branches competing with the leader, and shortening lower temporary branches to less than one foot long.

Another option is to hire a certified arborist to prune your tree. Investing a little bit right now will pay off big when the tree grows up because now is the easiest time to train a young tree to grow up strong and beautiful, and you won’t have to do as much fixing when the branches are bigger and taller.