Posted on 03/01/2005 5:44:38 PM PST by hsmomx3
I am new to gardening.
1. Just got a tiny Raywood Ash tree put in before Christmas. It has no branches but you can see little buds trying to pop through up and down the tree. How long before we actually see branches?
2. We also have an Indian Laurel Fig tree (aka Ficus family) and we had some very cold temps in December and January. What we were able to cover was protected but other parts of the tree, the green leaves came off.
Do I leave what appears to be good branches in tact or do I cut those back? There is a lot of new growth where the leaves are on the tree.
I live in Arizona in case you're wondering.
Thanks so much for your help!!
Paging the expert on such horticultural things...
WTW, maybe you can help...
Here's some general advice, even though I'm not in your zone and don't know either tree type very well...
1. I take it this is more of a "switch" than a tree in appearance...probably a 2yr old seedling or cutting? You don't mention how tall it is, but under good conditions you'll likely see branching begin after the first full year in the ground. Rule of thumb for new woody shrubs and trees is: the first year it sleeps, the second year it creeps, the third year it leaps! In other words, it has to esablish a good root system before you'll see much top growth, so don't lose patience...once the roots are in and it's acclimated it'll start making visible progress and at some point the third year it'll really take off.
Keep it watered, mulched and if you feed it use either root stimulator or nothing more than 1/2 dose of an all-purpose fertilizer (like Miracle-Gro), since you don't want to stimulate more top-growth than the roots can support right now. I prefer water-soluble fertilizers because the pound-in-tree-stakes don't always disperse reliably, and with such a small area of feeder roots right now you need to be sure the nutrients are readily available.
2. Don't prune anything until well after the last freeze, after bud-break and the new leaves appear. What looks dead now may still have life. I'm not familiar with this fig, but from what I've found online it's winter-hardy in Phoenix except for newly planted trees, which may have leaf-drop. Even if you're north of Phoenix, if it's planted with a southern exposure I'd guess there's a decent chance for re-growth where the leaves dropped. In any case, you'll know by Memorial Day and can prune out any dead branches then. As with the new ash tree, keep it well watered and mulched and use root stimulator to help it get well established before next winter.
Another general rule: if you fertilize, it's a good idea to stop feeding trees and shrubs 6wks to 2mo before the first freeze is expected since you don't want to stimulate new growth that won't be "hardened off" before the freeze. This also gives the plant a breather so it can store energy before it goes dormant for the winter.
Good luck!
You should come to this thread if you are interested in gardening. I'll post a link there to here. Maybe someone can help with your question.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1341811/posts?page=643
Becky
That is the ugliest tree I have ever seen in my life!! Thanks for a good laugh.
"I take it this is more of a "switch" than a tree in appearance.."
You are correct and it stands about 10 feet tall.
Thank you so much for your helpful post.
Thank you for the link!!
Try
http://www.gardenweb.com/forums/trees
Amazing what those folks know. The forums there are a great resource for gardeners - any kind of gardener.
If you don't already have a copy, get the Sunset Western Garden Book. This is the BIG Sunset guide...about the size of a large city's white pages...not one of the many small, topical Sunset guides. It'll run about $20 and Sam's Club generally carries it. Not only does it have good general gardening info, it gives specifics on thousands of species and cultivars. A very good reference guide!
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