Q. Can you tell from the attached
pictures what might be happening to our mastic tree?
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| Mastic tree. |
A. My guess is that the new growth
is filling a “hole” made when the plant became a shrub. Mastic is a Mediterranean
tree or shrub that grows slowly and naturally as a bush, to about 20 tall by 20
feet width. It requires, at the least, annual pruning when it is young to shape
it into a single or multitrunked tree. It is best used as a background tree or
shrub and not a smaller version of the larger Chinese pistache. It is not as
pretty. It lacks fall color, tends to be shrubby, and smaller, but does have red ornamental
nuts when they are young and before they ripen around August.
If
this plant were mine and I wanted a small tree instead of being shrubby, as it
tends to be, I would start to prune it in the winter or late fall months. Make
a decision whether you want it as a single or multi trunk tree and make the appropriate
cuts. I would expose the trunk or trunks
of this tree up to my knees by starting at the bottom of the tree. I would eliminate
any growth below my knees and keep any upright growth. If I saw any suckers at
the base, I would eliminate them. While it’s young, I would eliminate any
growth growing downward or horizontal. I would concentrate most of my pruning
efforts on keeping any upright growth to make it look like a tree and give it
some height.
Water
it like you would an olive tree. It is mesic in its water use. It will attract
the leaf footed plant bug. Shearing this tree with hedge trimmer is a mistake. Fertilize
this tree once or maybe twice lightly with a standard landscape fertilizer such
as 16-16-16.