On Mon, 12 May 2003 14:38:38 GMT, whit .*ork wrote:

Howdy, our new redbud tree is doing quite nicely, it's about 4' tall and
has lots of new leaves. But it has a branch that is weighing down the
top causing it to droop. I'd like to trim this one branch off, but I
don't want to do it any harm or have it sprout a dozen new branches from
near the cut.

It's been in the ground about a month, can I trim it now or should I
wait?

Are we talking a 50lb. branch on a 4ft. whip? :-) If not, definitely
wait. I generally don't prune new trees for the first 3 years, and
then only sparingly (prune redbuds immediately after they bloom).

Lots of science, more than a little art, and a touch of zen in
pruning.