Hi

I have a young jacaranda tree which has shot up to about 3m from a year ago,
when it was maybe 30-40cm. But it has shot straight up - no shoots - at
least until now. It is now sending small shoots from the base. Most of the
more mature jacarandas around here seem to have multiple trunks forming from
the base.

Would be nice if it just gave us a single trunk though. Is it better to
prune it now?

Thanks
Paul (SE Qld)

no expert paul,

but i just about reckon if you keep those shoots pruned you will
develop a single trunked tree.

len

snipped
--
happy gardening
'it works for me it could work for you,'

"in the end ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do" but consider others and the environment
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"Paav" writes:
I have a young jacaranda tree which has shot up to about 3m from a year ago,
when it was maybe 30-40cm. But it has shot straight up - no shoots - at
least until now. It is now sending small shoots from the base. Most of the
more mature jacarandas around here seem to have multiple trunks forming from
the base.

Would be nice if it just gave us a single trunk though. Is it better to
prune it now?

I understand what you are saying but I am no expert so cannot help
with advice on that. But as I read your question I decided I would
reply to let you know what I have heard a number of experts say about
pruning jacarandas. At the very same moment as I clicked on the 'save'
button I heard Linda Ross on her radio gardening program saying "and
jacarandas are like magnolias -- you never prune them, just leave them
and they develop that beautiful shape".

What I was going to say is that you should avoid pruning the branches
of a MATURE jacaranda because when you do they send up water shoots
(verticals all along that pruned limb) and the tree's appearance is
thereafter spoiled. You'll observe this in street trees where there is
no option but to prune laterals.
--
John Savage (news address invalid; keep news replies in newsgroup)