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This little tree is about 5 feet tall and has 4-5 stems - I want it to have multi trunk. It's growing in AZ so should I worry about sun damage after I pruned it to make it look less like a bush. The stems are only about 1" thick at this point. Should I let it grown more lower branches to make the stems thicker - it did not seem to work. This is it's 3 year at 35000ft elevation so it does not get that hot here, max about 105F but the sun is hot and damages olive tree trunks.

Also have not found definite answers about how often to water and fertilize and with what kind. Thank you for any help!

amazingAZ
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Edited: Here’s a site to go by: The Spruce How to Prune a Mastic Tree. Solid advice.

Lower desert or high desert around Tucson? Right now not the best time to prune it much. Keep the suckers pruned off! Watch for crossing branches - prune to ‘Y’s’. Our plants need a leaf canopy in the summer to shade the soil and cool the roots, protect their stems, etc. Mastics ARE tough but still need care. Go easy on a Mastic pruning until after October to Winter when it’s slowest growing. Deep water it maybe every 3 weeks if it’s doing well but still YOUNG, plus some water and nutrition if it needs it. Once established it does best with just a little water. It doesn’t like wet roots so do know your soil. If it looks stressed then up your water schedule if it needs it though. It does well in cruddy Sandy soil. Don’t kill it with too much kindness and water. It likes a Greek soil type tree, truly, don’t give it rich amended soil. Really depends on your soil type and needed drainage. Best I can go off of with what you shared.

You can call your local county cooperative extension office thru the UofAZ and ask for the Master Gardener program. If you’re in the Valley, head over to the big garden center in the SE valley off Ellsworth - they usually know a lot. Don’t recall the name but it’s the only place in Ellsworth - head south off the 60 and it’s in the west side of the road. If you get lucky the Doc, retired from UofA Ag college might be there - he’s awesome and he WAS working part-time 3 years ago. In Tucson go see the experts on East Speedway at the huge nursery East of Speedway on the North side of the road. Hope this helps.

ShanonE
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