Newbie needs help w/new tree (growing, trees, veggies, backyard)

[ITSPECELP]

I'm sure this has been asked before, but I was unable to find any previously discussed, similar threads..

A few months ago I ordered a Keith Davey Chinese Pistache tree for our backyard through Amazon.com. The tree arrived in good condition, and it appears to be doing well after several months of regular watering and Miracle-Gro. What concerns me is that the top of the trunk appears to have been chopped at the nursery, and I don't know if it will continue growing or not. The tree is about 5 ft tall, and branches are growing up and out of the sides (almost in a 'Y' shape) but I really want the trunk to keep going up especially at this early stage.

Is there anything I can do to remediate this or should I not be concerned at all w/it?

I didn't know who better to ask than my fellow CD-ers

[cittic10]

That's not ideal but its very common.
Contact the seller and ask for a replacement or a refund.
Next time, don't use miracle die. It's intended for veggies not for trees.

[J&Em]

ITSPECELP as I began to read your post I was thinking "Oh no not an invasive tree!" because that is what I had learned about many of the "Pistache" trees that people had planted and regretted. It seems the cultivar you picked is a male cloned tree which does not become as problematic as other trees in that family. Whew...

Now as to what your tree looks like. It doesn't look good when compared to other shade trees most of us know but it arrived pretty much normal from the descriptions I've been able to find for a young sapling (under 4 years old). Apparently this tree is often referred to as an ugly duckling and that it needs some pruning help early on to train it to grow right but eventually it doesn't need much care.

To prune it correctly you will need to choose whichever of those two branches in the "Y" looks bigger and stronger as your leader and get rid of the second one. The leader will then need topping again until multiple branches begin forming and this process can take a few years to accomplish. Rather than repeat all the information second hand I found a site with the best information on the species. This will help you better understand the tree and there is also a section on how to prune and train the tree.

ENH641/ST482: Pistacia chinensis: Chinese Pistache

Hope that helps a bit. Good luck with the tree.

[ITSPECELP]

Thanks for the replies!

cittic10: The reason I used the Miracle Gro "tree" spikes was because we used them before on my father's ranch which has 100+ pine trees. We did notice a difference in size compared to those that we did not use it on...I'm not an expert in the area though. Are there any other products you would recommend?

J&Em: Thanks for doing the research. I, too, did a little researching (aka googling) and wanted a pretty, non-invasive tree that wouldn't require much maintenance. The link you provided is EXACTLY what I was looking for!

[cittic10]

Originally Posted by ITSPECELP

Are there any other products you would recommend?

No products!!! Water and mulch only (not too much of either tho)

fertilize ONLY when soil test indicates it is necessary. No spikes. First couple of years are underground growth. Roots. Let them do their thing.