Do NOT plant a Sissoo tree whatever you do!!! (popular in Phoenix area) (Tombstone: neighborhoods, buy)

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by LBTRS

They are not "seedlings" from seeds, they are suckers from the root system. I can't stop irrigating because it is near a lawn (my dogs small spot) and the lawn would die. It has overtaken the lawn and moved past the lawn to rock areas that get no irrigation.

I noticed a couple little shoots in the lawn by mine and assumed they were seedlings. Interesting. In my case, the jackrabbits that infest the yard (I have up to three at one time) noticed them too and ate them. Maybe you should get some jackrabbits.

[LBTRS]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

I noticed a couple little shoots in the lawn by mine and assumed they were seedlings. Interesting. In my case, the jackrabbits that infest the yard (I have up to three at one time) noticed them too and ate them. Maybe you should get some jackrabbits.

Lol, may be worth a shot.

Uh oh, that is how mine started...a couple little shoots in the lawn and it lasted like that for a few months and they would get pulled and mowed each week when I did the yard. Then all of a sudden one week I had hundreds of them, more than I could pull/find in the lawn. Since then they are everywhere and have moved passed the lawn to the rocks that cover the rest of my yard.

It's a mess.

ETA: after reading on the internet it seems it is very hard to get all the roots to stop the problem when you try and remove a sissoo tree. A controlled underground nuclear detonation may be the only way. Wonder if I need HOA approval for that?

[Burning Madolf]

Originally Posted by LBTRS

A controlled underground nuclear detonation may be the only way. Wonder if I need HOA approval for that?

As long as it's below the wall you should be ok.

BTW, thanks for this whole thread, as I said before I have 10 of these and I'll be on the lookout for problems or moving.

What is your watering situation like? Do you have a big lawn that they seem to be attacking?

[imagineAA]

Yeah we have a few of those at our new house. A landscaper told us they are both going to damage the wall and house because they are not stable and the roots are destructive. We're going to have to have them removed.

[LBTRS]

Originally Posted by Burning Madolf

As long as it's below the wall you should be ok.

BTW, thanks for this whole thread, as I said before I have 10 of these and I'll be on the lookout for problems or moving.

What is your watering situation like? Do you have a big lawn that they seem to be attacking?

No, very small patch of grass for the dog. Like 200-300 sq ft. I water the lawn once a day for 10 minutes this time of year. Tree gets watered for 1 hour twice a week.

[wit-nit]

Originally Posted by LBTRS

No, very small patch of grass for the dog. Like 200-300 sq ft. I water the lawn once a day for 10 minutes this time of year. Tree gets watered for 1 hour twice a week.

Your Sissoo tree is a drought tolerant tree. You should be watering it this time of the year once every 7 to10 days for 2-4+ hours depending on your watering system. Deep watering encourages deep rooting and strength. Watering too frequently chokes out the needed oxygen for the plant and light watering encourages the roots to come to the surface. The when a big wind/rain storm comes along it may knock the tree over because the root system is to shallow to hold it in place. Watering should be done after 4am and no later that 8am to eliminate heavy evaporation.

[LBTRS]

Originally Posted by nitram

Your Sissoo tree is a drought tolerant tree. You should be watering it this time of the year once every 7 to10 days for 2-4+ hours depending on your watering system. Deep watering encourages deep rooting and strength. Watering too frequently chokes out the needed oxygen for the plant and light watering encourages the roots to come to the surface. The when a big wind/rain storm comes along it may knock the tree over because the root system is to shallow to hold it in place. Watering should be done after 4am and no later that 8am to eliminate heavy evaporation.

I agree, the problem lies that the tree is on the same valve as my palm trees around the pool and they need more frequent watering. The valves are a LONG way from the sissoo tree and it would take a ton of work and money to put in another valve just for this tree. Not to mention, the lawn that it is next to gets watered every day and I can't do much about that.

The company that put in the original landscape was garbage and since we were new here we didn't know the questions to ask.

[Magnum Mike]

I'm not familiar with sissoo trees, but I know that some types of mesquite trees, like the 2 I have in my front yard make a big mess 3 times a year.

My house was built in 1998 and the builder gave me free trees, back then I didn't know, but it's better to pay a little more and get trees that are not so messy or ask the landscaping company if their free trees are messy.

Also, I don't know anything about trees or anything to do with trees or plants but I found this out not too long ago, trees have genders and the gender of the tree can make a difference in the mess it makes.

[wit-nit]

OP If you have established palm trees you can go on the same schedule. I have four 10 year old queen palms that get watered deeply once every 7 days at this time of the year. And I have three 40 year old tall Mexican palms that rarely ever get watered (rain only) and they look beautiful way up there in the sky.

[HX_Guy]

Didn't know Sissoo had these problems, thanks for the heads up, as it was a tree I was considering for the new house. Guess not anymore.