Does it do any good to try to shape/sculpt mesquite trees. Dang near all the mesquite trees I have on or near my drive way are probably 2nd or 3rd growth. They do not seem to have a single trunk. Will trimming excess shoots off of the base do any good? It's hard to catch up after 6 years of coming back to the house on occasional weekends.

If you are not opposed to using a chemical herbicide, Remedy is very effective on Mesquites.. Follow mixing instructions on the bottle. You can use the basil treatment of spraying around the base of the trunk or sprouts about 18 inches high and down to the root base. Or you can cut the sprouts down and spray the stump IMMEDIATELY after cutting the tree down. Be careful around desirable trees. The only other non-chemical solution is grubbing the tap root out with a skid steer with a grubber attachmet or dozer. From what you describe, someone has broke or cut the Mesquite tree off at it's base. Until you kill the root system, you will always have this problem.

I have several bull mesquites around my yard. Due to my area you take what you get when it comes to trees. You can trim them but you will have to do it repeatedly as they age all the branches wind up hanging down anyway. At least they are good bbq wood when they fall down

Once you do that it's pretty much what you'll have

My mother would trim and shape the mesquite and cresote bushes. If you see a sucker break it off NOW.

I talked to an old guy who raised bonsai trees all his life. He said any tree can done. He said "Either the tree or the person will be in charge, you must choose which."

M

Once you do that it's pretty much what you'll have

I think that Remedy may be what I do to the little ones. My bucket on the tractor works on some of the really small stuff. I think, from the little history I know, is that years and years ago this area was a gravel pit or quarry. You can still see the tailing on the hill behind the house. And when the original owners built here I suspect most of the acreage was bull dozed. Thanks.

I've trimmed several into trees over the years....I like them....

Mesquites grubbed with a dozer blade, tractor or even with a skid steer attachment are often broken off at or above the crown, resulting in regrowth. Especially if the grubbing was done in tight soil without good moisture. When I get into a fair amount of grubbing I prefer using a trackhoe for the majority of the work, with a skid steer helping out with small plants and clean up.

Nothing wrong with shaping them up to see if you’re happy with the way they’ll look. If you want to rid yourself of them economically, you can use the chemical methods already mentioned to kill the tree, then later remove the dead trees by breaking them off or cutting at ground level.

Lots of good info from A&M and brush busters online.

Older, mature mesquite trees with single or larger multi trunks can make pretty trees if trimmed up. Especially if that’s all you have.

I have some older ones that actually look like trees. They just need a little pruning now and then. It's the regrowth stuff with little whip like stems and thorns that'll hurt ya or flatten a tire I want to trim up or kill if they don't go along with the program.

Was his name Mr. Miyagi?

Looked like him!

M

We have one at the ranch house that I trimmed up and it made a nice tree after about 7 or 8 years. I cut all the little branches off and all the dead stuff and it shot up and did develop a trunk and a nice, full canopy.


Also had a huisache that was the only shade tree in the front yard of the old house.....we would trim and water it and after about 10 years it did turn into a nice looking ( for a huisache ) tree.

you can tie most any tree or bush with wire or rope to shape it like you want, have to do it on young growth.

I am in the process of cleaning up a pasture that was overgrown with smaller mesquite. On the front section, I hired a skid loader with a forestry mulcher and had him take out most of the mesquite, selectively leaving those with solid straight trunks over about 4" in diameter. There were only about 20 that were left and I have gone back and pruned those up, hoping they'll grow into nicer cover - time will tell. On those that were mulched, there is some regrowth, but pretty easy now to spray the regrowth and over time I will have a clean area.

On the other sections, I am spraying ALL with Remedy. My plan is to get it all killed over the next year, and once all dead, I will have the mulcher back to clear all of the dead stuff. It takes a lot of time and expense to reclaim land that was allowed to become overgrown with mesquite/brush, but once done, it will just become a maintenance chore to keep clean.

If you use a chemical to kill the tree should you use that wood at a later date for cooking?

I would not burn it for cooking, or probably even in a bonfire. No telling what these chemicals can become when heated.