Question
We have a neglected persimmon tree in our back yard that was over taken by my neighbors Ivory vine,We did not even know what kind of tree it was it has never bared fruit,This spring when I was able to id it I took off all the ivory now it has a bunch of new growth on just 3 of the branch's  but the main trunk seems dead .So my question is should i take cutting's off it and then cut it down or should i just give it the proper care and see what happens?

Answer
Mike,

Not exactly a houseplant question that I usually answer but I do work with trees in bonsai. Keep the ivy off of it  and prune away all the dead branches then give it some fertilizer, tree spikes or even Miracle Grow and wait to see what happens. You should see a lot of new growth. You may want to prune some off if it trys to send out too may new shoots from the same spot. If 4 grow from 1 place pinch 3 off, you don't want 4 branches from one point. Just imagine what the tree would look like down the road and fix it now while it is easier. You can do pruning on the older side if you see something that would give the tree a nicer shape. Good luck.

Darlene