Question
QUESTION: Jim,

I recently receivesd an e-mail from a friend who was telling me about a problem with her 25 year old Chinese Pistache trees.  I have enclosed the body of the e-mail below.  

"I have two huge CP trees. planted 25 years ago. The problem with them is that they often form a three branched tree from the main trunk. So you have three large, heavy limbs which form the tree. Over time they pull against the main trunk and split it and kill the tree. We had to have both ours bolted together at the trunk and then cabled together higher up into the tree. Super expensive."

Do you know if this is a common problem with Chinese Pistache trees as they mature?


Thanks,
Tim

ANSWER: yes it can be common--in the nursery the tree is top pruned and it develops several "tops", If these are left to grow it will form forks that could be problems over time. One specialist suggests:

"The tree needs special pruning and training in the early years to create branches in desirable places along the trunk. It often grows with few branches, or with branches clustered at one point on the trunk, if it was topped in the nursery. Pick one to be the trunk, another to be a branch and remove the rest. Allow the tree to grow taller and again top the unbranched trunk 18 to 24 inches above the first pruning cut to force branch development there. Build the tree in this fashion until a desirable structure with well spaced branches is achieved."
Tree World

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Jim thank you for the information. I appreciate it.  If I had known this ahead of time I may not have planted a Chinese Pistache tree.  
Attached is a link to a photo of my Chinese Pistache tree.  Based on the information you've given me, should I remove the smaller branch on the right or leave it alone?  If I need to remove it, when should I remove it and how do I cut it to avoid harming the rest of the tree.  Thanks.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27657351@N07/6005415345/in/photostream

Answer
I would leave it alone for now. One branch has already started to exhibit dominance and will be the main trunk. The other will be a branch I would not say this tree has multiple terminal branches at this point.This young a tree I would let it grow and in a couple of years then decide if you need to prune any lower branches off or IF the tree may then look like it may have two terminals. I would think the one would be much taller and the other just a branch. IF you do prune the side branch cut it to about 1/4 inch from the trunk not flush with the trunk. This will allow the wound to heal faster. For now let it grow. It looks good.