Article: Once established, the tree can withstand short periods of drought, but it always prefers to be kept moist. When it is still young, within the first one or two seasons after being planted, you should give the tree a thorough watering if you experience a drought that lasts for two weeks or more. You can prune during the late fall or on a mildly cold day in winter, while temperatures are above the freezing point. You can also prune during the late spring, after the blooms have fallen from the tree. Remove diseased wood first. Then, cut away old lower branches close to the trunk, as well as any branches that are intertwined or growing in the wrong direction. Never remove more than 1/4 of the tree at once. Ideally, you should test the soil each fall to determine if it's missing any vital nutrients. Instead of picking a general all-purpose fertilizer, add amendments that will introduce the lacking nutrients back into the soil. Many redbud trees grow well enough on their own without the use of fertilizer, but this may not be true in all cases, so it's important to check the soil on a yearly basis. Typically, you won't need to add much if any nitrogen to the soil. You may need to select a slow-release fertilizer with higher concentrations of phosphorus and potassium than of nitrogen, and only apply it once, toward the beginning of the autumn. Leaf anthracnose, botryosphaeria canker, and verticillium wilt are the three diseases that affect redbud trees most often. Wood-boring bugs have been known to attack the soft wood of these trees, and insects like the redbud leaffolder, grape leaffolder, and Japanese weevil are known to eat the leaves. A healthy tree is less likely to succumb to these threats than a damaged tree, so prevention is the best remedy. An infected tree should first be made healthy before you consider applying an appropriate pesticide or fungicide.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Make sure the tree receives moderate amounts of water. Keep the branches pruned. Fertilize only as needed. Watch out for pests and disease.