Summer Chocolate Mimosa Tree

1. Planting: Your location should have well draining soil and receive full sunlight.Dig your hole twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep. This will allow the roots to spread through the loosened soil in the early stages.

Mix in peat moss with the soil removed from the hole with a ratio of one part peat moss to four parts soil. Sphagnum peat moss will aid in the fertility and drainage of the soil.

Insert the tree into the planting hole and gently spread the roots by combining them with your hands. Gradually back-fill your hole with the amended soil and gently firm the soil down with a shovel. Make sure not to pile higher than the soil level, or crown, where the tree’s roots meet the trunk.

Water your planting site deeply with a slow trickling hose. You’ll want to water enough in order to saturate down to about an inch below the soil.

2. Watering: Water your mimosa tree sparingly, only during excessive dry spells. The peat moss soil mixture will assist with drainage since the tree will not do well with excess water. A steady flow of water from a hose for about 10-15 minutes once every two weeks should be enough. Anything more than that results in diseases related to over watering, like root rot.

3. Fertilizing: When fertilizing your mimosa tree select an all-natural, organic, slow-release tree fertilizer. Fertilize in the early part of the spring growing season when it’s not too hot or cold. Check your forecast to be sure no heavy rainfall will occur within a couple of days of applying the fertilizer.

Excessive rain could wash away a lot of the slow-releasing fertilizer.

Apply to the soil according to the package instructions. Slow-release is granular or pelletized and can be sprinkled around the planting site. Water will gradually soak the nutrients into the soil where your mimosa tree will absorb them over time. Other forms of slow-release fertilizers can be in the form of stakes that insert into the ground near the tree or in a liquid form that can be applied using a sprayer. Water after applying your fertilizer to prevent salt build up, which can burn the tree.

4. Pruning: Your mimosa tree will not require very much attention but could benefit from some minor pruning in the fall season. Remove branches growing along the lower trunk area at a 45-degree angle with sterilized pruning shears just beyond the neck collar (where the limb connects to the trunk). Cutting the neck collar can damage the tree. Removing the lower limbs encourages more growth towards the top of the tree. A pole saw is useful for removing dead limbs, for pruning branches out of reach and for forming the shape of your mimosa’s canopy. Thinner branches should be cut three to five inches from the end of the limb to promote thicker canopy growth.

*Tip: Sterilize your tools after each cut to prevent contamination. Antibacterial soap and/or rubbing alcohol are perfect for cleaning your tools.