How to Prune a Willow Acacia

Look at the overall canopy of the desert willow monthly, checking for any dead or diseased branches. Prune away any damaged or dead branches or twigs with hand pruners, making the cut 1/2 inch above a lower living branch junction. Remove fully dead branches flush with their connection with the main branch or tree trunk.

Thin out the densely branched canopy or lopsided areas with the pruners in early spring or fall. Thinning out is selectively removing branches and twigs to increase light and air passage through the thicket of twigs and foliage. Removing some branches allows storm winds to pass through the tree without putting too much weight stress on the trunk and main branches. Remove them by making pruning cuts 1/4 to 1/2 inch above a lower branch junction, leaf or dormant bud. Don't remove more than 20 to 25 percent of all the canopy's branches during a thinning project once a year.

Remove any low-hanging or weedy suckering shoots that emerge on the tree trunk. Make cuts flush with the branch connection onto the tree trunk. Use a pruning saw or loppers on branches with a diameter larger than 3/4 inch. Also, shorten weeping branch tips as needed to prevent them from blocking walkways or driveways. Conduct branch trimming as needed annually in either fall or early spring.