Need advice on pruning. We planted this smoketree about 2 years ago, in Spring, and

[japple]

[img]?3[/img]

though everything I've read says it is a hardy tree, drought tolerant, there seems to be long sections of bare branch between the previous growth and this year's leaves. I don't know how whether to cut off this year's new growth after it blooms, or leave it as is. We have had two droughty years in succession (June-Nov each year) and I'm wondering if that's what caused the sparse growth.

Any suggestions?

Sorry for the size of the picture. I cropped and re-sized it on Imgur, but when I posted it here, the original appears. Guess I need help with that too!

[asiliveandbreathe]

1. I thought I would look up "smoke Tree"..am not familiar with it

Love your pic..for what it is worth see link..


https://www.gardenguides.com/91833-smoke-tree.html

[mopinko]

2. prune out everything that does not fan out from the center.

it's important to get a good shape and an open crown at about this stage of growth.

[Vinca]

3. Prune the bare branches back to just above a spot where there are little nodes that

a smaller branch will grow out of. I've got a bunch of forsythia bushes I started that will need that treatment as soon as they stop blooming.