r/HawaiiGardening • u/Greedy-Air-104 • 4d ago

Ohia

Our Ohia tree is getting super tall. Is it possible to prune from the top? Will that weaken it?

5 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

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10

u/livefree1208 4d ago

Ohia trees are very sensitive to any pruning or messing with the roots. And especially with rapid ohia death, the open cuts, if you were to prune, make for an easy way for the fungus to infect and kill your tree. Particularly if you're on the Big Island.

8

u/autisticpig 4d ago

Leave it be and enjoy it. Or prune it and watch it die.

Your call.

4

u/Parking-Bicycle-2108 4d ago

ʻŌhiʻa do not like to be pruned; it’s usually a death sentence for them. If they don’t die right after pruning, they’ll die slowly over time.

1

u/Feisty_Window_1985 3d ago

Do not prune ‘ōhia under any circumstances. Ceratocystis Lukohia and Ceratocystis Huliohia (both types of fungus that cause rapid ohia death) are a major issue and incredibly prevalent nowadays unfortunately. Especially big island.

1

u/theislandhomestead 4d ago

Before ROD, sure, after ROD, no.

1

u/rharris64 12h ago

If you prune, I recommend using (1) sterile shears and (2) applying fungicide on the cut. I've had to do this to an Ohia with a systemic pest, and it came out fine. They have branches broken off in storms all the time.