Young Trees

• 1). Remove any branches growing on the lower half of the trunk if the tree is less than 3 years old. Make the cuts with sharp pruning shears. Cut off any damaged shoots.
  
  
• 2). Cut back any shoots that are growing vertically, either upright or straight down. Select three to five of the strongest shoots to be the main branches of the tree. These shoots should be in a scaffold pattern. Cut away any competing shoots.
  
  
• 3). Pull off the flowers of the tree and any fruit they develop until the tree is more than 4 years old. This helps the sweet tamarind produce a larger, fuller canopy.
  
  

Mature Trees

• 1). Cut off dead or damaged wood. Check the tree for insect infestations and remove branches that are not recoverable.
  
  
• 2). Maintain the tree's open center by cutting away new shoots that cross other branches, or any shoots growing straight up or down. Cut away new branches growing out of an intersection of other branches.
  
  
• 3). Continue this pruning once a year for the rest of the life of the tree. Late winter or early spring is the best pruning time, when the tree is in dormancy.