Any Mesquite tree know-it-alls out there?

[Tom Treks]

For some reason this year the Mesquite in my front yard is shedding almost all it's leaves. I see a similar thing (but not as bad) happening to others on the block.

Is this just lack of Monsoon, or what? Wondering if I should get a tree specialist here.

[paintninaz]

Ummm ...Have you tried watering it?
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[GTG]

[evenstar]

Aw hell, he's probably been feedin' it that Bud Light watered down panther piss. Give it six pack of MGD or, even better, Sam Adams and it'll perk right up!
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[Sande J]

[Tom Treks]

[Tom Treks]

As for the rest of the comments....

[MikeInFHAZ]

try trimming the mesquite, not watering. These trees should not need a 3x a week drip system. They are resiliant as you stated, you can look at mesquites in the "wild" and view their ability to survive with the provided natural moisture-they do ok. While desert plants are experts at surviving droughts, you may not like how they look while they're doing it. This info taken from Arizona - Sonora Desert Museum's book: Book of Answers.
similar problems arise with Bird Of Paradise and Aloe.
Tom what worked for mine was minimal watering for each tree only once a week. Check the area around your mesquite to see if invading plant roots are stealing its water-plants with large, green leaves for instance. (like bouganvillia and oleander) Its possible to over water native desert plants and people often do it. Water logging your mesquites reduces oxygen availability-it literally drowns the roots. They need even less water during the winter months, when they are dormant.
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what i do

[Daryl]

I never watered my mesquite once it was established (no one waters the onces in the desert) and the bastard would not stop growing. Due to shallow root patterns and me trimming it to look like a tree (in the wild they look more like bushes but HOA would not like that...) it fell over in a storm about once a year. And actually, every year around this time it would lose just about all it's leaves for me to clean up and would come back even stronger in the fall for me to trim some more.

I'll never put one in my yard again...
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[GTG]

Now that most of us know-it-alls have checked in;

Just cut it down and we'll use it for firewood on some outing I'm sure.

GTG
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[paintninaz]

[MikeInFHAZ]

[GTG]

I've read that in Texas and Oklahoma that mesquites are considered an invasive plant and a nuisance. They actually have developed eradication programs to remove them from rangelands there.

Another interesting bit of information; mesquites have provided a food source for Indians for thousands of years. The pods contain fructose and can also be ground up to make a flour.

GTG
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[paintninaz]

[Victor]

According to the U of A Master Gardener program... all native trees should be off irrigation systems after 5 years in the ground, cut em loose.