Learn the best techniques for cut down branches so your gamboge tree diagram thrives .
hump when and how toprune a Citrus limon treecorrectly will help you get the most out of your plant . Though most citrus tree grow easy and seldom need pruning , lemon tree trees are unique . Known to grow vigorously — to the detriment of fruit output in some slip — stinker tree profit from annual pruning .
on a regular basis snipping aside unproductive upright shoot along with fifth wheel keep the tree diagram in honest wellness and rich . Plus , it will help you keep your plant at a more convenient size of it for harvesting . With a bumper harvesting , you ’ll have plenty of options to apply lemons forsweet dainty , creamy lemonade , and yourfavorite pasta dish .
Credit:Doug Hetherington
Here are eight easy pruning tips to keep your tree in top shape and produce mickle of cocotte , vitamin - rich fruit .
Doug Hetherington
Some lemon trees can have sharp thorns , and their sap can stimulate cutis temper . Always wear protective glove and eyewear when lop maize Tree .
1. Prune the trees right after harvest.
The best time to prune a lemon tree tree is short after harvesting the fruit . A lemon tree diagram ’s peak buds , the starting time of the next time of year ’s yield , form quick after the current fruit is harvested . Some lemon diversity ripen in late summertime , while others are quick to harvest in winter or former spring .
You might note that you get a in effect crop of maize one year and a lite crop the next class — this is known as “ alternative bearing , ” or when the tree ’s energy break down into produce a big crop alternatively of flower buds for the next year ’s load . In spring , consider “ melt off ” the payload by remove some of the fruiting shoots or developing fruits . Also , after a light class , pruning decoct yield - bearing wood and gives the tree a prospect to build up its stockpile .
2. Remove the unhealthy wood.
Pests and diseases accede lemon trees through dead , damaged , and diseased branches . Remove these parts as soon as you see them toreduce pestand disease terror .
Be certain to scan the tree for broken limbs after strong winds . Intense inhuman charm can damage branch , too . Cut back branch damaged by cold conditions to healthy wood or woodwind with leaves .
If you find a lot of break down branches , attempt to project out the problem , which could be any bit of thing , including pesterer , undue lacrimation , tooth root rot , or a virus .
3. Snip sprouts growing along the trunk.
Fast - growing shoots pop up along the trunk or a arm of a lemon Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree are commonly nonproductive piss sprouts . When lead on the tree diagram , these vigorous stem grow into woody limbs that shade off generative upcountry branches and robvaluable flora food .
When caught early , water supply sprouts can often be plucked off the luggage compartment or arm by hand , while established water sprout become woody and require mitt pruner . Young lemon trees grow more sprouts than fledged trees . Keep a unseasoned lemon tree sprout - free by take away these stalk by hired man about once a calendar month .
4. Cut branches back to the collar.
When remove a tree branch from an overgrown lemon tree diagram , reduce the limb back to the more or less conceited area of tissue near the trunk . This vain tissue is called the arm collar .
When branch are cut off in the branch collar zone , the tree heals the lesion cursorily . branch cut off decent next to the luggage compartment or branches leave as counterfoil beyond the branch leash heal easy , and there is a greater prospect thattree disease and pestscan take hold . Always purport to cut at the branch pinch .
5. Here’s how to prune a lemon tree using the 3-cut method on large branches.
Pruning a enceinte branch require multiple swing to ensure safety for the gardener and the tree . practice the3 - slew pruning methodfor branches bigger than 2 inches in diameter .
The first cut is an undercut about 5 in from the trunk or adjoining outgrowth . Make the undercut about halfway through the branch . The second cut takes berth a few inch beyond the undercut and removes the leg ’s weightiness . in conclusion , the third track removes the stump pull up stakes . Cut off the dais to the branch collar — the swollen expanse of tissue paper where the branch attach to the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree — cutting at a 45 - degree slant .
Sterilizepruning toolswith rubbing alcoholic drink before pruning your stinker tree diagram to quash put in works disease . Clean off your pruners again before prune another citrus tree tree .
6. Protect newly exposed wood from sunburn.
gamboge trees aresusceptible to sunburnafter pruning . When a branch or a portion of the trunk is newly exposed to sunshine after pruning , protect it withwhite latexor another received tree paint . Latex key can be diluted 50 % with water ; do not employ oil - based blusher .
7. Prune at recommended times.
minor pruning cut made annually right after harvesting maize ensue in little or no loss of fruit the following year . prominent pruning cuts , often necessary when a tree diagram is overgrown andhasn’t been pruned for many year , can importantly boil down the quantity of fruit produced the following year . Prune each year and enjoy a unconstipated harvest time .
8. Aim for a dome-shaped tree.
When pruning a lemon tree for size and shape , make cut to create a tree about 7 to 10 foot grandiloquent and 10 to 15 feet wide . Asmall tree is easy to harvestfrom the ground or with the help of a short ravel . Reduce the sizing of an overgrown Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree by cutting outgrowth back by about 10 to 12 inch each class for several years . This slow method acting of reanimate an overgrown tree is healthier for the tree than cutting it back drastically all at once .
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes , you could take thorn on a lemon tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree without damage the plant .
It bet on the crusade of your lemon Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ’s decline . If root buncombe has set in , pruning wo n’t do much undecomposed . If a plant disease is kill select branches , pruning those areas off may slow the cattle ranch of the trouble to the rest of the tree .
Plan to prune a stinker tree after the last frost in your area or in other leaping if you live in a affectionate climate to get pruning done before the bounce young growth . Continue to rationalise throughout the time of year as needed . Always crop numb , diseased , or broken branches as presently as you recognize them to preserve the wellness of your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
“ Management Options for better Flowering in Citrus Production . ” University of Florida Ask IFAS .
“ Pruning Citrus . ” University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources .
