How to Prune a Citrus Tree

Prune to keep trees healthy, attractive and within bounds. Other than lemon trees, citrus trees do not require frequent pruning to remain productive.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Flat Paintbrushes
• Bypass Pruners
• Latex Paints
• Lopping Shears
• Pruning Saws

1. Prune citrus almost any time from March to August, but just prior to blooming is best.

2. Remove dead, diseased or crisscrossing limbs to open the center of the tree. Use handheld bypass pruners on small branches; long-handled loppers or a pruning saw on larger ones.

3. Cut back branches that are getting too large or are in the way.

4. Paint any branches newly exposed to sun with diluted white latex paint - half water, half paint. This step will prevent sunburn to sensitive bark.

5. Prune lemons every year or two, cutting back new growth by about one-quarter to one-third. Otherwise, trees will get too large, and fruit will be hard to pick.

Tips & Warnings

• Citrus trees can be pruned hard to keep them in bounds, but productivity will be reduced.
• Keep pruning shears sharp. They'll be much easier to use.
• Wait to prune frost-damaged trees until after new growth has shown the extent of the damage. This may take several months. Then remove dead branches, cutting back several inches into healthy wood.
• Pruning in late summer or early fall may encourage frost-sensitive new growth, which will be more susceptible to cold damage in the coming winter.
• Be careful with pruning equipment. It can cut you.

[fmcoon]

on 2/18/2008 Last October I have purchased and planted a 2 year old grapefruit tree in the Rio Grand Valley in Texas. I tell you that in order to give you a better idea of the growing season this tree will experience. It is middle of February now, and the tree is loaded with blossoms. Some are opening but most are stll developing. It is my understanding that this young of a tree should not be allowed to grow fruit, so that the tree can better develop.

If this is true, please tell me how and when do you remove the buds or blossoms from this young of a tree.

Thanks,
Mike

[fmcoon]

on 2/18/2008 Last October I have purchased and planted a 2 year old grapefruit tree in the Rio Grand Valley in Texas. I tell you that in order to give you a better idea of the growing season this tree will experience. It is middle of February now, and the tree is loaded with blossoms. Some are opening but most are stll developing. It is my understanding that this young of a tree should not be allowed to grow fruit, so that the tree can better develop.

If this is true, please tell me how and when do you remove the buds or blossoms from this young of a tree.

Thanks,
Mike

on 3/6/2006 Citrus trees need to be grafted. The bottom half (root stock) is a well adapted, disease resistant, non-edible plant. The top part (scion) is usually of good fruit quality and needs to be grafted to take advantage of the strong root stock. But also, and perhaps more importantly, to preserve the fruit quality and characteristics of the mother plant. The fruit from plants started from seed out of one tree and can be very different from each other, depending on how genetically variable the mother tree is and also depending on whether or not foreign sources of pollen are present.

on 11/22/2005 I have three key lime trees that I have grown from seeds from the mother tree (that I bought several years ago). These three trees are very healthy and have produced key limes for the first time this year. I have been told by the experts that my trees will never bare fruit because they have to be grafted in order to be able to produce fruit. However, all three of my trees do have editable key limes on them.