How to Prune Young Citrus Trees
Citrus trees, such as oranges, tangerines, lemons and limes are commonly found in warm-weather home landscapes as well as in commercial citrus orchards. Pruning is one of the important tasks to perform on young citrus trees to train them into the desired growth pattern. After the young trees are pruned for the first two to three years, they typically will maintain the desired growth pattern. Pruning young citrus trees is best done in the late winter just prior to the new spring growth.
Cut off any small shoots on the trunk of the young citrus tree -- from the lowest true branch to the ground -- as close to the trunk as possible using hand pruners.
Dig out any small shoots that are growing up out of the soil around the trunk with a hand spade. Dig around the shoot until you locate the root it is growing from, and cut the shoot off as close to the root as possible.
- Citrus trees, such as oranges, tangerines, lemons and limes are commonly found in warm-weather home landscapes as well as in commercial citrus orchards.
- Pruning young citrus trees is best done in the late winter just prior to the new spring growth.
Paint all cut areas with a tree liquid designed to stop sucker growth. This will prevent the shoots from growing back in the future.
Prune off any diseased limbs using loppers and making the cut as close to the trunk as possible. Signs of disease on branches and leaves include black spots or white growths.
Cut off the last 3 to 6 inches of one-third of the branches with flower buds to prevent them from flowering and producing fruit. This encourages the young trees to produce leaves and branches, which creates a sturdier tree as it matures.
Prune Citrus Trees Indoors And Keep Them Small
Prune indoor citrus trees any time during the year, except during the time the tree is blooming and developing fruit. Avoid pruning during this time, as pruning diverts the energy away from setting fruit. Stand back and look at the tree. Make note of the general shape of the tree and unsightly growth or unbalanced areas. New growth will replace the removed branches. On dwarf citrus trees, the graft union is approximately 5 inches above the soil.
- Paint all cut areas with a tree liquid designed to stop sucker growth.
- Cut off the last 3 to 6 inches of one-third of the branches with flower buds to prevent them from flowering and producing fruit.
Prune Citrus Trees Indoors And Keep Them Small
Prune indoor citrus trees any time during the year, except during the time the tree is blooming and developing fruit. Avoid pruning during this time, as pruning diverts the energy away from setting fruit. Stand back and look at the tree. Make note of the general shape of the tree and unsightly growth or unbalanced areas. New growth will replace the removed branches. On dwarf citrus trees, the graft union is approximately 5 inches above the soil.
- Paint all cut areas with a tree liquid designed to stop sucker growth.
- Cut off the last 3 to 6 inches of one-third of the branches with flower buds to prevent them from flowering and producing fruit.
Tip
Repeat this pruning procedure until the tree is at least 3 years old.
Related Articles
References
- Texas AgriLife Extension Service: Home Fruit Production - Citrus
- Four Winds Growers: Growing Citrus in Containers
- North Dakota State University Extension: Growing Dwarf Citrus Trees Indoors
- Four Winds Growers: Growing Citrus in Containers
- North Dakota State University Extension: Growing Dwarf Citrus Trees Indoors
Writer Bio
Kimberly Johnson is a freelance writer whose articles have appeared in various online publications including eHow, Suite101 and Examiner. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and began writing professionally in 2001.
