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FOPrune this espaliered Meyer Lemon tree with me. 🍋 🌳
Every spring, I prune the test garden’s citrus trees. Pruning citrus is not a requirement like with apples or peaches, but we do like to clean them up because it not only makes the trees look nicer, it also helps reduce pests and diseases as well as promotes new growth and more fruit.
Here are the steps I take when I’m pruning a citrus tree. Always use clean tools. ✂️
First, I remove the ripe fruit.
Next, I prune away the “4 D’s”: Damaged, dead, diseased, and disoriented branches, which grow downward, cross other branches or grow towards the center of the tree. (I’ve heard some call it deranged instead of disoriented but it means the same thing)
Lastly, I prune for shape and fullness. I trim the branches at the bud node where I would like it to sprout new growth. I look to create a balanced shape.
The bud node is the bump between the leaf and the stem. Cut about 1/4” above that spot and new shoots will grow there. You will probably only remove a few branches. Do not prune more than a third of the tree in a season.
#pruningtips #citrustrees #growingtips #Zone8 #zone9 #zone10 #meyerlemontree #fourwindsgrowers
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