In order for your lemon tree to bear fruit properly, it needs a good pruning from time to time. We show how to properly prune lemon trees.

Pruning now and again will get your lemon tree in shape

In our latitudes, the lemon tree (Citrus x limon) is purely a container plant. However, this bucket represents an unnatural limitation for the tree, because the roots cannot spread unhindered and penetrate into deeper soil layers. Also due to the unnatural climate, the lemon tree grows much slower here than in the lemon groves of Italy, India or Israel. A pruning is still necessary from time to time, but should be done gently and not as rigorously as is usual with native fruit trees.

Pruning the lemon tree: when and how often does it make sense to prune?

Basically, you should know two types of pruning. The most important is the maintenance pruning, where only dead branches are removed. You should do this regularly. The educational section, on the other hand, is rarely really necessary. This type of pruning offers you the opportunity to shape your tree according to your wishes, but is not mandatory for its he alth. The maintenance cut can be carried out all year round, since only dead branches are removed. This creates space in the crown for light and fresh shoots. The lemon tree is hardly affected by the pruning because no intact shoots are damaged.

The training pattern is more demanding. This should be done in late winter or early spring as it stimulates the tree to grow. The months of February and March are suitable for this, when the first warm days are just around the corner but the tree is still in hibernation.

Instructions: How to cut the lemon tree?

Lemon trees grow comparatively slowly as container plants, so the following applies: less is more. To prevent infection, be sure to use sharp and clean pruning shears.

Take care of the dead branches first. In order for the interfaces to be protected from fungal attack, however, the tree must be able to close them. Is not the samethe entire branch is dead, then cut back down to the living wood. When choosing the cutting point, orientate yourself on side branches and leaf ramifications, because you should cut the branch up to this point. That way, no lifeless butts remain. Once you've removed all of the dead branches, you can get a better look at the overall shape of the tree.

The branches should always be cut back to a side branch or leaf junction

The next step is to remove water shoots, which, like other fruit trees, cannot bear fruit. If there are crossing branches in the crown, you should also remove the weaker one, as well as branches growing inwards.

Now you can turn to the shoots from the previous year that were too long: you can shorten them if you want. When doing so, cut off at the next branch or leaf branch with a slanted cutting edge. Proceed with care here, however, and think carefully about which branches you want to cut back and how long. You should be aware in advance of the growth habit you are aiming for. For example, here's a spherical shape to work toward.

An overview of the most important things about pruning a lemon tree:

  • Use clean and sharp secateurs
  • Pruning dead shoots back into living wood
  • Remove Water Shoots
  • Remove inward growing branches
  • Reduce Crossing Branches
  • Shorten shoots that are too long with a diagonal cut
  • Always cut back to the next branch or leaf base

You should fertilize your lemon tree properly so that your little tree has a good start to spring after pruning. Read this article to learn more about fertilizing lemon trees.

Category:

Fruit