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Do these lemon and lime trees need pruning?

David Whitehead

4 years ago

last modified: 4 years ago

Hello,Quick question in regards to these lemon and lime trees. They have basically been left to their own devices for the last 12 months..do they need pruning and if so what would you suggest?? They seem to be growing out and not up.Any help would be greatly appreciatedPhotos in comments

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Comments (5)

David Whitehead
Original Author
4 years ago
Monyet
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
It looks like those trees going to be very bushy, short trees. The trunk is very short, you could leave it alone, they are just as pretty when they carry a bunch of fruit.

Those pots are very big for a small tree, it is not needed, you better have some fast draining stuff in there.
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Where are you located? It is a bad idea to surround citrus with black plastic on the ground. Citrus feed through shallow feeder roots that are at soil level and black plastic kills them from spreading out. Especially in summer when it is hot you will fry the tender feeder roots for sure. You did the correct thing in pulling out that disc thing from the trunk. The trunk and the area around it should be free to prevent any trunk rot disease. If your trees look lush, then you might be feeding them too much nitrogen to promote excessive leaf growth. Please make sure that you are giving them a citrus fertilizer specially formulated for citrus. Peach and Citrus do not cross pollinate. If your trees are not blooming at all, it is not an issue of pollination as you need blooms in order to pollinate them! You will have to change over to citrus fertilizer (in the correct dosage) to promote blooms. And please do not get the citrus fertilizer spikes - they are not effective. Get the granular one.
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You can also do whatever you like. Go with your gut feeling what is right for you. If you want a tall tree, prune the sides and leave the branches that grow straight up. I did that to my 2 citrus and never did recover however. Now they look so puny with 2 straight branches sticking up and no side branches grew. Citrus does not like to be pruned. But in my other citrus like calamondin and Washington navel, I pruned the sides and grew taller.
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I would want them but I don't think I'd be able to make it up that way for at least a week. I'm in Beaverton
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Your very young tree needs as much foliage as it can grow at this point. I would not prune anything for at least another year or two. Citrus are not like other fruit trees like peaches or apples that need to be trained young. When citrus trees are young they they should just be allowed to grow freely, and put on lots of foliage. Citrus trees can be pruned for shape when they are older with no problems. But your tree is so young and has so little foliage at this point that it needs all it's leaves. More leaves means more roots, which will grow more leaves, which will make more roots, that will grow more leaves, and so on. It also looks to be a seed grown tree as many Kaffir trees are, so they are not suckers. So in short, don't prune anything now. Don't prune anything next year either.
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David Whitehead
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks Bob, I guess I will just leave them to it and see how they go. I assume at this stage it's probably too late to get them to grow taller?
Many thanks
Monyet
4 years ago
There is a way but it is drastic. You can keep the strongest branch and cut of the others. If you manage to straighten the remaining branch this one will than become your central leader, make sure you clean any side branches developing. When that branch is about 4feet tall ,you can tip the top to start your side branches and just keep 4. Closest to the top.

patience, patience, patience.
David Whitehead
Original Author
4 years ago
Thanks, appreciate your help. I feel like at this stage I may aswell leave them to it and see how they go, unless you suggest I follow you method from previous comment?

I understand that the process for developing these trees probably hasn't been the best since the get go, but I have only just recently acquired them at this house so just planning the best approach moving forward!

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