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lemon tree shaping

last year

is it possible to shape a lemon tree with weights?

any tips appreciated.

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bonsai_citrus_and_indoor_gardening

last year

What kind of shaping do you want? Weights won't give you too much control over where your branches go other than down, but anything that holds a branch in a bent position until it hardens that way will shape your tree. You can even tie a branch with twine and then pull it down and loop around the trunk to achieve the same. (I've done this successfully before with a kumquat). The only thing I would be careful of is how much weight you use, you don't want to break the limb hanging the weights, so you want to make sure it's just enough to bend the branch, no more. I'd be cautious, just because if you use too much weight at the get-go it'll damage your tree. I haven't done weights before, but I have glued stakes to the outside of pots and used twine to tie branches down to them, tied branches to the trunk, and used wire. I, personally, prefer the bonsai wire but just because I like to have more control over my branches, and sometimes like to grow my trees in more creative shapes (my makrut lime is shaped in a series of curls). I try to avoid pruning my trees as much as possible to allow for the largest indoor harvest I can get, so my trees go out instead of up, and I do that by wiring branches that get too tall.

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Comments (17)

logo (10a)
Original Author
last year
i have some tall upright young branches i would like to spread at a lower angle.
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Comments (3)
That is very interesting. I have never seen one that "bushy" Any chance there is a graft somewhere below the soil and all above is scion growth? Anyways on to your questions. Yes you can train them to grow in that manner. Citrus grow in spurts or cycles. You will see no growth for awhile and generally if healthy the tree is growing new roots during this time. Then when the tree is ready you will see new leaves start to grow. sometimes with meyer this can be followed or even at the same time as the flowers if the tree is old enough. You should see some new top growth soon with all that you pruned back. mike
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I think they are fascinating trees--Poncirus. The first time I ever the tree was in Longwood Gardens in Pa.. They are hardy were I am but no one seems to grow them and I never see them being sold at garden centers. As I understand it, botanists classify them either as true Citrus or a very close relative. Their leaves remind me of the Kaffir lime (though the Ponciris has an additional third lobe). I As I said, I have mine containerized because I tread the thought of what I'd have to go through if I ever wanted it removed--those thorns are NASTY. Then again, I'd imagine they make for great security fences--and they're deer resistant I believe. Keep in mind though that the tree is deciduous.
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Lemons Too Big for a Small Meyer Lemon Tree???
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Hi All, I need some Meyer lemon assistance. I received a dwarf tree in the spring from QVC thru mycitrustree(dot) com. I had some beautiful blossoms in the summer and now have 2 lemons about 3 inches and 3 1/2 long. It was kept outside and watered as needed in addition to Mother Nature. I live in NJ and it was about to dip into the 40's one night so I brought it into my basement two weeks ago. I watered it before I brought it in and it got a soaking rain too. It's in a pot with drain access and it still moist. It has also now begun to bud on all end branch A LOT. My original question is some random leaves are turning yellow. They are not dry or curling and have no pests. The leaf veins are also not turning white. I am a nervous first time fruit tree mother. I did not give any fertilizer since I received it in the spring. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much! Barbara-Ann
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The picture that Steve circled, that scion is still alive (as you can see a fruit bloom on that branch that is cut). The other picture, the scion definitely appears dead, it may even have been killed by the tape that was used to keep it on the support having cut into the bark as the scion grew. Any of the long shoots that are trifolate (three leave - like a club playing card), like is showing on the ground in the first picture and on the tree, need to be cut as Steve mentioned. For the second tree pictured, if you don't have any leaves that are not trifolate, then you're not going to get any wanted fruit, unless you want to try grafting from your other plant.
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bonsai_citrus_and_indoor_gardening
last year
Funny that you ask this as I just finished doing the same on my fukushu. Tree likes to grow very upright and I prefer a more spreading habit, plus I grow indoors so I want light to hit as many branches as I can. Tree grows so fast it's kind of like a game of whack-a-mole. Citrus are really easy to shape when the shoots are young, just wrap and bend. If they're still rubbery and you're gentle, you can make any shape you want.

This is one of the branches I did this morning. You just wrap a soft wire around the branch and bend how you want. You use rope or weights on the more established branches once they harden.
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logo (10a)
Original Author
last year
i appreciate the info - i should of started earlier, but i really dont know what i am doing. Your photos are inspiring. Meanwhile trying to keep the citrus spider at bay :-(
bonsai_citrus_and_indoor_gardening
last year
No worries, there's really no "perfect time" to start, just different techniques. I've wired older branches just because I decided I didn't like them and I've done it to younger. I usually use rope and some kind of anchor on the bigger branches just because you'd need some hefty wire to bend those. We're all really just students, figuring it out as we go along, some of us have just been at it a bit more time. Everyone has to start somewhere. Horticultural oil can deal with the spidermites, or if your tree is small enough you can do the nuclear option and dunk it leaves and all in a bathtub or bucket with lukewarm water. One teeny tiny drop (tip of a pin) of soap to a full tub can help if it's really bad, then leave it for a max of 2 hours. Any that are in the branches and any in the soil will die, and the eggs will be washed away. Then just don't water again until the plant dries out.
logo (10a) thanked bonsai_citrus_and_indoor_gardening
logo (10a)
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
If only i could 'dunk' it in a bath, i usually resort to olive oil soap - though it sounds like i may need to dilute it more. i will take a photo tomorrow, & start training a few branches. Thanks for the feedback, it is a relief to find a place away from the online madding crowd, this has given me somthing positive to think about instead, its good to learn useful stuff. Thanks
logo (10a)
Original Author
last year
bonsai_citrus_and_indoor_gardening
last year
Outdoor! Awesome! What I would do for those mites is to get the strongest hose I could and spray it down every few days, it'll knock them off and they should struggle to come back. Then I'd just jet the leaves on watering day. If you want to shape the big branches I'd use rope, smaller, wire. Rope around the trunk to another branch.
logo (10a) thanked bonsai_citrus_and_indoor_gardening
logo (10a)
Original Author
last year
Thank you so much; i have been fine spraying the lemon & the Pomegranet tree (aphids run amok this time of year) but it is really hard to keep the spiders off the lemon trees.
bonsai_citrus_and_indoor_gardening
last year
Definitely, I need to learn to ask in-ground or potted as not everyone wanting to shape a tree has it in a pot. Ha. I've dealt with spidermites on outdoor trees before, I help a family member with their garden and have for many years, and their neighbor has a couple big trees absolutely infested with both those and bark beetles and can't take them out for various reasons (though they have them trimmed every year and the service they use always drops a couple massive branches into the yard and we have to deal with mites in at least one tree, AND bark beetles). The most effective thing we did was to jet them with water on a daily basis with a really hard water jet. (I use the same setting to clean crusted and dirty planters for reference, not quite a power washer, but the strongest jet you can get with just a hose). Once the populations got down low enough that they couldn't effectively reproduce that fast, we switched to a regular spray setting and only on watering day. You want to make sure your tree can handle it without getting damaged, (go with the hardest setting your tree can take without shearing leaves), and spray it down.
logo (10a) thanked bonsai_citrus_and_indoor_gardening
logo (10a)
Original Author
last year
your help has made me make a (late) start to this project, i would post a photo but i am a little ashamed of the current set up, i have rigged up a brick tied to a branch, with an anchor line on the fence, i will move a huge urn into position so i can anchor the line there instead of the brick (i cringe just thinking of it)
poncirusguy6b452xx
last year
Do you think we do things any different? We don't so don't worry.

Steve
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logo (10a)
Original Author
last year
inspiring :-)
logo (10a)
Original Author
last year
when shaping branches with weights, can i increase the weight & angle in stages?
poncirusguy6b452xx
last year
Yes. Do it slowly
logo (10a) thanked poncirusguy6b452xx
bonsai_citrus_and_indoor_gardening
last year
Don't bend to the angle you want all at once, do it in stages. So yes, go slow.
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poncirusguy6b452xx
last year
Shaping my tree

Steve
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