Pruning Citrus Trees

A citrus tree has a very hard bark and it grows in a manner that it can be grown in the wild. Thus, many people who own citrus trees, think that not pruning it, and only watering it, will yield a better fruit, but they are often wrong. Pruning citrus trees is as important as planting one, as they need to be maintained and taken care of, if you want a better quality of fruit. It is not a very difficult job to prune a citrus tree, as you have to follow the same instructions applicable for any other deciduous tree. Of course, you will need some good and sharp pruning tools and a lot of time to do so, as pruning one of these sure takes effort and energy. Mentioned below are a few steps for pruning citrus trees, thus, take a look and hope they are beneficial.

How to Prune a Citrus Tree

Almost all citrus trees, except the lemon trees require pruning only once in every two years. Pruning citrus trees is basically needed to make them look good, healthy and within bounds. Pruning also helps in keeping the trees away from certain diseases, produce better sized, tasty and well shaped citrus fruits and also look great. You can prune citrus trees anytime between March and August but the best time to do it is before the trees start flowering early in the year. Even though the other citrus trees need less, lemon trees need to be pruned more frequently to keep them in bounds, so fruit picking is easy. These also grow faster than the other citrus species, thus, their pruning has to be done more often. Follow the coming up pruning techniques to make sure you prune your citrus trees well.

Step 1
You have to make sure, when is the right time to prune your citrus tree, preferably before the trees start to flower. If you have planted the tree, you should know when and how the foliage grows.

Step 2
You should preferably prune the mature citrus trees, as they need to be cleaned of their dead and rotten branches. Any of the limbs or branches which are crisscross and growing in a wavy manner, should also be removed, as they make the tree look unbound and shabby.

Step 3
While pruning, remove the sprouts which you are sure to grow large and uneven. If these sprouts grow large, the pruning of these branches is more difficult and requires more effort. Do not prune trees after May, as they will not grow for another year.

Step 4
Make sure, the bark of the pruned tree is not exposed to the sun, if it is, cover it with whitewash or latex paint.

Step 5
If there are any infections on the bark of the tree or the branches, you can remove it of by either cutting these branches or peeling the affected area of the bark. Many fungal growths and parasites which grow on citrus trees can also be removed by pruning, as it will maintain the quality of the wood.

Step 6
Termites are the worst enemies of trees, and though citrus trees are not very affected due to these, there are some chances where the tree may get affected. At such times, make sure you remove the foundations of the termites and medicate the tree to keep it away from further damage.

Step 7
After pruning citrus trees, water them well, and let them grow for another one year without any cutting or trimming.

With these pruning citrus trees tips and techniques, the yields of these trees are sure to be very good. And your citrus trees will also look lush green and very healthy.