How To Prune A Lemon Tree

August 17, 2022 | Posted by | in Palm Cleaning, Tree Surgery

Pruning your lemon tree is the best way to keep it healthy, but it can be intimidating if you've never done it before. This guide will walk you through everything from removing dead branches and excess leaves to trimming for new growth.

1. Plan How You Will Prune First

To encourage growth, it's important to prune your lemon tree in late winter or early spring. Before you begin any pruning, however, it's best to plan how you will do so. Remember that there are two main goals in pruning a lemon tree: the first is to keep the tree balanced and the second is to remove any deadwood.

Maintaining balance ensures there is an even distribution of branches on either side and means the entire tree has sufficient aeration and access to light. If one side has more branches than another, this will cause uneven growth as more energy gets directed toward those areas.

2. Remove Dead Branches

The dead branches of a lemon tree are easy to identify - they're brown and brittle. However, while they will snap easily, don't just pull them off with your hands. Use pruning shears or a saw and make all cuts flush with the branch collar, which is the raised area where the branch meets the larger stem - do not make cuts flush with the branch itself.

3. Remove Any Shoots Around The Base

Remove any shoots growing around the base of your tree that are more than 1/2 inch thick and have no leaves on them. If you leave these shoots where they are, they will weaken the trunk as they grow upward. You don’t want these shoots to absorb any of the nutrients that the tree needs.

4. Remove The Bottom Layer of Fruit

When you prune your lemon tree, it's important to remove the lower layer of fruit. This will encourage new growth and allow you to pick lemons at their peak ripeness.

When removing this low-hanging fruit, be sure to remove any other lemons that appear damaged or diseased, no matter where they are on the tree.

5. Trim the Tree for Any Excess Leaves

Trim the tree of any excess leaves, especially those that are shading the fruit or touching the ground. These will not be able to produce more fruit, so they should be removed as soon as they appear.

Just be careful not to over-prune - as a rule of thumb, you should never chop off more than 1/3 of the branches (unless they are diseased).

For further advice on looking after your lemon tree, contact our friendly team at Lismore Tree Services today.