Pruning a young citrus tree with strong spring growth

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Do you have any questions about pruning your young citrus trees during spring? Drop me a comment!

[@samuelfreeman2181]

YES!! and thank you! I planted several lemon and lime trees last fall. Several appeared to die over the winter. The company where we purchased them honored their warranty and replaced all of them. We left the ‘dead’ trees planted where they were. Some of them started to grow back with new branches sprouting from the base of the trees, but only one main branch or trunk going straight up.. Two in particular, are doing extremely well, and have grown 6+ feet over the spring and summer. My concern is they have grown straight up from one branch or trunk only. So much so that they now droop over at the top at least a foot or two as their length exceeds the ability of the trunk to keep them upright. I have secured them to metal stakes as high as 5 feet, but there doesn’t appear to be any branching occurring, just the main branch or trunk going straight up, and drooping over at the top. It is now mid-October. I am tempted to top them off and prune that main branch back a couple of feet, but I do NOT want to hurt the trees. They have been a lot of work to get them to this point. Do you have any suggestions?

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

It is only a pleasure Samual. If I were you, I would leave them for 1 more season to build strength, set roots more firmly and get bit more of a branch structure going. If they are weak and you trunk chop now then you risk losing them. For your highest risk of success let them be through winter, then in spring remove any flowers or fruit, and then in early summer tip-prune all the branches to force back budding lower down the trunk. You can then use next winter to do a hard trunk cut, but by then you should have some kind of branching going on lower down. Good luck and I really hope they make it through this winter season!

[@samuelfreeman2181]

@@MySustainabilityJourney thank you very much for your quick reply. I will follow your advice and let them grow for now....

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

@@samuelfreeman2181 let me know how it goes 👍

[@MrLayhuy]

@@samuelfreeman2181

[@Wolfmoss1]

I've got a young citrus tree (2 - 3 years old) that germinated out of compost and I kept growing it, iniitally in a pot, and now planted in the back yard. I know it's generally not recommended to grow citrus from seed, but I didn't have the heart to throw my little guy away once it had gotten a start haha. I hadn't pruned it before, so it was starting to go pretty wild, but this video help me with some good tips. Thanks man! :)

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Oh wow that's cool! It would be really interesting to see how that little guy grows over time and what the fruit ends up being like! I'm glad you got value out of watching this video and I would love to hear how your tree progresses over time 🌻

[@Eddy12700]

Yea I’ve also had a orange tree from seed for a few years now probably more than 3 years or more and it’s still in a pot indoors and it’s doing very well

[@backbudbonsai]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge/experience with lemon trees!! I was typing in a question for u, but then u literally answered my question in the video…….. I have a 4-5yr old “improved” Meyer lemon tree that I’m growing for bonsai purposes. Excellent info!!

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Oh nice! That should be a very interesting bonsai to see over time! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and got the answers you were looking for 🌻🌻🌻

[@craigkeller]

You answered all my questions. Thank you 🙏

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Ah thanks Craig, I am glad you found value in this video 🙏🌱

[@TheLongHaul00]

They keys left in your door are giving me a complex lol

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Haha 😂 I must say we were super lax with that. The gate stayed open almost all of the time...naughty, I know 😄

[@TheLongHaul00]

@@MySustainabilityJourney ....my heart. 😂

[@moniqueflannagan9275]

Thank you!!! I pruned with confidence!

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Yay, im so glad to hear this and that my video gave you the knowldge and confidence to make the cut 🌻

[@markselbygal]

Very useful video , I have a young lemon tree the same like this , Thanks

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Thank you Selby and I'm so glad you found value in watching this video 🌻

[@melissamartin9896]

Very informative. Thank you, answered many questions I had about my grocery store lemon seed that's 3 years old with no branches at all & a bit over 2 feet tall. I definitely do not have a green thumb like my mother & sister but enjoy it so much. It's my new therapy 😌

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Yaaaay, big thumbs up to your new comfy space where you can let go of the daily stresses of modern life, it will no doubt pay off 💚 In terms of starting fruit trees from seed it really is hit and miss. Almost all fruit trees are grafted with specific varieties onto root stock that have certain growth habits. With a seed you really have no clue what you will be getting and fruit production can take up to 7 years to happen . It's up to you to decide if you want to invest the time into a maybe, or guy a known variety and work your magic knowing what you will be getting. Good luck and enjoy your new found passion for gardening and growing 🌻

[@sas5thDr]

Thank you for the nice explanation.

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

It is only a pleasure and I'm so glad you found value in watching this video 🌻

[@simonemary8559]

Great, thank you!

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

It is only a pleasure 🌱

[@yuvondaseal6736]

Thank you. This really helped❤❤

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

It is the greatest of pleasure and I'm thrilled to hear that you found my video helpful 💚🌻

[@victoriacoombes5230]

Great video, thanks

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Ah, thanks Victoria. Glad to have been able to share my knowledge with you.

[@peterfowler386]

Great video for the novice such as myself.

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Oh wow, thank you and I'm so glad to hear you found value in watching this video 🌻

[@jabulanimbele6591]

Good insight video. Thank you.

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

I'm so happy to hear this and thank you for leaving me your thoughts 💚

[@MatthewHartsuch]

That was perfect 👍

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Thanks so much 🌻

[@expatinbrazil]

Thanks for the tips ! I did it last year ,alone , and I was close to the correct way. This year will be better.

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

That's great to hear 🌱 just remember there is no right way, just shared experiences that help us form what works best for our local climates and growing conditions. Hope you get a great harvest soon 👍

[@expatinbrazil]

@@MySustainabilityJourney , here in Brazil we just collected the first half of the crops. Unfortunately the worm killed 5 trees ,but still have a good production! Thanks again for help !

[@hajiramzan5363]

I like your young citrus prouning method I falow it

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Thank you Haji, I am so glad you also follow this method of pruning young citrus trees. Be on the lookout for my follow up videos on this specific tree 🌻

[@texasceechelle]

Very helpful, thanks. I got a Meyer Lemon over a year ago and it’s gone wild and no fruit, now I know why.

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

It's the greatest of pleasure and I'm glad to hear you found value in watching this video. Here's to hoping you get great harvests in the coming years 🌻

[@sheilalanga958]

Please do another video explaining how you feed it and watering schedule? I'm planning to buy a lemon tree and will keep it in a pot due to less space. Does it need full sun? Will it survive on the patio?

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Hey Sheila, thanks for reaching out and thanks for the suggestion. I will make sure I get that done for you as this is also a very common question. Lemon trees do really well in pots and on patio's, but there are some things to be very mindful of. They need at least 6hrs of full sun, they need to be kept out of the path of harsh wind and you need to watch their watering. Get as big a pot as you can as they can get big and then you don't have the issue of big differences in soil moisture. Ideally you want to water once a week or once every 2 weeks depending on the size of the pot and the soil mix. You don't want to over water because the roots will rot and you want to let the soil slightly dry between waterings, but never let it become done dry.

[@lyndamilligan560]

Ahhhhhh....a Saffa....i have two new trees (orange and a lemon)....5 foot tall, very skinny, can I lop the top off to make it bish out into more of a wine glass shape?

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Haha hellooooo 🇿🇦 thanks for dropping me a comment with your question! Personally, I would not grow citrus in a vase shape / open centre as their bark burns quite easily and naturally grow vertical and droop with age. They naturally grow to create a 'skirt' that hangs down and these are often the most productive and protect the bark in summer. I honestly think you would struggle with an open centre. It's not that you can't do it, because I'm sure you can, but you would be fighting against it's natural growth habit. Stone fruit, apples, and pears are easy to train into the open centre method because of how strong and rigid their branches are, coupled with their strong vertical growth and tougher bark. I know it's a long reply, but I hope it's helpful 🌻

[@lyndamilligan560]

@@MySustainabilityJourney that's very helpful thank you!

[@randyrodgers7848]

Did you mean to cut the little branch off that was pointing towards the camera? Great video by the way, was exactly what I was looking for.

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

It's the greatest of pleasure and I'm glad to hear you got value out of watching this video! Yes, I absolutely did. There was a branch higher up that I chose to keep as over time the top branch would have dropped down to cover the bottom one. Part of pruning is looking at mature branch placement to ensure there is no overlapping or shading out. If you have any question let me know 🌻

[@Eddy12700]

Can you prune during the summer but not heavily just some leaves

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

That is a really good question! Thanks for asking 🙏 My answer is yes, with a but... Citrus can have multiple growth flushes throughout the year and the answer comes down to when your specific citrus tree bears its fruit. The ideal is that you prune directly after you have harvested your mature citrus fruit. If you prune throughout the growing season you risk significantly reducing your yield as you remove growth that could have created flower buds and fruit. My advice would be to stick to pruning after harvesting for now and note down when your tree does what throughout the year and adjust your pruning window from there. I hope this helps 🌻

[@johnbeck3499]

Hi, Nice videos!!!! I have 2 lemon trees, can I graft them together so they will fruit??? Tks John

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Thanks John! 100% yes, you can graft them onto the same tree to have 2 varieties. Just make sure you have a strong rootstock or tree to graft lemon scions onto 🌻

[@darkhunter777]

Why is everyone drop citrus fruits close to home? Is it illegal to build a greenhouse near a house in the USA?

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Thanks for leaving me a comment! I am not sure about the greenhouse regulations in the US and I suspect you are going to need to know what your state and district building regulations are as it seems these can vary quite a lot between states. I am not 100% clear on your question on the dropping of fruits. Do you mind please giving me a bit more context? 🌻

[@yuvondaseal6736]

My lemon and lime trees are 2 years old. They are about 3 feet tall with only a small bunch of leaves on top. They are inside from October to April. I keep them watered regularly and they are in full sun.. Can I prune them completely from a few inches above dirt line ?

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Good question and sorry about the delay in getting back to you. The most important thing to consider when wanting to lower the height of any fruit tree, including young citrus trees, is where the tree is grafted. You should be able to see a slight change in direction on the trunk and some thickening. If you cut below this line then you will lose the variety grafted on to the top (which is what you bought the tree for) and the rootstock will take over. You will then be left with a random tree that may or may not every bear fruit and that will not taste like the variety you purchased. If you want to make a bug cut then you can most certainly do that but I would suggest going nothing less than 40cm or 15 inches from the graft point. This should roughly equate to 4-6 buds on the truck and will give enough room for branching and possible die back. If I read your question about where you want to prune it then I would say no as no plants are grafted that low, so you will more than likely end up removing the grafted variety. Long answer but I hope it helps you out 🌻

[@johnclarke6647]

Question- go a one lemon tree last month. I have it in a warm place in the house with a how lamp on it. It wants to loose leaves. It has lot about half its leaves but seems to be growing some new laves. I have a little 3-4-4 on it,as well a a little bone meal. I water I every several weeks, so the water completely drains through the pot. Why is it dropping leaves? Thanks

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Really good question you have and thanks for providing all the context! The No. 1 reason would be the transition from outdoor to indoor where there is a big humidity difference. I could also see the hot lamp drying the air out even more. Even though citrus like heat, they don't really like very low humidity, so you need to consider misting or putting a bowl of water in the pot for some evaporation. The great sign is that it is putting on new leaves, which means it is acclimatising, but you don't want to damage the new leaves as that might waste too much energy and kill a branch, so look at introducing a little bit more humidity when the plant is indoors Hope this helps 🌻

[@smshh33]

Looking at my young citrus tree, I see some of the same situations you mentioned here. I'm very curious -- why do you wait to prune the potentially problematic branches or poorly structured branches?

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Hey Ashlee, thanks for taking the time to leave me a comment! That's a very good question and for me it is simply a matter of seeing how the tree grows and matures. Over time branches droop, die off or get diseased and even though a branch may not be in the ideal place, it is better than having a gaping hole, so once I know the primary structure is set only then will I remove the problematic branches. It is very much the same principle when pruning grapes - you always leave a backup just in case. I hope this helps? 🌻

[@smshh33]

@@MySustainabilityJourney I get it - thank you!

[@alexandrabegg5522]

This was very useful - I pruned my lemon tree about a year back & it’s producing a lot of fruit now, which is great. There’s lots of airflow. But it’s spindly & the one branch can’t cope with the weight of the fruit. Should I 1) forego the young fruit & top the branch now or 2) pinch out all the new buds/flowers leaving the young fruit or 3) wait for the existing fruit to mature & then top it?

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

I am so glad you found value in watching this and very good question you have there. So, we need to consider the time of the year and what we can realistically do when it comes to pruning a lemon tree. Once they are vigorously growing and setting fruit we need to be careful about how we prune. For me, I prefer they grow and get the strength they need and don't waste it on unnecessary growth. After a heavy prune you NEED to select the branches you want to keep and let those go, thicken up and build strength. You don't want more than 2 or 3 fruit on a new branch and better yet, remove flowers and new fruit , let the branch grow out and thicken and then in winter prune it back to where you want the branch to split into 2 and do the same, but now you get 2 or 3 fruit on 2 branches, which means 4-6 and that is where the trick comes in. Patience to build a STRONG primary scaffold that can handle the weight and then build on that is the main game here. I think with citrus many want fruit asap but forget these trees live and provide for decades so it's worth the short term sacrifice 😁. I hope this helps you out a little 🌱

[@alexandrabegg5522]

@@MySustainabilityJourney So if I understand you I need to lose the small fruit & cut back the fragile branch? (Thanks for the quick reply!

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

@@alexandrabegg5522 a you are partially correct 😀 I would suggest removong the fruit, or leaving max 2 or 3, and then letting the branch(s) you want to just grow out and grow freely. Then, in winter, cut the branch back to where you want this branch to fork out into more branches and follow the same process. You might only get 2 fruits now, but 4 next year and you keep building on that and all over the tree so you start small, but with a strong, growing, healthy tree 🌱

[@alexandrabegg5522]

@@MySustainabilityJourney Thanks!

[@backbudbonsai]

Which country are u in? I’m on the west coast of America

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

I'm based in the Garden Route in South Africa 🌻 hello from the other side of the world 👋

[@davidlee2052]

Any advice on how to transplant a young lemon tree from pot to ground?

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Absolutely! Firstly, you want to transplant it during winter when the tree isn't growing as vigorously. Different people have different opinions, but I suggest removing all the flowers and fruit from the tree the 1st year after transplanting to get energy into root development and top growth. Secondly, you want to amend the soil really well. My personal preference is lots of bone meal and dried, milled seaweed. Make sure there is lots of organic matter that is free draining 🌱

[@Apollo_Blaze]

@@MySustainabilityJourney I agree with the sense of removing flowers and any tiny developing fruit on very small young trees too...it only makes sense that leaving them will take away resources needed to make roots and new branches. I have just planted a new Meyer lemon in my yard and for this first year at least that is what I will do.

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

@@Apollo_Blaze thanks for backing this process and I hope you get abundant harvests for making some short term sacrifices 🌱

[@davidlee2052]

Does the tree stop growing in height when you top it? Like a tomato plant?

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Hey David, thanks for the question. Yes, you will ultimately be setting the height of the tree, unless you do something like a modified central leader style. When you do the main cut all subsequent branches will start to come out from that point so it will still get taller, but with side branches. Different trees will have different heights and citrus can be higher than some others (e.g.figs), but just be mindful of the final possible height if you want it within reaching height 🌱

[@cheriesullivan1494]

My young tree is very leggy, it hardly has any leaves on it. I’m not sure how to prune it. My tree is this height as yours, but no leaves like yours

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Thanks for leaving me a comment and I hope I am able to help you get your tree back to full health! Young citrus trees that are leggy tend to be like this because of 2 main reasons. Firstly is due to a lack of sun. They really do like a lot of sun. Then, if the tree has been given high nitrogen fertiliser or grows in a very high nitrogen soil then it will grow very quickly and get leggy. In terms of a lack of leaves this can be due to a lack of light or too much or too little watering. They can be surprisingly finicky when young, especially when grown in a pot but if your tree is getting full sun the whole day then it should be dark green and compact. Let me know on the above and let's see if we can get your tree thriving 🌻

[@Robert-tw6sr]

Why are some of my large lemon tree leaves yellow?

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

Good question and thanks for taking the time to leave your comment. The main things that cause yellowing of lemon tree leaves are under and over watering and a lack of nitrogen. Regular feeding with a balanced fertilizer or high quality compost is best as well as making sure it is planted in free draining soil and kept well watered. I hope this helps 🌻

[@Pipsinstitches]

How old is this tree?

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

At the time of the video is was 2 or 3 years old and it was in a very small pot. When I did this video it was the first year in the bigger pot and I am about to do another follow up on it as it is absolutely thriving and exploding with flowers 🌻

[@alienfrommars8704]

Hye mate thanks for sharing the knowledge of pruning a young citrus 🥺 really grateful, can I send you some photo at Instagram of my plant for reference how to prune them ??

[@MySustainabilityJourney]

It is an absolute pleasure. This is exactly why I enjoy doing these videos. You are more than welcome to pop over some pics on my Insta or FB accounts to see if I can help with any citrus pruning advice for you 🌱

[@alienfrommars8704]

@@MySustainabilityJourney aww sure I texted you :>