If you’ve pruned a tree down to its base before, it may take a few years for it to recover fully enough to benefit from an annual pruning.
Most of the best fruiting sites on a citrus tree lie on the outermost branches. If you cut more than 20% of these, you are cutting prime fruit bearing branches, even if by accident.
Gardeners also call these types of branches “leggy. ” If your tree has “legs,” then it has long branches in need of trimming.
For low canopy branches, you can sever them at any point. Just make sure that you keep your cuts clean without rough ends. Trim your branches high enough off the ground, so that the leaves will not get wet from water splashes from rain or water sprinklers. [7] X Research source
If you see a number of tiny holes on a gall, the wasps have already come out of the stem. You can still snip off these spots or leave them alone. In most locations, you’ll need to remove these galls prior to the start of August.
Vertical shoots won’t produce fruit. You’ll get your best produce from horizontal branches.
It often takes between 2-3 years to go from a “skeletonized” tree to a productive one. So, this is a method for the patient.
To help the paint adhere, scrub the bark with a water and soap mixture prior to painting.
