Dangermouse
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When to Prune Meyer Lemon Tree?

Hello. I did join just to ask for advice on an outdoor Meyer lemon. I have had problems with it since I planted it here in Houston four years ago. I'll list the issues up to now as background, after the problem I need help with. I don't have a lot of experience and I've dealt with problems so far by googling them. Now it's mid November and the tree's first real crop of lemons is almost ripe (yellowing, just over 20 fruit). It may not seem like much for a 4+ year old tree, but that may have more to do with the problems I've had up to now.

This has been the first year for good growth and some fruit production and I was planning to to finally prune it back over the winter. This week I was checking on the tree though and find that it's putting out new growth and blooms NOW?!? I've read that small citrus can bloom more than once a year, but should I really let the new growth and blooms be?? I understand my problem may not be clear... mostly because I'm not 100% clear on the matter myself. I'm just thinking that the tree's putting this energy into growing and blooming now, just when I was just getting ready to do some much needed pruning. Is there a real problem here and if so what should I do?

Now for a bit of background. My gardening experience for the most part includes the occasional potted flower(s) and a raised bed for tomatoes each spring, some occasion fall vegetables, and weeds year round. Then, about four years ago I bought a small Meyer lemon from a certain home improvement store. It looked healthy, already had a couple fruit, and was on sale! After a few quick web searches, I was back to the store and ended up spending more on mulch/compost than on the tree itself. I made a larger than needed hole, to clear out some extra 'gumbo', our clay-like soil here in Houston, and backfilled with a mix of topsoil and mulch/compost. Finally planted the tree in a slightly raised mound.

First problem... I think now it was on sale for a reason and not a good time to be planting. Plus I should have probably used more inorganic material for the backfill. I was more concerned with the clay-like soil than anything else at the time. Live and learn. The tree was seriously shocked, I believe, and went on a bloom-a-thon. I pinched off most of the fruit, but let a dozen or so fruit grow, thinking it would help the tree settle down. During this time and most of the first year the leaves got old but it didn't put out any new growth at all. Not a single new leaf did I find, despite many of the existing leaves turning yellow and falling off (1/3?). The fruit matured only slightly and ended up stunted before turning yellowish.

Second year had some blooms and I was excited to finally see some new growth, but no fruit. I also became familiar with whiteflies, their larva, leaf mold, and a good number leaf miners. Tried a few things, but mostly just ended up spraying with neem oil when the whiteflies would get out of hand, and occasionally with Spinosad on new growth for leaf miners. Can't get rid of the pests, but can make it uncomfortable for them. So with painstaking care and the tree starting to grow what happens? Our first hard freeze here in Houston in over a decade. Tree survives, but lost all of it's leaves for the rest of winter and was slow to start up again.

So third year was more of the same. A little slow growth and constant battle with pests and a good bit of black mold (I think?) on the leaves. Mold was so thick at times that when it died after being sprayed, it would often peal off in a solid leaf shaped sheet. For all the problems and lack of fruit, I was still happy that it was growing, if slowly.

Finally this past year. With regular spraying the tree's put on a good bit of growth and actually looks healthy, making this first real harvest of full sized Meyer lemons just icing on the cake. I thought it'd be a good time to finally prune the tree, but now with new blooms and growth starting in mid-November, I'm just not sure what to do.

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applestar
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I can't answer comprehensively, but I did have a thought -- you could at least rub off, pinch, or cut off shoots that are emerging and growing in the wrong or undesirable locations and directions. This way, ones that you DO want to keep will get the energy wasted on those others that you will end up cutting off later anyway.

Asica
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Also give a lot of fertilizer. They are very needy.

imafan26
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Citrus resents hard pruning. It will not produce fruit for a couple of years if you cut it back too much. I usually feed the trees with citrus food when new growth starts. My meyer lemon produces fruit about 3 times a year. I usually don't let the fruit turn yellow on the tree. Between the birds and the fruit flies it is asking for trouble. In my climate citrus fruit can be taken when the fruit have some give when you squeeze it. The skin will get lighter but not yellow. If I wait until the fruits turn yellow, more of them fall off and the fruit flies infest them more. Citrus trees will bloom and fruit at the same time, but it is better unless you are fertilizing your tree regularly not to stress it by having a lot of fruit on the tree when it is in a growth spurt. Fruit is always borne on new wood that is why you have to be careful pruning too much. Pruning new growth means you are cutting off the fruit. I prune a little every year. Mostly my goal is to control the height, so I prune anything growing vertically and open up the canopy more to let more air in. I rarely prune the side branches since they are the bearing branches. When my tree is laden with fruit , the branches are nearly to the ground. I do prune some side branches that get in the way and any that would end up dragging fruit on the ground. Fruit trees need good drainage and they like a slightly acidic soil. I use vigoro citrus food. How much depends on the diameter of your trunk and the age of your trees. Citrus in the ground should be deep watered once or twice a week. It is better than shallow watering. They need more water when they are in fruit. If you don't water enough, your fruit will be small and dry.

I have about 14 citrus trees aged from 3-18 years. Most of mine are in pots since that is the only way I could get that many trees in my yard. I have calamondin, meyer, Tahitian lime, yuzu, kaffir lime, and a Lisbon lemon. The yuzu and Lisbon are my newest trees and I still manage to kill them . I have killed a couple of kinsu and Lisbons before. I have multiples of the Meyer, Tahitian, and calamondin. Meyer and calamondin are the easiest for me to grow. Tahitian or persian limes produce only one crop a year. Meyer produc about three. Calamondin are ridiculous, they produce almost all year non-stop. Because my trees are mostly in pots they are dwarfed so each tree does not produce a lot at one time. The satsuma mandarins are in the ground and the three do produce a single crop in a year. One calamondin is also in the ground and it produces almost constantly. I lost one of the Tahitian limes, but I can go raid my mother's tree for more fruit and cuttings. The kaffir lime does produce fruit and it is my oldest tree at 18 years but it is grown primarily for its' leaves for Thai recipes. The fruit is pithy and bitter. My trees are flushing with new growth now because it is still warm and it is raining fairly steady now. Which reminds me, I have to feed them again.

General pruning rules still apply. Do not prune more than 1/3 of any tree at any one time. Study and think about what the tree will look like when you remove a branch and determine which you want to keep and which can go. Stop and step back to take a look and reassess. Branching will occur wherever you prune and other branches will grow to fill any holes in the canopy. You want to cut just above a node that faces in the direction you want the branch to grow. Remember the branch is not going to be short so you have to cut the branch further back than you think. Cut branches back in stages so the bark does not get ripped and you don't cut too much off. Stop before you think you are done and think about it for a while. You don't want to leave gaping holes in the canopy, so try to cut evenly. You can always come back later to do more pruning but once the branch is cut, you cannot put it back and a bad pruning lasts forever.

Dangermouse
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imafan26 wrote:Citrus resents hard pruning. It will not produce fruit for a couple of years if you cut it back too much. I usually feed the trees with citrus food when new growth starts. My meyer lemon produces fruit about 3 times a year.
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Thanks, that was pretty helpful. I'll look to pruning here and there. For reference, I wanted to add a couple pics. First is of the first year when it wasn't growing and I left 8 or so fruit to grow. Additional pics are from this season.
Meyer lemon year one.
Meyer lemon year one.
full tree year four
full tree year four
IMG_0150b.jpg

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

You can cut out the small twiggy growth at the main branch. To control the height cut back the top branches in the Spring just before the new leaves come out. You will have to keep cutting out watersprouts as they come up, leave at least one vertical branch on top as a leader. You can cut that one later when the side branches have filled in.

I don't let my meyer grow to the ground as the fruit ends up dragging so I prune out the low branches. Either that or you have to support the branches with braces.

Selectively cut back some of the side branches to improve the shape. cut it back about a foot shorter than where you want it to be. It will branch out at that point and you can control how many branches to want to keep and their length by pinching out the ones you don't need while they are still small.

Meyer has wicked thorns, grows fast, and can get up to 30 ft tall. Selective pruning keeps it more compact and manageable.



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