Evergreen citrus with their strong branches, dont require the jot down of intensive pruning fruit-bearingdeciduous treesdo.
However, youll still have to do some trimming to prevent irregular growth and an overly dense canopy.
You might also need an orchard ladder to reach the canopy if your trees are tall.
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This tidies the trees' appearance and directs all the energy to the healthiest growth.
Remove small branches with hand pruners, secateurs, or loppers.
You might need to use a tree saw to remove larger branches.
Do this gradually, assessing the sun cover after cutting each branch.
Excessive thinning can lead to sunburn of the remaining branches.
Avoid cutting off more than 1/3 of the trees height, as excessive pruning can affect its vigor.
Taking off the top growth of tall, spindly young trees helps promote a lower, fuller canopy.
Its particularly useful forsatsuma mandarins, which have especially low-hanging branches.
Coat the exposed wood with tree paint or a whitewash of one part latex paint to one part water.
Citrus Tree Pruning Tips
Below are some additional helpful citrus treepruning tipsto keep in mind.