How to train your citrus

[david]

Question: How does one train and prune citrus?

Answer: Let me say first that citrus requires little pruning. It will thrive and grow with minimal training and pruning. That being said there is a way to train and prune.  Nothing says "this fellow loves his citrus" than looking over symmetrical trees that have been trained and pruned in the correct manner. To start with a new tree one must determine how much trunk and canopy he wants in his tree.  When the new tree is about 2 feet tall is when I like to start. Start by removing any rootstock growth below your graft.  In the top of the tree remove the apical bud at the place you deem you want to grow scaffolding branches.  These are the branches that you want to be the main body of your tree.  Removing the top gets rid of the hormones associated with the apical bud.  The hormones that tell the tree to reach for the sky only.  When this is done the hormones will be lessened and the lateral branches will grow.  I like to pick 4 of the lateral branches that evolve and remove others that are smaller or pointing inward in the tree. Let these branches grow unfettered. When you have the supporting branches that you want you will get some shoots that come off the scaffold branches and reach for the sky.  Let these grow until they reach a height that pleases you.  Then top these so that they begin to put out lateral branches.  At this time you should have good base of supporting limbs and a canopy.  After this is accomplished you should need minimal pruning to keep the tree with the right shape and a healthy shape.  You will from time to time need to remove any growth that points inward, rubs upon another branch, pest damaged or cold damaged wood.  If you have a vacant place in the tree where you want a branch to grow I use the David method.  I bend the branch downward and secure it.  I make the stress curve in the branch centered on where I want a new branch to grow.  This in most cases will cause a new shoot to emerge and go skyward.  When it is of good height and satisfies you, then you can top this branch and it will become bushy and fill the void in the tree.  This is a good way to get a good canopy on an Owari Mandrin.  They take a drooping form and sometimes grow like a weeping willow.  Use this method to get some taller, upward scaffolding in the tree.  The goal in pruning is to keep an open canopy that allows air and sunshine into the canopy.  Any place that is damaged is a place for pest and disease to enter the tree. The good scaffolding branches are to support a heavy fruit load.  At times the fruit load is so heavy that it will bend/break even good scaffolding. The simple cure for this is to place support under the branches until the fruit is gone.  Prune back any damaged/broken branches. Limitations on space for trees often dictate pruning.  After the tree is bearing you want to be careful in pruning that you do not take off your fruiting wood.  This lessens your harvest.

[brian]

I am going to try training my eureka lemon to grow in a hanging basket by weighing all the branches down. It has been growing straight up like a key lime and isn't making good use of my greenhouse space.

[millet]

I have never trained any of my citrus trees. An Unpruned citrus tree grows in a roundish globe. Some little up and some a little out.

[david]

I dont know about the lemon Brian. Cut the top out.

[david]

I hear you Millet. Pruning is not needed but I am a pruner and enjoy making a tree look like I like them to look. They do have a natrual shape.

[brian]

I am trying to get a shape like this, which won't come naturally... but I'm curious if is possible to maintain.

[david]

I am flabbergasted Brian. I hope that I never have to see a lemon tree that looks like that. I habe a suggestion: Graft you a Owari satsuma. Cut the top out when it is about a foot tall. When the horizantal limbs come out they take a draping form naturally. With a little help you should be able to get the form you desire. Do not show me a pic of it.....that would cause a great disturbance in the force.😅😆😣

[walt]

I used to be seriously into bonsai.  While what you are talking about and showing isn't bonsai, the technics for growing cascade form bonsai should work for you.  But generally pruning delays flowering.  You will have to decide how much you want to prune.
Bonsai people generally use two methods to hold branches down.  1. Weights on the branches.  2. Wire wrapped around a stem at a 45 degree angle, then bent into position.   Wires should be removed as soon as the branch has grown a little and is set in this position.  Always remove weights or wires before they start to cut into the bark.
Either way, a branch will often bud and grow from the highest point on a branch.  You may have to remove buds from where the branches start to bend down.  Some species or varieties within a species of tree do this more than others.
So Brian, yes it is quite possible to grow citrus like this.  I can see how it might make good use of greenhouse space.  But I don't think I'll ever do it.