Pruning meyer lemon trees
7 Secrets for Tons of Fruit – FastGrowingTrees.com
When it comes to home-grown citrus trees, there's nothing like the Meyer Lemon. A cross between the tart lemon and the sweeter orange, Meyer Lemons are sweeter and juicier than their more common counterparts - making them sought-after in both grocery stores and home gardens alike.
The Meyer Lemon Tree is a fun tree that always seems to be blooming or fruiting. Many Meyer Lemon Trees are blooming now, bringing beautiful flowers and a wonderfully fresh citrus scent to homes. What’s a better way to prepare for spring cleaning than with an all-natural lemon scent?
The Secrets of Meyer Lemon TreesLike with all citrus trees, Meyer Lemon blooms turn into fruit, so if you don’t have blooms, life won’t give you lemons. So, how exactly do you get these blooms? Make your tree comfortable. Under the proper care conditions, your citrus tree will have a ton of blossoms!
1. Light
Before fruiting, Meyer Lemon Trees need to see the light! They won’t flower without getting enough light. Make sure your trees get at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day. You can do this by placing your tree by a large, sunny window. If you can, try to place your tree near an area that faces South. Southern-facing areas tend to get more light.
Also, if your tree is potted in a container and kept indoors, rotate it every three weeks. This way, the entire tree gets time in the sunshine!
2. Watering
Next, make sure that your trees get the right amount of water. Overwatering or under-watering your tree can harm fruit production. Let your Meyer Lemon dry out a little in between waterings, but it should never be completely dry - they'll grow best when the soil stays moist.
Check on your soil once a week. If it feels dry to the touch 2 inches below the surface, it’s time for more water. Slowly pour water into the pot and count to 20, or wait until you see water running out of the bottom of the pot.
Generally, Meyer Lemon Trees need water every one to two weeks. Leaves can be an indicator as to how your tree feels. If the leaves are drooping like they’re too heavy for the branches, the tree is getting too much water. If the leaves are crispy and dry or curl upwards, this is a sign of under-watering.
Don’t immediately overcorrect under-watering. Gradually add more water to your tree over time. If you immediately saturate the roots with a ton of water, your tree may become stressed.
3. Nutrients
Another way to keep your tree healthy and productive? Make sure that it gets all of its vitamin and minerals. When potting or planting your tree, it’s beneficial to mix in some citrus planting mix with your natural soil.
Also, to give your tree an extra boost, give it some fertilizer designed for citrus trees! Give your tree two tablespoons of fertilizer three to four times per year. Fertilize once in the early spring, once in early summer, then again in the late summer and in the fall. Space out your fertilizing by about four to six weeks.
4. Temperature
Meyer Lemon Trees are very cold hardy and can withstand temperatures down to about 20 degrees. If your area gets colder than that, your tree will need to be planted in a container and brought inside when the temperature drops.
But when they’re inside, winter heat can dry them out. Be careful not to place them under a vent. If your leaves start to dry, you can mist them daily with a spray bottle for extra humidity.
Once it warms up, don’t just stick your tree out in the hot sun for hours! It will need time to adjust to the heat. Move your tree outside for a few hours each day, gradually increasing the amount of time it spends outdoors, before letting it live outside all summer.
5. Pollination
Once the blooms open on your tree, they’ll need to be pollinated. Good thing that these trees are self-pollinating! However, having two or more trees will greatly increase the amount of pollinated blooms.
Meyer Lemon Trees can bloom all year, but they have two main blooming times: fall and early spring. If they bloom while it’s too cold for them to be outside, simply keep your tree indoors. However, when placed indoors, they won’t have the wind and bees to carry their pollen from bloom to bloom for them. You could release a few bees inside of your home to help with pollination, but we wouldn’t recommend it!
However, you can pollinate your indoor trees by hand. Simply take a small, dry paintbrush, and run it over each bloom as if you’re painting them. Do this once daily, and don’t wash the paintbrush until after the blooms have been pollinated.
6. Pruning
Another way to keep your Meyer Lemon Tree happy is by pruning it. Meyer Lemon Trees don’t have to be tall to produce fruit – just healthy. Keep them wide and branched out. When you decide to prune your trees in the early fall or early spring, look for branches that are growing straight upwards. Generally, these aren’t fruit-producing branches. Also, remove any damaged or crossing branches. Make your cuts at 45-degree angles facing upwards to promote new growth.
Also, look for areas that block the sunlight from the center of the tree. Removing these branches will increase air circulation and the amount of sunlight that hits these branches, which will decrease your tree’s risk of mold and fungi.
Be sure to look at the number of lemons you have growing. In order to prevent fruit overbearing, when your tree starts to fruit, you’ll want to remove a few lemons in large clusters when they’re pea sized. This will promote the growth of larger lemons when they reach maturity.
7. Patience is a Virtue
Your Meyer Lemon Tree will need time to get adjusted to its new environment before it starts producing fruit. Once your lemons start to grow, give them time to mature. They can take around six months to mature. Don’t harvest them until their skin changes from green to dark yellow. When your sweet Meyer Lemons are ready, their skin will be a shade of yellow that’s similar to the color of an egg yolk.
Meyer Lemon FAQs
What is an improved Meyer Lemon Tree?
An "improved" Meyer Lemon Tree is a specific cultivar that was bred to be more resistant to disease than traditional Meyer Lemons. That means they are easier to grow, with less maintenance required - particularly for home gardeners.Do you need two Meyer lemon trees to produce fruit?
You don't need two Meyer Lemons to produce fruit - since they are self-fertile, a single tree will produce lemons. However, having multiple trees can increase pollination and lead to larger harvests.What is the best potting soil for Meyer Lemon Trees?
Meyer Lemon Trees will grow best in soil that is nutrient-rich and well-draining. All-purpose potting soil typically works well, or you can add in a potting mix designed for citrus trees, which will help with drainage.![](/800/600/http/i.ytimg.com/vi/QPychSFiz8c/hqdefault.jpg)
How long does it take for Meyer Lemon Trees to produce fruit?
It all depends on the age of your Meyer Lemon Tree. If you purchase a more mature tree, you could get fruit as soon as the very first growing season. If you buy a younger, less mature tree, you can expect it to bear fruit within a few years.Blair Brown
Blair is the Content Marketing Manager at FastGrowingTrees.com, and though she's not your traditional gardener, the planting world is definitely growing on her (pun intended!). She's enjoyed digging into plant care and maintenance and growing her plant collection, especially with exotic indoor varieties.
Meyer Lemon – Pruning | Walter Reeves: The Georgia Gardener
Q: How do I prune my Meyer lemon?
A: This articles from the Meyer Lemon Tree website explains it all.
Meyer Lemon Tree Pruning
Suckers
In your gardening experience, you’ve likely heard references to “suckers”. Suckers are shoots that arise from below the soil surface or below a graft union. They are usually undesirable, because they rob valuable resources from the main plant. In the case of grafted citrus trees, suckers are actually rootstock and not the budded portion of the plant (notice the rootstock sucker emerging from the Improved Meyer Lemon in the photo). If left to grow, suckers will surpass the main plant in height within a few months. Ultimately, suckers reduce fruit yield and adversely affect the shape and overall health of the tree. The good news is that suckers are easily identified and removed. A newly emerged sucker is bright green in color and it will usually appear several inches below the graft union. Additionally, sucker leaves are double-lobed (unlike most citrus varieties). In most cases suckers can be removed by gently breaking them from the trunk. Suckers that have developed woody tissues can be removed with pruners, grape shears or household scissors, by cutting flush with the trunk.
General Pruning
You cannot really go wrong with any type of pruning on a lemon tree. In the southern California groves, they prune lemons right down to stumps and large branches. This is because they want strong branches to hold the fruit up and control the size of the trees. The way that you prune your Meyer Lemon Tree depends on what you want; a nice hedge or a fruit-producing tree. Or both…
Wait until the tree is 3-4 feet tall before pruning.
Meyers will usually set and ripen the most fruit in winter. So wait until most of the lemons have ripened before you prune your Meyer Lemon Tree. Then when you are ready to prune your tree, pick all (or most) the remaining ripe fruit off. Then prune any dead, damaged or diseased stems right to the base. Then start the longer task of pruning back the long wispy stems. Weak stems do not hold fruit well. Cut any that are smaller than a pencil. Once that is done, cut any remaining smaller/medium size stems that are intercrossing the plant. You want to open the plant up to improve airflow, reduce disease, and make it easier to pick future setting fruit.
Now when that is done, step back from the plant and look at the balance and shape. Is it the shape that you want it? If it is too high, cut all the branches and stems that are above the height that you want it. Remember that it will grow a lot on the top, so cut it shorter than you want it to be. If the plant is growing all to one side, remove stems and branches to balance it out. If you want a more open look, remove more branches and stems growing in the middle of the plant and clear the lower few feet of branches of side stems. If you want a more compact tree from a larger open one, cut the stems and branches back pretty hard. You can also prune to shape it round or square or oval or whatever. You can even use hedge trimmers to do that.
Traditionally a single citrus tree should be pruned so that it is smaller at the top, and bigger at the bottom. You could do this with a hedger so that you get an even shape. This allows for more surface area to receive sunlight. It may also be a good idea to skirt the tree (take off about the bottom foot of foliage) just to keep it tidy looking and make it easier to maintain.
Meyer Lemon Trees are encouraged to bear lots of large fruits, pruning trees to develop a strong branch system capable of withstanding the annual load of ripe fruit is also critical. Prune Lemon trees to allow ample sunlight to reach into the middle of the tree, otherwise fruits will not ripen properly and will lack good color. That can mean removing many more lateral branches and stems than might make the most pleasing-looking, bushy plant. Such pruning also allows for good air circulation through the crown, and that prevents disease. A citrus tree allowed to bear all the fruit it sets in the spring will produce scads of poor quality fruit, or it will produce well only every other year. For consistently good crops you must thin clusters of young fruit to a single fruit. Do this when the fruit is still small (marble to golf-ball size). Each fruit should be six inches or more from its neighbor. Such thorough fruit thinning is time consuming, but you will appreciate the effort when Harvest arrives.
Article and top photo courtesy of Adam J. Holland
rules, deadlines, recommendations in 2022 at GoodGrunt
Contents
- Why is pruning necessary?
- General rules
- Timing
- First pruning
- Subsequent pruning
- Pruning scheme
- Challenges
- Secrets
- Rejuvenation 9005
Lemon is a beautiful plant that can be grown at home. To make the tree look neat and well-groomed, you should properly prune the indoor lemon, which will help give its crown a decorative shape.Why crop?
There are several reasons why a plant should be pruned.
- It helps to keep the crown even and neat.
- The procedure helps to rejuvenate an old tree.
- If the plant is not pruned, it will grow up and not bear fruit.
- Pruning reduces the risk of tree diseases.
- A properly formed crown will increase the life of the plant and the duration of fruiting.
It is necessary to give the crown an even shape even if there is no goal of obtaining fruits, otherwise the tree will look untidy.
General Rules
In order for the pruning of a lemon tree not to harm it, the following rules must be observed.
- It must be done when the plant is dormant. This is the period from late autumn to early spring.
- If the plant is mature and already bearing fruit, all fruit should be removed from the plant.
- Shoots of the first level should be removed 25 cm, the second - no more than 10 cm. All subsequent branches - only 5 cm.
It is necessary to understand that the procedure is simple, but it must be approached responsibly, because incorrectly performed pruning will set the tree in the wrong direction of growth. You can correct mistakes after an unsuccessful procedure only by removing a large number of branches, which is why it is important to act clearly in accordance with the recommendations of experienced lemon tree owners.
Timing
Experts are divided on the best time to prune indoor lemons. Most believe that the most suitable time for this is the beginning of spring, before the formation of new shoots. However, in winter, you can slightly thin out the crown. To improve fruiting next year, pruning the tree should be in late autumn.
First cut
At home, the first pruning of the tree should be done in time; if it is carried out correctly, you can count on the fact that the houseplant will bear fruit. The procedure is carried out in the first year of the life of a lemon, the trunk is cut off at a height of about 20 cm, but it is very important that 3-4 developed buds remain, from which shoots will form - this will allow the side branches to develop. Pruning is done with a pruner.
Tip
It is best if the kidneys are placed at the same level, but on different sides of the trunk.
When pruning a young lemon, all vertically growing branches are removed.
The best time for the procedure is February.
Plant height depends on where the lemon pot is placed. So, if the tree will grow on the windowsill, it should not be too high. This must be taken into account when forming the crown.
Post trimming
The first stage of crown formation is the most important, it determines whether the tree will bear fruit. In the second year of life, lateral branches form in the seedling (they are called branches of the first order), there should be 3-4 such shoots, which is why it was necessary to leave 3-4 buds during the first pruning. In order to form shoots of the third order, pruning is also carried out. Further, the tree itself will form a crown, and will begin to bear fruit after the appearance of branches of the fourth order.
Two removal methods are commonly used:
- partial - shortening of the fattening branches by 25 cm;
- complete - this is how most often dead or old branches of a tree are destroyed, which can cause disease.
Shoots are removed when they interfere with each other's development. At the same time, the strongest shoot is left, and the weak one is cut off.
Tip
If the shoot is strong, but growing vertically, it should be removed, leaving a weaker one, but growing horizontally. At the top of the plant, the shoot growing upwards is cut off first.
Cutting pattern
Tree pruning scheme is as follows.
- In the first year, only the trunk is trimmed, this will encourage the formation of side shoots. If this is not done, the lemon will begin to grow up and will be an unattractive "stick". Plant height should be 25-30 cm from the ground.
- In the second year, side branches are pruned. It is necessary to ensure that 3 new shoots begin to actively grow and develop. If only one grows, it should be completely removed to stimulate the growth of others. This process is called breaking out.
- Next, the branches of the third order are pruned.
- The formation of the crown is completed by pruning the branches of the fifth order, after which the tree can be allowed to bear fruit.
The main task is to give the crown a fan-like appearance.
Tip
If one of the young shoots grows vertically, you can not cut it, but give it the right direction by carefully wrapping it with wire and fixing it in the required position.
Difficulties
Some difficulties may arise when pruning lemons.
- Often only one shoot begins to actively form at the place of pruning, while it is necessary to achieve the development of three or four. In this case, it is completely removed (breaks out) under the base, sometimes this procedure has to be repeated several times.
- So-called tops may appear, growing vertically upwards and incapable of fruiting. Their growth rate is much higher than that of fruit branches. The easiest way to deal with them is to remove them.
Some experts use 25 cm pruning.
It should be remembered that the pruning of a lemon tree must be carried out carefully, it is very difficult to correct the result.
Secrets
In order for the formation of the homemade lemon crown to be successful, it is important to adhere to the following recommendations of experienced flower growers.
- After pruning, be sure to treat the sections with a garden pitch. However, if very thin branches were removed, then there is no need for such processing.
- Annual pruning of the tree will help to form a beautiful crown of a homemade lemon: all weak shoots are removed, as well as those that grow in a vertical direction.
- Worker shoots need to pinch off the top so that they begin to form fruits. This should be done after the appearance of 6-7 leaves.
Often there is a need to correct the crown of an already mature tree growing in a pot. In this case, pruning should be carried out in April or early May - at the time when shoot growth begins.
The formation of the crown of an adult plant is done primarily for aesthetic purposes, to make it attractive. It is also very important to remove dead and diseased branches.
Tip
It is necessary to cut tops as they appear, throughout the year.
If your house tree is many years old, regular pruning will help rejuvenate it. After shortening the old branches, new shoots will begin to develop more actively.
Flower removal
If the purpose of growing indoor lemon is to produce fruits, then removing excess flowers will allow you to control the process. With the help of this procedure, it is possible to ensure that the forces of the tree will be directed to the full development of the ovaries from the remaining flowers.
The number of buds to be left depends on the age of the young tree.
- If the lemon is three years old, remove half of the buds, then leave 2-3 fruits.
- For a 4–5 year old tree, the number of fruits is increased to 7.
- When the lemon has reached 6-7 years, you can leave up to 10 fruits.
Remove the weakest flowers. If the whole branch does not bloom well, you can cut it completely.
Tip
The more empty flowers and weak flowers are cut off, the more ovaries will remain on the branches and, accordingly, the harvest will be richer.
Rejuvenation
When a lemon tree is 15-20 years old, pruning can rejuvenate it. This will not only improve the appearance of the plant, but also increase fruiting.
Pruning is carried out in the spring, all branches are cut up to the 4th or 5th order, this stimulates the growth of dormant buds and the subsequent emergence of young shoots. After this procedure, the plant must be transplanted into a new pot, carefully shortening the root system by about 30%. It is very important not to touch the roots inside the earthy coma.
The crown formation process of a young tree is quite lengthy and can take up to 4 years.
However, having completed it once, in subsequent years it will be enough to slightly cut the shoots so that the lemon does not lose its attractive appearance.
Lemon crown formation: pruning, pinching
Lemon crown formation: lemon tree shoots pruning and pinching. Types of homemade lemon pruning. Regulation of the fruiting of domestic lemons.
Olga Ravilova ⏳ 07-10-2017 06-28-2021
Indoor lemons are allowed to bear fruit in the 4th year of life. Photo: Indoor lemons are allowed to bear fruit in the 4th year of life. Photo:Contents:
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- Lemon formation in the first year. Stem height selection
- Lemon pinching in the second year of life
- Indoor pruning
- Shaping pruning
- Sanitary pruning
- Rejuvenating pruning
- Regulation of indoor lemon bearing0006
Forming a lemon crown is a simple matter, but requires knowledge and skills.
Indoor lemons need shaping, regardless of the variety - only the frequency of pruning and pinching the lemon tree depends on the variety. Some varieties of lemons are cut often, or rather constantly, while others are rarely.
Crown formation is an obligatory agrotechnical technique, on which the health and productivity of a lemon tree depends when grown at home. The correct formation of a lemon accelerates the onset of the fruiting period in young lemons, plays a decisive role in the overall yield of plants.
Lemon formation in the first year. Stem height selection
Indoor lemons begin to form in the first year of plant life. Under normal conditions, in the first year a powerful vertical shoot 25-30 cm high grows, it is also called the “zero shoot”.
The zero shoot of a lemon must be forced to branch so that the plant does not break through the ceiling in a few years, reaching an exorbitant height, for this they make tweezing - they pinch, remove the top of the stem.
Pinching can be done with secateurs or a sharp knife.
By pinching the top of the zero shoot, the height of the future tree is adjusted. Depending on the height of the pinching, low-stem (stem height is 10-15 cm), medium-stem (20 cm) and high-stem (30 cm) lemon trees are obtained. We remind you: a bole is a part of the trunk from the root neck to the first skeletal branch of the lower tier of the crown.
To avoid stunted growth and development of lemons, fruiting should not be allowed until crown formation is complete. This is especially true of the Meyer variety, in which buds can appear on branches of the 2nd order, and even during the rooting of the cutting.
The height of the trunk determines the appearance of the lemon tree in adulthood and the productivity of plants in general: the lower the stem, the earlier the tree begins to bear fruit and the higher the yield of lemons .
Pinching a lemon in the second year of life
Sharpened, sharp tools are used to trim the stems5-6 strong, well-developed buds and leaves.
In the spring, when the lemon buds left behind begin to grow, the strongest young shoots are selected, 3-4 shoots going in different directions, shoots of the first order, and the rest are removed with a knife or pruner.
Sometimes, after pinching a lemon, only one upper bud sprouts from the shoot, continuing the same shoot. For other buds to germinate , this bud must be cut . Sometimes two or three shoots sprout from one kidney at once. Of these, the strongest is left, and the rest are removed at the very beginning of growth.
When shoots of the first order grow 15-20 cm long, they are also pinched, leaving 3-5 buds on each branch in the axils of the leaves.
To rejuvenate a lemon, all shoots are removed, starting from the VI order. Shoots of 2-5 orders, forming the skeleton of the crown, do not cut out! Old shoots are cut almost to the very base, leaving only 2-3 live buds on them.
For the correct formation of the crown of a lemon tree, the last remaining bud must be facing the outside of the crown.
Branches of the second order will grow from these buds.
To obtain branches of all subsequent orders, the branches of the previous order are pinched when the length of the shoots reaches 10-15 cm, leaving 2-3 shoots.
The formation of the crown of lemon can be accelerated by pinching young growing shoots without waiting for the wood to ripen on them.
The formation of the skeleton of a lemon tree is completed with the growth of shoots of the IV-V order. With a low standard form of a lemon tree grown from a cutting, this procedure takes a little over a year.
Lemon begins to bear fruit when branches of the IV order grow - flowering begins on these branches. Attention: Meyer lemon begins to bear fruit when branches of the II-III order appear.
Lemon seedlings grown from seeds bloom later, for 7-10 years , with proper crown formation.
Pruning indoor lemons
Properly formed crown of indoor lemons is fluffy, compact, with many fruit twigs, with developed foliage.
Pruning of mature lemon trees is done as needed. Depending on the purpose, there are: shaping, rejuvenating and sanitary pruning.
Shaping pruning
Lemon shaping pruning is done to keep the crown in good shape. During formative pruning, fat shoots and shoots that thicken the crown are removed, and long shoots that spoil the appearance of the crown are shortened.
If the branch is removed completely, then it is cut off at the base, and when the shoot is shortened, an oblique cut is made with a sharp knife above the bud selected for continued growth (3-5 mm above the bud).
In fact, formative pruning is a regular pinching of shoots, so this type of pruning is used to stimulate the growth and flowering of the plant.
Shaping pruning helps to shape indoor lemon tree crowns, such as a pyramid or cube. It is important to choose the right direction for the growth of future shoots. If it is necessary to obtain a horizontal branch, then the last bud left on it (closest to the place of pinching) should be turned down or to the outside of the crown.
To grow a vertical branch, this bud must point up or into the center of the crown.
Formative pruning of lemon is carried out in the spring, in March-April, but the fattening shoots, which grow very quickly, are removed regularly in the initial stage. A fattening shoot can be turned into a fruit-bearing shoot by carefully tilting it, giving it a horizontal direction, and then, when it reaches a length of 10-15 cm, pinch.
Sanitary Pruning
This lemon requires sanitized pruning to remove stem galls. Photo: Suburban Tomato Wasp larvae have settled in a lemon. Urgent pruning required. Photo: Suburban TomatoSanitary pruning is used at any time of the year to remove diseased, dry and weak indoor lemon branches. Sanitary pruning gives the lemon a healthy look and prevents the spread of pests and diseases.
When sanitary pruning shoots are cut to healthy tissue.
Rejuvenating pruning
Cubed old lemon. Anti-aging pruning is required for lemons at the age of 17-20 years.Photo: Hitchhiking to Heaven
Anti-aging pruning of indoor lemons is carried out at the age of 17-20 years. At a venerable age, the fruiting of lemon trees worsens. Anti-aging pruning is done in March - early April, at the beginning of the period of active growth.
To rejuvenate a lemon, all shoots are removed, starting from the VI order. Shoots of 2-5 orders, forming the skeleton of the crown, do not cut out! Old shoots are cut almost to the very base, leaving only 2-3 live buds on them.
Anti-aging pruning causes increased growth of young lemon shoots, so the plant should be fed after it. After rejuvenating pruning, many strong, healthy shoots grow, so sometimes it is carried out to obtain quality cuttings.
Anti-aging pruning is done with a sharp instrument, and the surface of the cuts is sprinkled with wood ash to prevent diseases.
Regulation of fruiting indoor lemons
For the sake of the health of lemons, fruiting has to be regulated by cutting off buds and ovaries.The fruiting of indoor lemons depends entirely on the correct formation of the crown. The fact is that in lemons that have entered the fruiting season, the growth of shoots slows down, since a lot of nutrients are consumed for the formation of buds and the ripening of fruits.
To avoid stunted growth and development of lemons, fruiting should not be allowed until crown formation is complete. This is especially true of the Meyer variety, in which buds can appear on branches of the 2nd order, and even during the rooting of the cutting.
For the correct development of indoor lemon, it is recommended to remove half of the buds on a profusely flowering three-year-old tree , and after the formation of the ovaries, leave only 2-3 fruits . A 3-4 year old plant can freely bloom and bear fruit, provided that the plant is in good condition.
Do not leave a lot of ovaries on a young, immature lemon tree. The fruits may form and ripen safely, but the plant itself will suffer.
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