Question
We recently moved and inherited a lemon tree that hasn't been pruned for maybe a few years. While some branches still have small, thin-pith lemons, others have reverted to grapefuit-sized thick-pith giants and the whole tree is sprouting lots of growth. When should I hack it back and how much can I prune off at one time? Do I have to wait until it’s dormant? It still has lots and lots of lemons. Thanks!
Paula
San Francisco
Answer
You can prune your lemon at any time of year to shape it. There will always be a point where some lemons will have to be sacrificed. Pruning in the fall after most of the fruit is ripened will preserve the most fruit. The larger pithy fruits are likely over-ripe and have been on the tree too long, so they should be removed. You can prune the tree as hard as you want but avoid exposing the trunk and limbs too much to avoid sunburn. Remove any growth that has thorns (juvenile foliage) or growth that is coming from below the graft (seen as a thick “collar” towards the base of the tree).
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