If you have inherit an overgrown Citrus paradisi tree , you ’ll desire to get out your pruning hook , but in general , citrus tree diagram , including grapefruit Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , lemon trees , lime trees and orangeness trees , demand little pruning .
Citrus paradisi trees ( Citrusxparadisi , USDA grow zone 9 to 11 ) do , however , require maintenance pruning to remove fall guy or damaged wood .
Growing Requirements
Grapefruit trees are both sun- and warmth - lovers and will not tolerate shade . produce them in full sunshine in well - draining dirt with a pH of 5 to 6 ideally , although they can manage in more alkaline soil if they are properly fertilise .
Some Citrus paradisi potpourri have pale yellow flesh , and some have pinkish , white or deep red ; some have seeds , and some are seedless . Regardless of the variety , canonic Citrus paradisi tree diagram guardianship entails some pruning .
Why You Should Prune a Grapefruit Tree
Many of the reasons to prune other deciduous tree diagram do n’t utilise to citrus fruit trees . For one , citrus Natalie Wood is naturally stronger than many other deciduous trees , so these trees do n’t ask to be cut to void branches break under a heavy burden of fruit .
They also are able to farm fruit within a mostly shaded canopy , so they do n’t need pruning to improve sun access to the center of the tree .
So why prune Citrus paradisi trees ? There are several good reason , but none of them are intend to shape the tree . Instead , pruning benefits the tree ’s long - term wellness .
How to Prune a Grapefruit Tree
Successful pruning of a grapefruit Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is in the details , but these details are important .
Tip
Avoid pruning new seedling while they have a probability to originate their branch structure and become established .
Remove Sprouts and Suckers
untested trees need some initial pruning to take away suckers that originate below the bud union(where the graft was sequester to the automobile trunk ) , which ensures the tree ’s energy goes into the grapefruit Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and not the rootstalk . This locating should be obvious due to a change in coloring and texture , and it might also be a different circumference .
Warning
Suckers allow to grow from the rhizome usually have a lot of thorns and produce undesirable fruit . More importantly , they grab energy from the desirable grapefruit tree diagram .
As tree become established , they are less likely to develop suckers from the rootstock , but when over - rationalise , they may germinate " water sprout , " an surplus of sprouts that arise perpendicularly from a branch and grow straight up . These are unsightly and unproductive , and they should be polish off .
Remove Crisscrossing, Damaged or Dead Growth
Citrus is intolerant of frost and freezes , and if grown on the edge of its plant hardiness zones , may need winter aegis when cold weather threatens . * * If your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree has freeze damage , you ’ll need to murder the affected branch . * *
In summation , * * watch out for branches that crisscross or pertain other branches . * * crisscross branches within the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree canopy can create an overly shaded environment that invites disease and impairs fruit output , as can branch that touch or lean on other branches .
- Some growers transfer low - hanging branches , which is cry " skirting . " * * This exposes the proboscis and can be considered more aesthetically pleasing than a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree with arm that tangle the ground . However , most expert commend removing these low leg only to allow memory access to the area under the tree diagram or to the inside of the tree .
When to Prune a Grapefruit Tree
Prune suckers as soon as you see them , whatever meter of year it is , especially on young tree . * * This might be as often as once a month . * * Never allow these to get large enough that you call for a byword ; a simple hand lopper should be sufficient .
For more all-encompassing pruning , the season is significant . If your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is located in a desert location , rationalize in the give before flowers appear , commonly from February through April . In the cold-blooded remainder of a grapefruit ’s growing zones , prune a bit subsequently to quash insensate damage to raw cuts , starting in March or so .
Pruning in former wintertime or former spring gives the tree diagram a prospect to bring forth more foliation , which will protect the freshly expose Mrs. Henry Wood from sunscald .
