
The goal is to preserve the branch collar (the area around the base of a large limb that appears as wrinkled or ridged bark). Always make any pruning cuts with the blade toward the tree to reduce nicking the tree.ĭon’t cut the branch flush with the trunk or larger branch. While the wood of citrus is very strong, the bark is thin and easy to damage.

When cutting back lemon trees, be sure to use very sharp, clean pruning shears or saws, and gloves are helpful to protect you from thorns. On the whole, however, you can prune any time the tree is producing flowers. For everyone else, February through April are the best pruning months.

If you live in a warm climate, you have a bit more leeway on exactly when to prune just don’t do it when it’s roasting hot. Lemon tree pruning should occur after it has produced the fall harvest to give it plenty of time to recover prior to the next season’s harvest. It’s important to prune at the right time, lest you risk losing the year’s yield. When is the Best Time to Prune Lemon Trees?

The lemon may also need to have its light penetration improved by pruning the lemon tree back. Adult trees should also have sprouts regularly pruned out, as well as any dead wood or crossing limbs. Young trees should have any sprouts removed and any weak limbs pruned out.

That said, lemon trees should still be pruned on occasion. Citrus trees can also fruit throughout the tree, including shaded areas, so cutting back lemon trees to improve light availability is not necessary. While pruning lemon trees back will engender larger, healthier fruit, citrus wood is strong, and thus, less likely to break under the weight of a bumper crop than other fruiting trees. The question is, how to prune a lemon tree and when is the best time to prune lemon trees? About Lemon Tree Pruning Like other fruiting trees, cutting back lemon trees will foster healthier fruit. Deciduous fruiting trees need to be pruned to improve branch set, reduce the possibility of breaking from heavy fruit, increase aeration and light availability, and to improve the overall quality of the fruit.
