Tutorial with illustrated instructions & video

Why does a cut make sense?

Evergreen foliage, picturesque flowers and bright yellow fruits raise doubts as to whether a cut makes sense. Indeed, a lemon tree will visibly benefit from an occasional topiary. By nature, citrus trees tend to be bulky, misshapen growth. A harmonious crown is a rarity.

The main cause is a minor one Top funding. This is the name given to the property of native woody plants to sprout more strongly on the tip buds of their shoots than on buds positioned further down. The structure of well-structured crowns of apple or apple trees is primarily based on this law of growth Plum trees.

In contrast, a lemon tree rarely forms a single vertical central shoot. Rather, growth is characterized by several equal shoots that are in competition with one another. Furthermore, young shoots that are much stronger than the main shoot often sprout from the side buds. With which

Types of cuts and dates

The best time to cut the lemon tree is in February. This applies equally to all types of pruning, from upbringing and maintenance to rejuvenation. Although you can blend your lemon at any time of the year, an appointment in early spring offers the ideal framework. The time window for regeneration is primarily open so long that the crown can easily compensate for the loss of substance.

The following table provides an overview of all the useful ones Types of cuts with information on recommended appointment options:

Raising a shapely crown

With a well-planned educational approach, you can direct growth into a harmonious crown structure. If there is a cut on the maintenance plan every spring for the first three years, the effort will be increased rewarded with a blooming lemon tree, whose well-formed crown attracts everyone's attention pulls. On top of that, the maintenance of the cut is reduced to an occasional shape and maintenance cut. How to cut properly:

• The best time is mid to late February
• Appoint the strongest central shoot to the trunk and attach it to the vertical support rod or untie
• Cut off all other ground shoots as possible competitors at the base
• Select three to four evenly arranged, strong side branches on the central shoot
• Cut back the side branches so that their tips are in Juice scales are located
• Scaffolding shoots in the second and third year shorten a third for strong branching

A skilful upbringing on the lemon tree brings a crown on its way with these components: vertical central shoot as trunk, three to four evenly distributed leading branches in Juice scales.

If there are more than four side shoots, choose those with an angle between 90 ° and 45 ° to the central shoot. Also look out for a Scattering of the leading branches. The starting points of the scaffolding shoots should not be at the same height on the trunk.

Note the cut

Knowledgeable tailoring is the key to a perfect result. Always cut branches of a lemon tree crown just before a bud or a leaf. Are cutting too far from the eye or leaf, a stub of the shoot remains, which carries the risk of rot and pest infestation. The distance between the interface and the vegetation point should not be greater than 2 to 4 millimeters.

Preserved crown shape

Once the crown has been built up, the incision care leads to an occasional shape and maintenance cut. As the illustration below illustrates, you should always thin out the crown if it becomes too dense. A light-flooded structure guarantees that white flowers and bright yellow lemons also form inside. Another reason for using scissors is the long branches protruding from the crown as well as the exhausted fruit wood hanging down. How to cut correctly:

• Cut out dead branches in advance
• Cut off shoots that point into the interior of the crown or otherwise unfavorably positioned at the base
• Cut back branches protruding from the crown shape onto a leaf or a side shoot
• Cut away the weaker branches from parallel or crossing branches

Finally, dedicate yourself to empty branches. To the growth of the young Fruitwood To promote, cut back by half all the branches that last carried lemons and are now sloping to the ground, exhausted. So that the cut does not leave a gap at this point, you should use the relevant fruit wood derive. With this pruning technique, you place the scissors where a young side shoot branches off.

Cut a lemon tree into shape if necessary. Cut off dead wood and steep shoots at the base. Overlong shoots cut just above a leaf or cheap side shoot. If a branch has borne fruit, shorten it by a third or a half Derivative cut.

Digression

Remove wild shoots promptly

Rejuvenate the old lemon tree in stages

Proud owners of an aged lemon tree are sometimes confronted with an increasingly bare, blooming crown. Turn back the clock with a powerful cut and breathe new zest for life into an old lemon. As with all woody plants, a strong cut results in equally strong growth. So that a rejuvenation cut works perfectly, you should stay on the ball after the first stage and control the shoot.

First stage

The good-natured cut tolerance of a lemon allows a courageous approach. One of the many talents of Citrus limon is that the trees are made from sleeping eyes sprout fresh. How to complete the first stage of a rejuvenation with flying colors:

• In February, cut back all thick branches to 10 to 15 cm short cones
• Smooth cuts with a sharp knife
• Wound surfaces not with Tree wax(€ 18.62 at Amazon *) or similar agents

After cutting, repot the lemon tree in fresh substrate. So that the citrus trees can recover from the strain, a partially shaded location is recommended for the following three to four weeks. This year's bloom fails after the radical pruning measure. In return, a lively budding sets in.

Second stage

The second stage of rejuvenation begins in the same year. Numerous new shoots sprout from the cones. Choose one or two of the strongest specimens. All others have to give way. In order to encourage branching on the young wood, the shoots are peeled off in summer. You can do this by grasping the shoot tips just above a bud between your thumb and forefinger and snapping them off. You can remove dried-in remains of cones after one to two years without any problems.

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Steep shoots bloom and do not bear fruit

frequently asked Questions

Are lemon trees self-fertile?

With a few exceptions, all citrus species are self-fertile. One tree is enough to harvest juicy lemons. As with most fruit trees, it is beneficial for both bloom and crop yield to be the combination of two different varieties.

Yesterday I bought an Amalfi lemon tree in a 3.5 liter pot. Should I transplant the tree and prune it?

A 3.5 liter pot is clearly too small for a lemon tree. Repot the sapling in a timely manner in a container with a volume of 8 to 10 liters and fresh, loosely drained one Citrus earth. Take this opportunity to initiate the process of raising a beautiful crown. To do this, tie the central stem to a vertical rod so that it grows straight. Cut off rival shoots to the future trunk at the base. For the crown structure, choose four side branches as future leading branches. Shorten this by a third to promote growth and stability.

Is a lemon tree hardy if it is grafted on a frost-hard base?

If you buy a lemon tree from a specialist retailer, you will receive a refined wood. Here a noble rice was combined with a robust root support. The noble rice itself comes from an established lemon tree that has already borne fruit. This ensures that even small lemon trees can bloom and produce fruit in the tub. The base is usually the almost hardy bitter orange or three-leaved orange. The frost tolerance, however, has no effect on the noble rice. A lemon tree north of the Alps is always dependent on frost-free winter quarters.

Over the summer, my lemon tree in the bucket has grown too big for winter quarters. Can I reduce the crown before I put it away? What do you have to pay attention to?

You can prune a lemon tree at any time of the year. It is easily possible to reduce the crown before putting it away so that the tree fits into the winter quarters. Please make sure to cut excessively long shoots just before a bud, a leaf or a short side shoot. If your lemon tree bears unripe fruits, you can leave them hanging until they are fully ripe.

When are lemons ripe?

You can recognize a ripe lemon by two criteria: the peel shines and gives way under slight pressure. Furthermore, a lemon is ready to be harvested when the fruit is fully grown. The right size depends on the cultivated citrus variety. Incidentally, the color does not say anything about whether a lemon is ripe or not. Green fruits can be ready to eat. Lemons only get their yellow color under the influence of cool night temperatures. A lemon tree in the temperature-controlled winter garden with continuous room temperatures gives you ripe lemons that don't sparkle like a sapphire.

Should lemons be picked or cut at harvest?

A characteristic feature of lemons is a firm connection with their supporting branch. As a result, picking ripe fruit runs the risk of tearing off or damaging the branch as well. In practice, it has proven to be good practice to cut off ripe lemons with scissors. Place the crop cut directly on the fruit. Alternatively, cut off a complete fruit shoot including several fruits and leaves.

The 3 most common mistakes

If short or long stumps remain after the cut, rot and disease are inevitable. Without an occasional maintenance cut, a lemon crown degenerates into an impenetrable, blossomless tangle of knots. Anyone who allows wild shoots on the lemon tree will struggle with an overgrown crown. This table summarizes the three most common cutting errors with tips for skillful prevention:

Tips

With a picturesque crown and Mediterranean charm, a lemon tree lets you forget that its branches are armed with sharp thorns. If you dedicate yourself to the care of the cut, please wear thorn-resistant gloves with long cuffs. Even small scratches on the skin can cause unpleasant infections if they are not noticed and treated.