Citrus Pruning Techniques Tutorial: The Latest Methods for Different Tree Ages

Citrus, also called mandarin orange, is a fruit of the Rutaceae family and is very popular in China. Now that winter has arrived, citrus has entered its peak season, and fruit growers are harvesting one after another. However, many people find that the yield from their own plantings is very low. In fact, part of the reason is that pruning work has not been done properly. Citrus has different pruning methods at different growth stages. So now let us introduce them to you!

1. Pruning of young trees

During the young tree stage, citrus has relatively strong growth capacity, so our pruning goal is mainly to stimulate new shoots, cultivate robust mother branches, and enlarge the canopy. At this stage, light pruning is the main approach. First, remove diseased, pest-affected, and excessively vigorous branches from the tree, then reasonably thin out an appropriate amount of dense branches to prevent excessive nutrient consumption, reduce tree vigor, and trigger pests and diseases. Then, in summer and autumn, do the pinching work properly. When the excessively vigorous summer and autumn shoots grow to 9 leaves, pinch them to promote branching. Finally, properly remove buds and thin flowers to retain fruit reasonably.

2. Young trees entering fruiting

The early fruiting stage of citrus mainly runs from the year before the first fruiting to the full fruiting stage. At this time, the canopy is still growing continuously, and its vigor is relatively strong. It is quite sensitive to branch pruning, so in order to shape the canopy as early as possible, pruning should still aim at developing tree form. Focus on cultivating fruiting mother branches to ensure the flowering and fruiting rate the following year. Then, as the tree age increases, gradually increase the amount of pruning. Remove summer shoots in time to promote fruit set, then cut back the extending branches, pinch appropriately, and in winter cut back the fruiting branches to promote the sprouting of spring shoots the following spring, then reasonably compress and prune the fruiting branch groups.

3. Pruning of trees in full fruiting stage

During the full fruiting stage, the growth of the citrus tree has gradually become balanced, and the tree can basically bear fruit both inside and outside, with the annual fruit load gradually increasing. However, after about 5-6 years, vigor gradually weakens, the sprouting of summer and autumn shoots is hindered, and spring shoots become dominant. The fruiting capacity of fruiting branch groups also declines greatly. If pruning work is not done well, alternate bearing is very likely to occur. Therefore, during the full fruiting stage, renew the fruiting branch groups in time, cultivate new robust fruiting mother branches, adjust the ratio of flower and fruit branches, and extend the full fruiting period. Carry out measures such as bud removal, pinching, thinning, and retrenchment, continuously increase the amount of pruning as the citrus tree's growth years increase, and do a good job of preventing alternate bearing.

4. Pruning of aging trees

With the passage of time, citrus trees gradually age, and some trees do not age naturally but become aged due to overly dense planting, damage from pests and diseases, and improper management. Such trees have poor sprouting ability and low yield. However, simply strengthening management, doing good prevention and control of pests and diseases, and pruning for the purpose of renewal to promote the sprouting of latent buds can effectively restore vigor. First, heavily prune and cut back branches to promote the sprouting of new shoots, then remove excess branches and shoots, pinch the excessively vigorous branches, cultivate a new canopy, and vigor can be restored and fruit load increased.

It should be noted that for some aging trees that can no longer restore vigor, remove them in time to avoid consuming excessive nutrients. The shaping and pruning work of citrus is very important and has a great impact on the growth of citrus, so everyone must pay close attention and do a good job of pruning citrus trees at different growth stages. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only. Thank you for reading and supporting.