accessories 

Features of caring for indoor lemon to obtain fragrant fruits. Rules for pruning a lemon at home Forming a lemon crown in the form of a bush


You can watch the video instead of reading the article. Information is duplicated.
And so, pruning citrus fruits. In this article, we will talk about the correct pruning or pinching of citrus plants at home.
Citrus pruning should be done regularly. Thanks to this, we form the crown of our lemon or mandarin (etc.) as we like, in the form of a bush or a tree on a bole, or maybe even another shape, for example, a Christmas tree.

When I myself researched the issue of pruning, I realized that different sources say different things.

Pruning citrus fruits, how not to do it?

I’ll tell you right away what mistake many people make when pruning lemon tree or other citrus fruits. They advise cutting or pinching branches whenever you want. It is not right. One important point to keep in mind:

Lemon Panderose

Pruning (pinching) a citrus plant should be done only after the branch has fully matured and stopped growing! Leaves at the same time from light Green colour will take on a darker shade and begin to harden.

If you cut off young branches that are still growing, you will not get side branches. Your upper bud will wake up, and it will continue to grow the main branch. We will have to remove this shoot from the upper bud again and again until the lateral 2-3 buds of the next order wake up.

Of course, cardinal pruning is best done in the spring, or rather, a little earlier, before the sap flow, in the month of February.

But, it is possible at other times of the year, spring-summer-autumn. It all depends on your height. citrus plant. Remember, the emphasis will be on the branch: whether it has matured and whether it has stopped growing.

Spring-summer is a period of active growth and the appearance of new shoots. When they stop growing, you can safely cut at the height you need.

I hope my article (and video) was helpful to you. Leave your comments.

Sooner or later, almost every grower will want to grow a wonderful tree at home. When starting to grow this ornamental tree, it will be useful for you to know that you need to not only take care of it, but also how to form a crown on a real tree. This is necessary so that the tree does not stretch upward, resembling a candle. Such a tree will not bear fruit, since all its forces will be spent on growth upwards. Yes, and it will not look aesthetically pleasing. The question arises: how to form a lemon crown so that the plant feels good and develops correctly.

It must be said right away that the formation of the crown, especially the first one, must be approached very responsibly. Since the wrong first pruning (too strong or insufficient) will set the direction for the wrong further formation and development of the crown.

There are always many difficulties with correcting incorrect cropping, and it takes a lot of time to do this. Sometimes, in difficult cases, crown reshaping is required - this is when it becomes necessary to cut off all the branches that grow incorrectly. Therefore, when starting to form a lemon crown, you need to study all the recommendations of specialists.

The first time the crown is formed like this:

The ripened stem is cut at a height of about 20 cm, leaving the buds that have developed well, there should be four of them. From these buds, skeletal shoots will subsequently be formed, which form the basis of the tree. There should be 3 or 4 such shoots, and they should be located on different sides, as evenly as possible. These shoots are considered first order shoots. Each next order of shoots will be shorter than the previous one by 5 cm. The fourth order of crown branches will be the last.

If at the first stage everything is done correctly, then the decorative lemon will definitely begin to bear fruit. They grow well on short branches covered with greenery.

The crown of an adult tree consists of different branches. Some will bear fruit in the first year, others in the next year. In addition, branches with single apical flowers may appear, as well as fatty, vertically located and incapable of fruiting shoots.

All useful ovaries are mainly located on the branches that are at the top of the crown, most often these branches are located horizontally or hang down.

Crown thinning

With the advent of young shoots, the old ones themselves die off. But in order to prevent the crown from thickening, it should still be thinned out from time to time: remove dry, old and inward-growing branches. Fat branches must be removed completely or shortened to 20 cm, so you can make a fruit shoot out of it.

pruning lemon

Throughout the year, as the branches grow and stretch, they need to be cut selectively, so that the crown has the correct shape.

Remember that too much pruning makes the tree weak, so it must be done with care. A short pruning stimulates the formation of young strong shoots, and a long pruning helps to form fruit buds.

Pruning a lemon should be done in early spring during the formation of flower buds. But you can also do winter pruning after picking lemons. Such pruning successfully replaces the spring pruning and improves the yield of the next year.

Slice lubrication

When pruning branches thicker than a pencil, do not forget to treat the places where they are cut with garden pitch so that your lemon does not wither or dry out.

Completion of crown formation

After the young branches grow and become woody four times, the main formation of the crown can be considered complete - the crown skeleton is formed.

But that's not all. All these actions are only the beginning of the formation of a beautiful and dense lemon crown and the beginning of its fruiting.

If the lemon grows rapidly and shoots are too rapidly formed, then the newly formed extra shoots must be broken out in the initial phase of growth. Sometimes a cut branch gives a whole bunch of new branches. Almost all of them need to be removed, since in order for the tree to fully develop, no more than 3 new shoots are required.

In the crown of an indoor lemon there should be the required number of branches that make up the main skeleton of a tree, growing shoots and many more small fruiting branches. The crown should be formed in such a way that the leaves get as much sun and air as possible.

For growing in a room, it is possible to form a crown with a small trunk, while taking into account the biological characteristics of the lemon. So there is an opportunity with good foliage, but almost no fruit, and our task is to get a pretty tree every year giving a good harvest.

Topping

When caring for the crown, pinching technology should be used, in which the shoots that are not needed for the development of the tree are removed as soon as they appear, and for the shoots left for development, when 6 leaves appear on them, the tops should be pinched.

Removing excess bloom

In order to get a harvest of lemons every year, in addition to pinching the shoots and trimming the crown on the tree, some of the flowers should be removed. Excess flowers on the crown deplete the plant and help reduce fruit set. If the harvest is too plentiful, then the fruits will be of poor quality, and the next year you can be completely left without a harvest. When adjusting the harvest, you need to remove weak buds and extra ones, and if necessary, get rid of flowering branches. The amount of useful ovary is directly proportional to the unnecessary removed buds.

Rejuvenation of old plants

Old trees with a small increase should be rejuvenated. To do this, weak branches are cut very short to provoke the growth of new shoots. Rejuvenating pruning and proper comprehensive care prolongs the fruiting period of the plant for many years.

Growing a lemon and caring for a crown, especially the initial stage of its formation, requires certain knowledge and skills from gardeners, so it was a mistake to think that growing an ornamental lemon is a very simple matter. Lemon does not like the lazy and will have to look after not only the crown. Lemon will need top dressing, watering and much more for its successful growth and development. We will cover this in future articles.

Believe that your difficulties with leaving will fade into the background as soon as you see the first fruits - fragrant little lemons. You can be proud that you have grown your own lemons.

Below is the material on the formation of the crown of an indoor lemon, when I just posted it, it seemed to me that this was enough, but I was wrong - the topic is quite extensive and not everything is as simple as it might seem at first glance. So I decided to add a few more pages:


For those who want to understand the issue of cropping, I recommend viewing all the pages - they complement each other quite well, even though in some places the material intersects.

There are many cases when indoor lemons, especially those grown from rooted cuttings, grew well without shaping. But still, in order for a tree to have a beautiful crown, it is necessary to constantly work in this direction - to manage its growth by resorting to pruning and pinching - to remove emerging buds.

Natural branching of indoor lemon tree.

A young tree initially gives one vertical shoot of zero order.
- in the 2nd year, side shoots of the 1st order may already appear.
- Usually branches of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th orders begin to develop after a few years. These are the branches that they try to get as quickly as possible, because only on short lateral branches - fruits, flowers form, and then ovaries. If the growth of a lemon is left to chance, then the wait for the first flowers and fruits will be somewhat delayed.
This development of the lemon tree described above is primarily characteristic of grafted seedlings and seedlings. As practice shows, cuttings of lemons still prefer to grow on their own - already in the first years of life (sometimes there are exceptions).

Rules for the formation of the crown of a room lemon tree.

Pinching and pruning of branches is carried out throughout the growing season according to the principle: shorten all branches, starting from zero (stem), make the tree bush - you will get “fruits” faster.
- the mature stem of the seedling (zero-order branch) is shortened at a height of about 16-20 cm, leaving only a few well-developed buds directed in different directions. Subsequently, shoots sprout from these buds, of which, in turn, 3-4 are left - these will be branches of the first order (the future main skeletal branches of the plant).
- these branches (branches of the first order) are not allowed to grow over 20 -25 cm.
- shoots of the 2nd order are cut only 10 cm shorter.
- branches of the 3rd, 4th, 5th orders are shortened - by 5 cm.
When branches of the 4th order have already appeared, the formation of the crown skeleton is completed.
It is important during the formation of the skeleton of the crown (last 2-3 years), to control that it does not germinate 1-on the upper kidney, but 2-3 more at the same time. In the event that this is not the case, then it is better to remove this single escape. “remove”, but do not cut the branch - remove the unwanted shoot as soon as it begins to grow from the bud.

There is a difference between "delete" and "cut". Pruning when shaping for a room lemon is not quite what you need. Firstly, it is “painful” for him, and secondly, it is irrational. A tree needs a lot of time and a lot of nutrients to build its tissue. In this regard, it is better not to allow such idle "work", but to control its growth by pinching (tweezing) - removing an unnecessary shoot at the very beginning of its development from the kidney. It happens that a stubbornly growing kidney needs to be pinched twice. It is also useful to apply pinching to the tips of all rapidly developing shoots - to save nutrients and faster maturation of new growth.

Twists of indoor lemon.

In addition to pinching with pruning, it is necessary to pay attention to the illumination of the lemon tree by the sun's rays. The plant should not be constantly in an unchanged position in relation to sunlight, otherwise there will be no full development. If you treat a lemon tree like an ordinary flowerpot - for example, turn the plant with the opposite side to the light; then as a result we get the following: the leaves will twist, deform, or even completely fall off. As a result of the above action, the plants will grow very poorly and feel oppressed for a long time.
What's the matter?
The thing is that in the conditions of the room, the lemon tree is very conservative. The leaves of the plant, as it were, get used to a certain dose of light - illumination from a certain side. In the event of a sharp change in the intensity of illumination, the metabolic processes that occur in plants, which in turn adversely affects the state of the plant.

You need to rotate the lemon tree:
The following proven method is recommended - turn the plant pot 10 degrees every 10 days. Due to such a small turn, the lemon tree will not experience drastic changes, and metabolic processes will proceed normally. Thus, in 1 year, a lemon tree can be rotated 360 degrees - which in turn will ensure uniform crown development.

A little more about the rotation of the plant.
The crown of a lemon tree can also be formed in the form of a bush. The plant itself will tell you how to do it.

Lemon is often grown at home. This is not only a beautiful tree, it is also capable of bearing fruit. When growing and caring for lemons at home, crown formation and regular pruning of the tree play a significant role. With proper pruning, the tree will look beautiful, neat and well-groomed. In addition, the activity of tree growth depends on the correct pruning.

Why is pruning necessary?

Lemon pruning is performed to achieve the following goals:

  • maintaining a beautiful and well-groomed crown shape;
  • ensuring proper tree growth and fruiting;
  • prolongation of life and duration of fruiting;
  • rejuvenation of an old tree;
  • reducing the likelihood of developing tree diseases.

Pruning a lemon at home is done not only so that the tree begins to bear fruit faster and more. Pruning also performs only decorative tasks to make the tree look beautiful.

How to cut a lemon at home in a pot?

Pruning must be approached wisely, otherwise you can harm the tree. There are several basic rules for cutting a lemon:

  • the tree should be pruned when it is dormant. This condition occurs in the cool season;
  • from an already fruiting tree, all fruits should be removed before pruning;
  • the lowest shoots are shortened by 25 cm, the next from the bottom - by a maximum of 10 cm, the rest - by no more than 5 cm.

There is nothing difficult about pruning. But, mistakes cannot be made, because the tree can grow in the wrong direction.

Fixing bugs will require pruning a large number branches, which will slow down the development of the tree. Therefore, before cutting a lemon at home, you should carefully consider the scheme and sequence of removing branches.


When to prune a lemon tree?

There is no consensus among citrus growers regarding the timing of pruning for potted lemons. According to most, it is best to cut the tree in early spring, before the young shoots have yet appeared.

But, even in winter, a slight rarefaction of the crown is allowed. To improve fruiting throughout the next season, it is also recommended to cut the lemon tree closer to the beginning of winter.

First pruning of a lemon

The first pruning plays a crucial role in terms of fruiting. Shearing must be done in the 1st year of the life of a lemon tree. Pruning should be done at a height of about 20 cm.

It is important to leave 3-4 full-fledged healthy buds necessary for the appearance of young shoots. Of these, lateral branches will form in the future. Pruning a lemon is done with secateurs.

When pruning a young tree, remove branches that grow vertically. It is advisable to carry out this procedure in February.

The height of the tree is determined by the location of the pot. If it is on the windowsill, do not let the tree grow too high. Based on this, the shape of the crown is determined.

Second and subsequent cuts

Starting from the 2nd year of life, side branches will form on the tree. These shoots are called branches of the first order. Their number should be 3-4 units. Therefore, in the 1st year, exactly 3-4 buds are left in the process of pruning.


For the formation of branches of the 3rd order, the tree must also be cut correctly. After that, the tree will independently form a crown. When branches of the 4th order grow, the fruiting process should begin.

Ways to remove branches

There are two main options for pruning branches:

  • partial. Large branches are made shorter by 25 cm;
  • complete. The branch is completely cut off. The method is usually relevant only for dried or damaged shoots, due to which tree diseases can develop.

Shoots need to be cut if they interfere with each other's growth. You need to remove weak shoots, and leave the strongest ones. In the case of strong vertical shoots, they should also be cut. At the top of the tree, first of all, the shoot is cut off, which is directed vertically.

Lemon Tree Pruning Scheme

The tree should be cut as follows:

In the 1st year, only the trunk is cut so that the side branches begin to grow. Without such pruning, the tree will turn out to be too long and sparse. The plant should be 25-30 cm tall.

In the 2nd year, side branches are pruned. This contributes to the formation of young shoots. The last should be about 3. If only 1 shoot has formed, it is cut off to stimulate the development of others.

Then branches of the 3rd order are cut.


When branches of the 5th order are cut, the crown is considered formed. From this moment, fruiting begins.

The subtleties of trimming a lemon at home

Experienced citrus growers give several useful advice for pruning a lemon tree:

  • after trimming, the places of cuts must be treated with garden pitch. In the case of complete removal of thin branches, processing can be omitted;
  • the tree needs to be cut every year to create a neat decorative crown;
  • all weak and vertical shoots must be removed;
  • in fruiting shoots, the tops are cut off to activate the process of fruit formation. The top can be pinched when 6-7 leaves have formed.

If the tree is already old enough, it is worth doing a rejuvenating pruning. It involves shortening old branches to stimulate the development of young shoots.

Photo instruction how to cut a lemon


A homemade lemon needs to be trimmed regularly and properly. Without forming procedures, the plant will develop chaotically, look untidy, and in general will quickly turn into a real tropical tree. How to cut a lemon so that it not only looks pretty on the window, but also begins to bear fruit faster?

The best time to prune indoor lemon

It is better to remove lignified branches with secateurs, but two nails can be used for young branches. Don't forget to sanitize your tools!

In principle, extra shoots from a room lemon can be removed at any time of the year. Most suitable time for this case - March - early April.

At the same time, experts still recommend refraining from conducting a “surgical” intervention in late summer and early autumn. The fact is that pruning a lemon stimulates the formation of new shoots, which are absolutely not needed in the cold season.

Since the lemon grows in waves, it is allowed to carry out several prunings per year.

How to trim a homemade lemon, step by step

When cutting a branch, hold the pruner at a 45 degree angle.

The lemon growing in room conditions, shoots are pruned according to the following rules:

  1. The main shoot is shortened when it reaches a length of 18-23 centimeters (usually this happens already in the first year of life). This contributes to more active branching of the plant.
  2. In the future, from 3 to 4 strong leaves are left on the bush, evenly scattered along the crown of the shoot. These will be the branches of the first order. When they reach 15-20 centimeters, they are pinched, removing 1-2 upper underdeveloped buds.
  3. On each branch of the first order, two shoots of the second order are left (they are pinched in the same way as described above).
  4. On branches of the second order, from 3 to 5 branches of the third order appear, and later an increase of the fourth, last, order is formed.

This is where the forming pruning of the lemon ends - on the branches of the fourth order, fruits usually begin to set.

Fruiting shoots immediately after fruit removal are cut to ¾ of their length.

In young lemons less than 10 years old, so-called fattening branches can grow. As a rule, they are formed from the main shoot or from branches of the first order. It is easy to distinguish them from normal shoots - they grow much faster and have large, oily leaves.

If the crown of the plant is of normal density, then it is better to get rid of such shoots immediately. But with weak branching, shorten them by 60-70% of their length.

And with each pruning of a lemon, be sure to get rid of growing inside, diseased, damaged and shrunken branches.

In order for the crown of a homemade lemon to develop more evenly, it must be rotated around its axis by about a quarter every week.

Ringing a lemon for a quick harvest

Broken branches are removed entirely

A procedure called "ringing" is carried out in order to bring the lemon tree closer to the fruiting phase.

It is performed according to the following algorithm:

  1. Copper wire is tightly wrapped around the main shoot of the plant at the very bottom (you can also “ring” several skeletal branches).
  2. The wire should sit tight enough, then press a little into the bark of the plant.
  3. The ring is removed after about six months, but it is allowed to leave it for up to a year.
  4. The injured place is covered with garden pitch and girded with a piece of elastic bandage.

In the area of ​​the constriction, the bark is deformed and, as it were, floats on the ring. This causes the accumulation of nutrients in the tissues of the lemon and it quickly begins to lay fruit buds.

This operation is carried out when the indoor lemon has reached the age of two to three years. If a one-year-old lemon gave flowers, then they should be cut off. Premature flowering weakens the plant and slows down its branching, which is necessary to initiate the formation of fruit buds. In addition, if there are less than 15 leaves per flower left, then the lemon will simply not be able to “endure” the crop.

Regular pruning of a lemon allows you to get plants with a compact but dense crown. In addition, it promotes intensive branching, thereby stimulating the plant to lay fruit.

Of course, pruning is also stressful for lemongrass. To make it easier for him to cope with it, after carrying out surgical procedures, be sure to feed your pet with some kind of weak organic fertilizer. For example, blood water can be used after washing meat.

How to form a homemade lemon tree and direct the development of the crown with a simple trick (be sure to look!), Tropical plant expert Sergey Marinkov well said:

Well, how to cut a lemon without allowing the most blunders can be found in this article - http://marianablog.ru/obrezka-citrusovyh/.

Let me remind you that this article is part of the "lemon" series (you can find out how to grow a lemon from a seed). If you are on fire with the idea of ​​​​growing a homemade lemon, be sure to subscribe to the blog and notifications of new materials will be sent directly to your mail!