Overpruned orange tree

17 years ago

I have been perusing the forum for questions like mine, however, none are exactly what I need. I, like an idiot, pruned my orange tree way back. Last season, the tree produced 1 orange. It seems that it is cyclical in nature with production, as the year before that the limbs were almost braking there was so much fruit. So, I decided to prune the tree since I would not loose too much fruit and it had not bloomed yet.

The tree did not bloom after pruning and I have zero fruit this season.

Will the tree eventually start producing fruit again?

Or, will these suckers that I keep reading about never amount to anything more than limbs.

The house was built in 1949, and the tree planted, I assume, sometime around then.

Thanks for any assistance you can provide.

This tree produced the best orange for making juice that you can imagine. My mother said that it reminded her of old fashioned oranges from when she was a child and not the ones that are grown today, and she would drive down from GA just to pick her fill to take back with her. I would hate to think that I killed the golden goose, as it were.

Thanks again!

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Comments (6)

aesir22
17 years ago
Wrist slapped for heavy pruning!!

Citrus fruits only grow on new growth, not old, so your tree is going to have to grow branches and leaves for a while before it is ready to fruit again. Give it time, make sure you read up on proper care for it and it will give you those great oranges again. Don't expect instant results, it may take a while but not sure how long.

Are you sure suckers are coming up? Suckers are branches growing from BENEATH a graft line near the soil. Post a pic if you can, and don't start chopping them unless you know they are definitely suckers. If it turns out they are, get rid of them quick. They grow more vigorously than the tree you want to keep and will take it over if left unchecked, but like I said, be sure.
mpabner
Original Author
17 years ago
They are not suckers then!! All of this growth is direct growth from the limbs of the tree. Thanks for the response! I am not going anywhere in a hurry, so I can wait around for the tree to start producing again.

I will post a picture of the tree, tomorrow, to make sure that they are not suckers, but feel very comfortable with your response, now.
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aesir22
17 years ago
Its good that they aren't suckers then :) Post a pic when you can to confirm if you like. Any buds of new growth?
gardenerme
17 years ago
If there are many new long slender shoots near the branch cut, those are called water spouts, as they shoot out straight. It's the tree's response to the reduction, and many times can be many more branches than you want. If so, you can carefully trim some off, but you may just enourage more water spouts.
mpabner
Original Author
17 years ago
Apparently, this forum will not allow uploading of pictures, so I have posted at a blog that I used to write, but have not had time to keep up since I have started back to school for nursing.

Anyway, sorry to send you somewhere else, but it should give you an idea of the new growth, and type.

Here is a link that might be useful: My old blog.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
17 years ago
It looks like (though difficult to see from the image) that your tree has grown a lot of epicormic growth in response to the heavy pruning (also called water sprouts by some). That's what we see in most cases when a tree (of almost any kind) is 'topped'. The plant, suddenly short of photosynthesis factories (leaves), relocates most of their energy resources towards replacing that foliage.

Sounds good, but unfortunately woody plants have only so much of those resources to utilize. If most of it is spent on making a mess o' weakly attached branches and leaves, there is little left for root growth, flower and fruit production, pest and disease defense, etc. Make sense?

I suggest that you remove some of those small branches, just enough to open up the interior of the tree to sunlight. Next year, you'll want to remove some more. Make your pruning cuts right to the main branch from which it originates.

It may take quite a bit of time for your specific tree to recover from heavy pruning (due to age), but if it is healthy, it should do so. Just don't over fertilize the plant during this time....be conservative with your balanced citrus fertilizer.