Good day all,
New to the forum, but I have already found some very interesting and helpful tips for a new citrus grower. Started with some key limes from seed about 8 months ago. The parent tree is a high producing, 15 year old tree in the heart of the Florida Keys. I am a little further North in the state and have always had good luck with growing a variety of plants right outside the back door. The limes are looking very healthy, as I have paid close attention to the soil moisture, pH, and sun exposure (full sun for 7 hrs a day). Two of the limes, germinated at the exact same time, are looking very different. Like I said, both healthy and dark green, but one is a tall shoot without any side branches at all and the other is about half the size and is looking more like a bush with multiple branches. Is one better than the other? I haven't done any pruning at all (was waiting until just before Spring) but I'm concerned that I am neglecting one or the other since they look so drastically different. I've read that maybe a little water deprivation on the tall one just before fertilization may create some branching out and I'm thinking that pruning a couple of the lower branches on the "bush" would encourage upward growth. Any suggestions? I am not expecting fruit for a long time, but I want to make sure that I get the trees started the right way!