Trust me.... 3-400 lemons on a tree is enough bending. Bending branches might lead to more vertical shoots from the new apical bud created by the bending; but I have seen no evidence that it will create more fruit.

The bending of branches for additional fruit production on a citrus tree (and other fruit trees) is becoming more and more common. Personally I have not tried it, but I believe it does increase fruit production. Evidently it must, or so many groves would not be doing it.

"Personally I have not tried it, but I believe it does increase fruit
production. Evidently it must, or so many groves would not be doing it."... This is how it starts.... someone says something; someone picks up on it and spreads it; and pretty soon everyone is saying it. I have NEVER seen a citrus grove where they are bending the branches to increase production. I have seen a few apple and pear orchards where they are experimenting with that; but it is a far cry from an industry standard practice. With apples and pears it depends on how they are planted and/or trellised; but even then it is a method of creating a new apical bud by bending down the branch; that will produce more branches and maybe more fruit in coming years; but again that depends on spacing, trellising, etc. At the risk of creating new chaos, I find the same issue with Neem oil. I would like to know who started this "craze" Now it seems everyone is either using Neem or recommending it to someone else. UNDERSTAND THIS .. Neem is a broad spectrum insecticide; it kills all of your beneficials... wasps, ladybugs, preying mantis, hoverfly, etc ad nauseum. iT IS BEST TO NOT USE BROAD SPECTRUM INSECTICIDES; unless perhaps they are systemic.

Well , John if indeed bending the branches does nothing, then I guess no one would be doing it. I know of two new groves that are actually doing it to their citrus trees.. One thing for sure is time will tell, as time always does. I have not seen anything, anywhere, that claimed it was industry standard practice. As I said time will tell.

I have trained mulberry branches horizontally and saw new fruiting shoots very quickly, but never thought about training citrus in this manner. I agree with Jinnylea that this would be very labor intensive with citrus, but perhaps only in the early stages. From what I have read in the citrus news in Florida, the new crop management calls for planting trees much closer than in the past and keeping them short. This produces an earlier crop and may get a few more harvests before citrus greening ruins the tree! I haven't seen any articles about bending citrus branches here in Florida, but it may be catching on with growers.

Jinnylea, I experimented with pegging antique roses and discovered it is a tricky, nasty job to keep the weeds out of the canes touching the ground. The antique roses best suited to pegging are very thorny or prickly. Probably works best if you have a gardener to pull weeds!

Bending of citrus branches is IMHO... BS, nothing more.

John where is the scientist in you? I think it is, or can be beneficial. Each to their own John. .

Silica... you can be each to your own; but I am someone with real experience; and this branch bending is purely crap.

That need oil thing is a revelation. I thought ladybugs were ok with that.

John, I realize you have experience, especially with Meyer Lemon culture, and I applauded you for that. I also am not without experience, as I have been working in the nursery business for 30+ years. Time tells the truth about everything.