Naval orange growing only side branches not upright!

8 years ago

I've successfully grown citrus trees for 25 years. About 5 years ago I replaced a naval I didn't like with a different one. I guess I should have been watching it's growth more closely because as I look at it today I see big problems.
Several inches off the ground it there are 3 large branches growing, there is no one main branch growing up.
Those branches are vigorous and I just realized way too loaded with fruit; enough to break the branch, so I cut just off most of the fruit from them.

Several years ago I asked a master gardener here in Santa Clara Valley, what to do with the branch that was growing sideways and she said to put a branch support under it to straighten it up. Well I failed in that attempt as is exhibited by the fact none of the branches go up, they all are going sideways. I'd think it is only a matter of time before one or more of them they break off down low.

So what to do with this now?
I could cut all but one of the large branches off and stake the one remaining branch to become the leader.

I could cut the 3 branches back quite a bit and stake them all to an upright position.

I could put limb supports under the 3 large side branches and leave the problem alone for now.

What do you suggest?

I know I should be grateful that the tree looks so healthy and vigorous but I know it's out of control and only a matter of time before branches break. I am also not used to a citrus looking like a shrub rather than growing upright.

I never had to prune or stake my satsuma tangerine or my naval both which are/were at least 25 years old.

It's also interesting, and disheartening, that there are some of the long thorns on some of the branches; never happened before.

I assume what I should have done was to be sure the main branches were growing up right, staked them to be upright or cut some off when the tree was in it's first year or two, but I've got to decide what to do now.

Thanks for your help!

Ginny in warm San Jose zone 9B

Featured Answer

ginjj
Original Author

8 years ago

I'll send a picture in an hour. Thank you for your ideas thus far.

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Comments (8)

johnmerr
8 years ago
Pictures, please. Pruning back significantly to a node that faces up will encourage new vertical growth. Staking is a bad idea; and probably won't solve your problem; and low horizontal branches will never bear much fruit, because ihey will only touch the ground and invite critters and fungus.
Dee
8 years ago
Is it possible that the branches growing are root stock and not the variety you wanted? I think the thorns indicate root stock but not absolutely sure.
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ginjj
Original Author
8 years ago
First picture shows the tree/bush, again it's about 5 years old or so and a naval.

Second picture shows the branching of the tree about 8' up.

I don't think there is any rootstock growing to account for the thorns. I'll attach a picture of the trunk. Sorry for the duplicate picture. Easy to put pictures on but don't know how to remove them quickly. I'm on a Mac.

Thanks!
johnmerr
8 years ago
First, cut off any branches that are growing in a downward direction, or crossing the center; that will let more light into the center and encourage branching. Next cut off any fruit that touches the ground and prune back the branch that had that fruit to a bud/node that is on the top side of the branch.

That should be about all you need to do; your tree looks good and seems to have a mountain of fruit. Once the fruit is off you can give it a heavy feeding to encourage new growth; if you fertilize it now, it will just put energy into keeping more fruit/making them larger.
Dee
8 years ago
I cannot see for sure where your graft is on the root stock. John's advice is good to thin it out a bit. I would go a bit further to shape the tree to the way you want it to grow by cutting 1/3 off in the spring and see what you get in new growth. You do have one pencil thin branch going upwards. Maybe that could become a new leader in the future and eventually you can remove the current sideways branches. The left side of the tree in the picture is taller than the right. Is the trunk there?
ginjj
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks again to you guys for your ideas. Denise I see the first part of this message in my "in mailbox" but don't see the entire message here.

" I see two options from looking at the picture. It looks like the branch that had the graft went bent over and grew sideways because it wasn't staked. .."

I did not stake it; didn't think I needed to since it was such a small plant and I didn't do any research before planting it. If that is the problem I sure missed the boat with no staking. I have a new Satsuma Tangerine about 3 years old, I didn't stake it and it has a dominant branch going off to the left also. I'll send a picture of that one another day.

I just went to look for the graft and see what could be it but it's hard to tell, and yes it is off to the side.

I sent these pictures to "Four Winds Grower" the grower for our citrus. We'll see what they suggest. I'll email them again with your thoughts if they don't see that as the problem.
Dee
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
The reason why my post was weird was because I deleted it and started over. I didn't know the post went somewhere else other than on the public forum. I am sorry. I had questions about the graft and staking and then decided to go in a different direction. I could not find the graft in the picture. Usually it is quite visable and with yours it wasn't because there were 3 branches growing horizontal. Where I thought the graft would be, you had branches below it. Those are normally removed.

I think your graft was on the left of the picture and the main branch became too heavy without staking and guidance. The weight made the branch fall over which explains why it is longer on one side. I am just speculating due to the shape.

If a tree is top heavy, then staking is helpful until the stem is thick enough to hold up its own canopy. I normally take the stakes out of a new tree when repotting . It depends on the plant. I brought home this spring a Hamlin orange from Lowes. The tree was U shaped, bending towards the ground. I put it into a larger pot and staked it up for a few months. Now it can hold itself up straight.

To get the tree how you want it, it will have to be pruned. You have a lot of thin branches on the bottom which I would remove.