When\How to Trim Meyer

Kelly(zone 10a, California) GrowingCitrus

8 years ago

Hi all, my meyer that was established when we purchased our home has gone crazy. When we moved in it had few lemons. We have since seen to its feeding, watering, and cutting off suckers. It's growing like mad and has lemons growing EVERYWHERE. Still can't keep up with our need though. They take so very long to ripen.

Anyhow, question at hand. It has grown so that a whole side is now touching the ground. I think it may be heavier on that side due to the million lemons or maybe it just grew on that side more because of sun there and edging is done a lot on the other side(by family). I don't want it touching the ground, and I can't imagine that's very good for it. I just am hesitant to cut any lower branches off yet because they're all so full of green babies!

Any advice is appreciated. I've posted this picture before but I don't have another handy. You can see how it's touching though.

Featured Answer

johnmerr

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

I prune off any limb growing in a downward direction; and any limb crossing the center; that lets in more light to the center and encourages growth. Any fruit that touches the ground, I cut off; leaving it encourages molds and critters. Note that even half matured Meyers are already better than any other lemon, so it is not a total loss. If you follow these guides, your tree will grow higher and produce fruits higher. BTW in ground trees tend to grow in the direction where the roots find the most food and water and/or in the direction that gets the most sun.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (9)

Laura LaRosa (7b)
8 years ago
JohnM will be able to help you. Lovely tree!
Silica
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Cutting the bottom branches of a citrus tree so that they don't touch the ground is called "skirting". It is a common practice and can be done without hurting the tree. Of course the skirting does not last forever, and new growth will have to be removed every year or so to keep the tree from again reaching the soil.
Related Professionals
Roanoke Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Hempstead Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Jackson Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Brunswick Landscape Contractors · Frederick Landscape Contractors · Lincoln Landscape Contractors · Brattleboro Landscape Contractors · Janesville Landscape Contractors · Glenwood Springs Landscape Contractors · Reno Landscape Contractors · Queens Landscape Contractors · Spring Home Builders · Waterbury Home Builders · Detroit Home Builders · Great Falls Home Builders
Kelly(zone 10a, California) GrowingCitrus
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks. Its there a best time to do it? I'll wait until a lot of the fruit is ripe but after that? We're looking forward to those lemons!
evdesert 9B Indio, CA
8 years ago
You can trim at any time of the year, you’re in zone 10 it won’t really matter when you trim. Either now or towards the end of winter just before new growth starts should be fine. Here’s my Meyer after being in ground for a couple years now.

Evan
Ike Stewart
8 years ago
evdesert, I have a meyers lemon that has been in the ground for just under 2 years, and I wished it looked like that, mine is maybe 2 feet across and about 5 feet tall now. I also have an Armstrong Satsuma that was planted on the same day that is about almost 7 ft tall and closer to 3 ft wide. Of course I am on the 8b / 9a line so likely have a shorter growing season than you do.
Kelly(zone 10a, California) GrowingCitrus
Original Author
8 years ago
That is the side that gets the most sun. I will start trimming it soon. I pulled off a couple of ripe lemons that were touching the ground. Super dirty but not bad otherwise. I'll have to start trimming soon. I feel like we're always waiting for the fruit to ripen. But we've only been there about 2 years and the first year it did virtually nothing. 85% of the fruit buds fell off. We have a million bees around it so I know that's not the issue. It probably took off with fruit after proper care and dropped! I'll post another pic once pruned. Thank you for the advice. I have a nectarine to prune too, I just worry if I'll over prune.
johnmerr
8 years ago
If you give a Meyer lemon too much Nitrogen when it is blooming, it will drop the flowers and make more leaves/branches. We sometimes do that with our young trees to encourage growth; plus on a larger scale it is cheaper than thinning by hand.
Kelly(zone 10a, California) GrowingCitrus
Original Author
8 years ago
Good to know. I've stopped giving most of my trees fish because of the advice here. My grapefruit may need it because it's tiny but, this meyer I've been giving the osmocote plus. It actually grew the little buds out of the flowers but after they were all about a centimeter long they turned yellow or black and dropped off. Not this year though. This year they're all growing so large!