That’s a great way of putting it Bob. I definitely need to shape my trees. I am still cutting off the dead branches from the winter indoors...not too many, but I have a lot of trees ;)

Bob, are there any leaves on the tree after you prune to 18 inches?

Thanks for sharing your pruning techniques with us Bob! I like the idea of lopping off the canopy to reshape it to my liking but it's always shocking to see so many leaves drop at once. Your post helps reassure me that it shouldn't be as intimidating as it feels. What if the tree I bought wasn't tall and lanky? My Meyer came to me short, maybe only 10" before the trunk splits into 2 branches.

See how Ian Tolley prunes citrus (about 8 min into video):

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/factsheets/citrus-success/9437008

If you like the tree the way it looks don't do nothing.There are ways to trick the tree into creating a leader by finding a new upright branch and pinch competing branches. You can do this by more fertilizing with nitro, perhaps the use of urea.

Meyer likes nitro more than any other citrus, you got to push a bit harder.

Aside from the dead, damaged reasons to prune I typically only prune so the tree will fit through the greenhouse door. I'm planting 3 in ground bringing my total to 5 and I'll only prune them to fit under my temporary covering for winter.

I watched that video - it’s so drastic! I always analyze every snip at length, but it makes me really want hack back some of mine this year.

When I started growing Meyers, it pained me to cut a single branch; because I knew each leaf node could be a new tree. Now we prune them with mechanical saws and burn the cuttings.

Bob, Ian Tolley is your brother? Who is the guy in the photo above? Is it you, Bob?

Just kidding, yes that was me, clean-up a bit, i am probably the same age, me 79, wyvee 77. If i bought a citrus tree and paid $75.00 for it i would not prune the tree like what he does. People with large orchard might do something like what he does, furthermore he lives in a ideal climate with year around growth not like me, big difference.