How to Prune Lemon Trees in South Central Texas
- 1). Clean your pruning shears in a mixture of 1 part beach to 9 parts water. Drip the shears into the solution and wipe them clean. Clean the shears between each branch to prevent the spread of diseases or parasites.
- 2). Remove dead, damaged or diseased branches or limbs. Cut any shoots near the base of the tree. Shoots grow from the rootstock of the tree, if the tree was grafted.
- 3). Trim branches that interfere with lawn maintenance by utilizing a three-part cut. Cut 18 inches upward from the collar of the limb with a saw until the blade stalls. The collar is the joint where limb meets trunk. Cut 15 inches downward from the collar until the blade stalls. Add pressure. The limb should snap, taking most of the limb with it. Complete the task an angled cut—the shorter angle at the top—closer to the tree, leaving the collar intact.
- 4). Trim away smaller branches and twigs to reduce size.
- 5). Clean your tools with the bleach solution and store for next season.