When pruning a lemon tree, it’s important to think about the shape.Sigrid Hansen-Catania also recommends removing shoots that grow horizontally into the crown (cross shoots), making it denser, as well as any weak shoots that hang downwards – these should be cut off at the base.‘Where there are double shoots that run almost parallel upwards, cut off the inside shoot,’ advises Sigrid Hansen-Catania, author of Success with Citrus Fruit, available from Amazon (opens in new tab).More mature branches shouldn't be cut flush to the trunk or parent branch – instead, leave at least 5 inches of branch in place, which will better enable the tree to recover from the shock of pruning.’ ‘Thin out overlapping branches, and the overall structure of the tree so it has sufficient aeration and access to light. ‘Over time lemon tree branches will often start to compete with one another for light and nutrient sources,’ says Andrew Gaumond. ‘Any growth that appears discolored, diseased or has been invaded by any pesky insects (such as scale or mealy bugs) should be removed immediately as and when they appear throughout the year,’ adds Joseph. Next, remove any dead, diseased or damaged branches.If you don’t remove them flush at the base, they will steal water and nutrients from the rest of the tree, so do this as soon as you notice them. Suckers are very fast growing and often their leaves look different from the grafted part of the tree. ‘To start with, remove suckers or basal shoots at the base of the lemon tree,’ says Jospeh Marini.

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