Rules and diagram for pruning and forming a lemon crown at home for fruiting in a pot for beginners

Lemon became an indoor crop not so long ago. It is not difficult to care for, and a rich harvest of yellow vitamins ripens at home. An important procedure for caring for a young tree is pruning lemon shoots. It helps to form the crown, extend the fruiting period, and prevents diseases. If you neglect pruning, few side shoots grow and the lemon looks untidy. In addition to pruning, a pinching procedure is also carried out.

Why is pruning necessary?

Lemon trees are pruned for three main reasons:

1. Aesthetic. From the first year of growth until the start of fruiting, they are engaged in the formation of the crown. If you don't do this, the lemon will grow into a long stick. Pruning gives the bush a neat appearance.
2. Sanitary. Old and diseased branches are periodically removed and pests and diseases are prevented.
3. To increase the yield. If you cut off weak and old branches that “fatten” the shoots, the plant will not waste energy on them and more lemons will grow.

Is it necessary to prune an old tree? Surely, this procedure will rejuvenate the bush, and the lemon will bloom again.

Features of the growth of lemon branches and their pruning

A lemon, grafted or grown from a seed, is a single upward growing shoot covered with leaves. This shoot-trunk is called a 0-level shoot. If its growth is not stopped, then the side shoots (1st level) will not begin to grow soon. For a lemon in a pot, its height and compactness are important.

The following pruning recommendations apply:

• the trunk is left 10-20 centimeters long, so that 3-4 buds remain on it;
• shoots of the 1st level are pruned by no more than 25 centimeters;
• shoots of the 2nd level - no more than 10 centimeters;
• shoots of the 3rd or more levels - no more than 5 centimeters.

If you make a mistake, you can correct the situation by additional pruning of most branches. After this procedure, flowering is delayed for several years. You should be very careful.

Timing of the procedure

Lemon growing experts disagree on whether lemons can be pruned in the summer. It is not forbidden to prune indoor citrus all year round. The best period is from late autumn to early spring, when the tree is dormant and new shoots have not yet begun to grow.

If the plant is mature, all the fruits are first removed from it. In winter, the crown thinning procedure is carried out in order to increase the yield for the next year.

What tools will you need?

Shorten the shoots with sharp garden pruners. A smooth cut will heal faster and look more aesthetically attractive. Bitten and torn edges take a long time to heal, slowing down flowering and fruit ripening. The tree spends a lot of energy on their healing.

Schemes and technologies of the procedure

At home, the pruning scheme looks like this:

1. A one-year-old shoot is cut to the height of the trunk. Leave about 3-4 buds. The height of the indoor plant is about 20 centimeters.
2. As the shoots of the first level form, they are pruned again, leaving 3 buds. If only one shoot has grown, it is cut off completely to stimulate the growth of additional ones.
3. Pruning continues up to the 5th level inclusive.
4. If flowers appear during the crown formation stage, they are removed. Fruiting prevents the growth of branches.

Advice! If a weak shoot has grown, it is better to remove it completely. Branches that grow upward should also be removed..

Crown formation

For home growing, a flat, fan-shaped crown is preferred. It turns out to be a “living curtain” decorating the window opening. Without the formation of a crown, the tree will either grow to the ceiling or will not fit on the window or table. In the process of forming such a crown, the development of shoots extending from the trunk to the right and left is stimulated.

To do this, periodically turn the tree to the sun with different sides, and completely cut off those branches that grow in the wrong direction. When it fills the required amount of space, a hard pinching is carried out. With such a crown, the lemon feels good, blooms and bears fruit profusely. All shaping work is carried out before fruiting begins. Shoots without buds and shoots are removed.

For abundant flowering

The lemon tree spends a lot of nutrients on flowering and subsequent ripening of fruits. If there are many shoots on a tree with a small number of buds, weak and old, then the flowering will be weak. Removing these shoots from the tree stimulates the growth of others. A healthy and strong tree is always covered with buds. The main advice on how to properly trim branches for flowering is to be careful. When the crown is formed, the young branches are only slightly thinned out.

Advice! If the flowers appeared in winter, they need to be cut off, leaving only a couple for aroma.

For fruiting

The first lemons should appear on the tree only after its skeleton has formed, when all the main branches are well developed and mature. For a rich harvest, pruning is carried out during the flowering period. This will prevent the plant from becoming depleted and encourage the development of more citrus fruits. In order for lemons to bear fruit, branches with little or no color are removed. You can trim off thin shoots that cannot support the weight of the lemon.

Rejuvenation of citrus trees

A lemon tree ages at the age of 15-20 years. Rejuvenation is carried out to extend its life with flowering and ripening of the crop. To do this, in the spring, cut off all shoots to the 4th and 5th level. Removing old branches leads to the growth of new ones from dormant buds. After the bush is rejuvenated, it is transplanted into a new pot, removing about 30% of the root system.A new crown grows in 4 years, and all this time the lemons do not bloom.

It is recommended to carry out minor anti-aging pruning throughout the life of the plant. To do this, remove dry and damaged branches as much as possible. Citrus is additionally fed.

For propagation by cuttings

A new lemon grows from a seed or cutting. During pruning, many shoots appear for cuttings. Choose healthy branches for planting material. You need to cut the cuttings at an angle. Ideal for:

• branches about 10 centimeters long;
• there should be a couple of leaves on them;
• bark without damage, dry areas;
• no parasites.

It is advisable to choose low-growing trunks. To stimulate the growth of the root system, a cut of the cutting is dipped into a special solution.

Care after pruning

The procedure of shortening branches is quite painful for the tree. After this, lemon requires special care:

1. Processing of slices. Thin branches do not need special care, but thicker ones are treated with garden varnish or sprinkled with ash. The shoots are additionally disinfected.
2. Plant nutrition. Phosphorus-containing fertilizers stimulate the growth of leaves and shoots and accelerate the healing of branches.
3. Transfer. Although the lemon does not require a particularly large pot, after pruning, after 2-3 months, it is recommended to carry out the transplant procedure. A sign that the planting capacity is small is that the roots stick out outside and have filled the entire volume.

How to form a crown without cutting

Cutting off some living branches is difficult for any plant to tolerate for two reasons:

• a lot of resources were spent on their cultivation;
• overgrowing of the cut also requires additional energy.

As an alternative to pruning when forming the crown, use:

• pinching buds before they hatch;
• directing branches in the desired direction as they grow using wire;
• changing the growth of young shoots by turning the pot towards and away from sunlight.

On a note! Lemons need a lot of nutrients and time to grow. Useless frequent pruning greatly harms the plant. Alternative methods should be used whenever possible.

How does pinching differ from trimming?

Both methods are used to remove part of the shoots. But if pruning is carried out for already grown branches, then pinching is done as the plant grows. Unnecessary buds are removed or damaged from the branches until they open, and the crown of the shoot is also torn off if a sufficient number of leaves have formed on it. In this case, the plant does not waste energy on unnecessary green mass. The lemon will grow and enter fruiting season much faster.

Pinching and removing excess blooms

Lemon productivity depends on flowering. The more magnificent it is, the more energy of the plant is wasted and the fewer ovaries there will be. At the flowering stage, small buds that are damaged and irregular in shape are pinched. After opening, remove with a short stigma or without a pistil. Additionally, branches with very few or no buds are pruned.

The age rule applies to the number of fruits sufficient for one tree. At 3 years, only 2-3 lemons are left to ripen. At 4-5 years the plant is able to increase the yield to 7 fruits, and after 7 years a good harvest consists of 10 fruits. If all excess is removed in time, the tree will produce a good harvest for many years.

Tips for Beginners

For those who wish grow a lemon bush at home professionals give the following pruning recommendations:

• until the crown is formed, all flowers are removed;
• if only one shoot is actively formed, it is completely removed;
• cut out “tops” - branches that stretch upward very quickly and are not capable of flowering;
• For annual growth, anti-aging pruning is carried out;
• If possible, pruning is replaced by pinching;
• at the stage of crown formation, a flat shape is preferred;
• short pruning stimulates the growth of new shoots, and long pruning stimulates fruit set.

Timely pruning without excessive zeal will help to grow a neat indoor tree. Proper care contributes to the annual flowering and ripening of several lemons for the table.