Re: Recovering a bark-damaged lemon tree

cshenk <cshenk@virginia-beach.net> wrote:

songbird wrote:
 

<bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
...

Right now the root structure is appropriate to a tree about
fifteen feet tall and maybe ten feet wide. That needs a certain
amount of photosynthesis to remain healthy, likely far more than
is supplied by the existing leaf area. That suggests leaving all
growth alone initially and then progressively removing unwanted
branches after some delay.

 
  that sounds reasonable, with the hot season coming up having
less leaves might actually be a good thing as then the roots
don't have to work so hard to support the canopy.
 
 

Anybody got a hint what an appropriate delay might be? Weeks,
months?  Maybe a year? Seems best to minimize the tree's wasted
investment.

 
  i would remove any bottom growth right away and leave
most of the rest except perhap a few of the worst ones
you would want to remove anyways.  in the fall or other
pruning time do some more.  i don't really know the cycle
of pruning for citrus trees at all (i live in the north).
 
 
  songbird

 
I'm not far enough south to know more than apples.  Prune those early
September and don't prune to heavily.

Growth slows down as the days shorten in the fall (the lemon tree
is in a northwest pocket between two houses, with lots of trees).
Very little happens between December and about April, but after
that it's off to the races until about September.

I think the rats may have been attracted by spring flush pruning
done by me. The snapped-off new growth is wonderfully fragrant
and smells good enough to eat. Quite possibly any sap leakage
is sweet. The puzzle then is why the squirrels didn't start this
long ago; they've been chewing on my (late) mulberry for years.

I've removed the lowest buds and will thin the upper buds, keeping
one our two when several are emerging close together. Then look again
around midwinter. Best to avoid too much pruning later in spring.

Thank for writing!

bob prohaska