Low Maintenance Fruit Growing

[Rene Siracusa]

As others have said, no tree is totally maintenance-free. But no one mentioned pruning, which is important with citrus. You will want to shape the tree while it is young, if it needs it. Do any pruning at the end of the fruiting cycle. For citrus, prune in stages. Stage 1: remove all dead branches. Stage 2: remove any branches growing in toward the center. You want the center open so the sun can reach all the fruit. Stage 3: if some of your branches are getting so long that a heavy fruit-set will break them, prune them back to the next branching. And another pruning caveat: never prune too close to the trunk - prune to the branch collar and make the cuts vertical.