I'm sorry about the drought in your neck of the woods. I wonder if severe pruning would help reduce your plants need for water, at least until the rain shows up again?
Simon
I started pruning the citrus today. I had been delaying because I thought we'd get some rain. Not severe pruning, but getting the low branches and the highest branches off. Thanks for suggesting.
Here is some general advice on caring for trees during drought. Pruning now may not be a good idea. I would wait until it rains. Hope it helps.
http://www.treepeople.org/whats-best-way-care-tree-during-droughtWhat's the best way to care for a tree during a drought?
Depending on the species of tree and where it’s planted, trees may need some extra help during drought conditions.
Extended droughts can cause decline and death on both young and mature trees. Even large trees more than one hundred years old can decline. It’s better to apply water preventively before the tree canopy begins losing foliage than to wait until these symptoms are advanced.
Water is one of the most important things trees need.
Do not water near the trunk unless you’ve planted the tree within the last four or five years. Instead, water the area under the drip-line (edge of the branches) where the tree’s root system extends.
Water slowly, this allows water to adhere to soil particles on its way down. Soaker hoses and drip irrigation work well.
Mulch is a gardener’s best friend. A three to four inch layer of wood chips spread on bare ground will reduce water evaporation, insulate roots from heat, keep the weeds away, and give a home to beneficial microorganisms.
Avoid over-fertilizing your trees or you may find that sap-sucking insects such as aphids, white fly and scale are paying you a warm weather visit. Pest populations, including insects and disease, increase rapidly with warmer weather. Keep things in balance and you’ll reduce your problems.
Mature trees: We often take our large trees for granted and forget that they can decline in health during extended drought. Most people don’t realize the tree is in trouble because symptoms appear first in the top center portion of the canopy far from view.
Do not prune live branches in a severe drought. Removing live tissues forces the tree to expend energy to defend against the pruning cuts. Removing live foliage also reduces the capacity of the tree to grow once rains return.
Do not fertilize trees in extended drought since this pulls water from the roots and forces the tree to expend precious energy to process the fertilizer.
Do not dig under the canopy of the tree in drought. Digging under the tree kills the small roots that absorb water, thus reducing the tree's capacity to uptake water.