Author Topic: Prune back limbs touching the ground?  (Read 278 times)

Travillion

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Prune back limbs touching the ground?
« on: October 31, 2024, 11:33:01 AM »
I recently planted in ground the citrus trees I raised in pots for the last two years. In pots, the natural bushy growth could droop down because the pots lift the plant off the ground. When I planted them in ground, a few had branches that are now draped on the surface of my wood mulch. Do I need to prune these off to reduce pest/disease issues? Or are the branches fine to touch the ground? If they do need to go, is it fine to do that in the spring or do they need to go now?

fruitnut1944

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Re: Prune back limbs touching the ground?
« Reply #1 on: October 31, 2024, 06:12:43 PM »
I think they'll need pruning before the plant starts bearing. You won't want fruit on the ground. Seems that either now or next spring would work.

MasOlas

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Re: Prune back limbs touching the ground?
« Reply #2 on: November 01, 2024, 07:51:33 PM »
I would do it now while we are still in the waning days of fall. Hard to say without fotos though.

Travillion

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Re: Prune back limbs touching the ground?
« Reply #3 on: November 04, 2024, 02:09:00 PM »
Thanks for the feedback! I trimmed some other limbs that touched the ground, but the ones on these trees gave me pause, I think because they represented a larger portion of the canopy. I'll probably cut them back in the early spring, that way they can keep giving the roots energy as they adjust to being planted in the ground. They are not fruit bearing yet so no issues there.

 

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