The correct way to prune an orange tree

The best time to prune orange trees is generally in winter or early spring, when the trees are dormant or semi-dormant. Pruning will cause less damage to the trees and will be beneficial to their growth, flowering and fruiting in the following spring. Below, the editor will introduce the correct method of pruning orange trees . Let’s take a look.

1. Thinning

Thinning refers to cutting off the overcrowded, overlapping, crossed, sick and weak branches within the crown from the base. Thinning can improve the ventilation and light conditions of the tree crown, reduce the occurrence of diseases and pests, and promote the growth and development of new branches.

① Remove diseased and weak branches: Prune diseased, yellowed, and seriously disease- and insect-infested branches to reduce the spread and breeding of diseases and insect pests.

② Thin out crowded branches: Cut off overly crowded branches in the crown to keep the crown sparse and ventilated.

2. Shorten

Shortening refers to cutting off part of the tip of annual branches and retaining the strong buds at the base. Shortening can stimulate the germination of buds below the cut and promote the growth and development of new branches.

① Mild pruning: Cut off part of the tip of the branch and keep the longer base. It is suitable for young trees and trees with vigorous growth.

②Moderate pruning: Cut off most of the tips of the branches, leaving a shorter base. It is suitable for trees with medium growth potential.

③ Heavy pruning: Cut off most or all of the branches, leaving only a few buds at the base. Suitable for trees with weak growth or in need of rejuvenation.

3. Retraction

Pruning back refers to cutting off the tips of perennial branches and retaining a section of strong branches at the base. Pinchback can renew old branches within the crown and promote the growth and development of new branches while keeping the crown compact and beautiful.

① Renewal and rejuvenation: Prune back old and weak branches or fruiting branches within the crown to promote the growth and development of new branches.

②Control tree height: Prune back the tree crowns that are too high to control the height and shape of the tree.

4. Other pruning methods

① Remove overgrown branches: promptly prune off overgrown branches that grow too vigorously and affect the crown shape.

② Prune crossing branches: Prune branches that grow crosswise to avoid affecting the ventilation and light of the crown.

③ Prune downward branches: Prune the branches growing downward from the main branches to maintain the upward growth trend of the crown.

The above is an introduction to the correct method of pruning orange trees. When pruning orange trees, the ventilation and lighting of the crown should be kept good to avoid the crown being too dense, affecting light and ventilation, and causing the breeding of diseases and pests.