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Probably nobody remembers me asking last year about how to tell the gardeners "don't prune the lemon tree" in Spanish. Well, we succeeded, and now the tree has some serious locks, (heheh, so maybe it's not totally off topic).
Unlike hair, I think a tree needs a good pruning now and then. Since we let it go, it's got these thin branches that are like, 6 feet of growth in 1 year! I think these branches are too weak and shold be trimmed back so that there is only 2 feet of growth in one year.
Any advice is appreciated. Although it does produce some excellent fruit, we are concerned as much about aesthetics as we are about yield. I've seen some ugly trees in orchards. Presumeably they're pruned for high yield; but I'd like this tree to be beautiful as well as fruitful.
I only hope I get to see that, since I might have to move soon. It all depends on where my next job is.
I actually do remember you asking that question, but I don't remember the consensus of how to say, "Don't cut the lemon tree" in Spanish. What was it? "No corte el arbor de lemon?"
Anyway, generally with fruit trees of any sort, you trim them so the tops aren't so high, for if the fruit does form on the tall and leggy branches, they just break off. My only dealings are with deciduous fruit trees, apples, pears, peaches, figs. and the like. But I think lemons and oranges keep their leaves year round. In that case, after the fruit ripens and before the tree blooms again to set new fruit, that is the time to trim it back. Any evergreen shrub that bears fruit or flowers, you usually treat this way. Camellias are a subtropical flowering shrub of this sort. Right after they bloom, within a month, the next year's buds/blooms begin to form. If you don't trim it in that window, you're cutting off the next year's flowers.
I'm sure your local USDA Ag Extension office could also provide you with extensive information on citrus cultivation as well. I have an encyclopedia of gardening practices somewhere. I will get it out and see what I can find about growing lemons.
MB
I don't remember the best translation either.
Fortunately, the tree hasn't flowered much yet. I say "much yet" because it seems to flower a little bit any time it can. Of course it flowers a lot in the Spring; but we had an unusual warm, dry spell in January and it flowered a little then too. It'll even produce some flowers as the Summer drags on, into the fall. You're quite right--it stays green all year long and is even frost tolerant. We had frost a few days ago, and it's perfectly unharmed.
I've been told that lemon is the hardiest of the citrus, and that the Bay Area is kind of on the edge as far as that's concerned. People have oranges here, but I've also been told that if you try to grow oranges in a borderline area you run the risk of getting fruit that isn't particularly sweet.
Anyway, thanks for the input.