Trinny T Thank you SO MUCH for the compliment!!! There are over 200+ gardening lessons on the IV Organic RUclips channel, and the publications from this year are getting way better in quality & expert collaborations!! Be sure to subscribe!!! Charles 🌱👍
I have some 300 lemon trees in my garden. i was looking for how to maintain. I found it here. Thank you for the video. Now i will do the follow-up works.
I learn so much good stuff from you! TY! I have had many veg gardens over the years but now I have caught the habitat gardening bug also. Planted my first citrus trees also. Struggling with this new learning curve and.... Your vids are the best! Your techniques work great. Saved me from wasting lotsa time and making mistakes. Thanks man! Never a wasted moment watching your vids. You truly are a pro at this.
Had my indoor meyer lemon tree a year now, has produced a nice 10 fruits. This has given me a massive insight how to tidy it up. It's growing new leaves like no tomorrow at the moment. Thank you for this video!
Hello Andrew Murphy, Thank you for the compliment! :-) Another recent video I did on pruning Meyer Lemons is right here: ruclips.net/video/Q5EWng9cwaI/видео.html Keep me posted on your gardening successes! :-) Charles
Just watching that video... Your lemons are a much deeper shade of of orange/yellow compared to mine. Makes me wonder if they are of the Mayer variety now. However it's been pruned with an unexpected casualty of the first flower of the year :(. Just need to harvest the lemons off, and do something with them! :)
Hello Andrew Murphy, Whatever lemons I knew we would not consume fresh within 10 days of harvest, I squeezed the juice into eight (8) ice cube trays to have ready to use lemon juice any time of the year! Charles :-)
Thanks Charles for that advice! :) One question now we've entered spring... I've got a lemon tree, and now an orange one too (couldn't help myself, it looked like it needed a home at the store!). My orange tree has bloomed into flower and I've looking at in excess of 20 fruit off it, but my lemon tree has been growing leaves, leaves and more leaves! There are about 3 flowers on the oldest, but thinest branches nearer the bottom. Is it normal for it to just explode with lots of leaves? Will it flower more towards summer?
Hello Andrew Murphy, Meyer lemons typically bloom 6-8 months out of the year... supporting as many of those flowers into fruit as it can tolerate... such an amazing citrus tree! But do not be focused on flowers and fruit, as much as gaining more growth and just getting established. The more your plants grow this year, the more branches it will have to support more fruit in the upcoming year. Supporting fruit in the first year WILL slow down it's growth and prevent you from enjoying heavier yields of fruit sooner. I hope this makes sense? Charles :-)
Wow!... Thanks for such an informative and upfront video.... Really good to see the variation of trees and different ways of pruning and helpful tips... I've wondered how to weight some branches... How innovative of you with the water bottles.....lol
Charles! I was searching for tips on how to prune my lemon tree and am so happy to see you! Hope you’re doing amazing and thank you for the great advice!
I have a lemon tree for 4 years it grows very slowly no fruit at all We live in California in sandy soil Any idea please to help my poor tree I will be appreciate thank you so much
This is awesome and has been so helpful and informative. I started my lemon plant from a seed and now it's very leafy and branchy and about three and a half feet tall. I knew pruning was something that people did but I didn't realize how important it is! Thank you so much! :)
Thanks for the advice. Wouldn't have thought of the mini water bottle weights... I'm trying to limit my plastic usage though. Been saving old socks that I never managed to find its match. Think I'll invest in some round marbles (classic children's game) that I can later display in a vase for decoration but for purposes of the tree project, add a few marbles into the sock, tie sock and thread a needle- lightly rope around a branch so it stays.
Thank you so much for all the tips. Can I prune my lemon tree in summer? My tree It's getting a little out of control, and living in southern California it gets pretty hot in the summer time.
Good video. Very informative. I have a citrus tree????? Or a lemon tree not really sure. Someone gave it to me. But its branching tho no fruit yet. But I cant wait to go out and check for suckers and prune it so it can get enough light on each branch and the crown.
Thank you so much for the information; however, I have a question. Can you tell me if I need to prune young trees that haven’t produced any fruit? I have two young citrus trees about the size of your Meyer lemon. One is starting to bloom but the other hasn’t yet. Do I prune them or not. I live in San Clemente, California ant it’s the fall, 2023. THANK YOU!
@Spy Tube Thanks for your response, I just saw it. Yes there was a big tree that was cut down perhaps it blocked the wind before. It's too bad it doesn't give lemons anymore.
I've been wanting to have a few trees/plants on our balcony or indoors, and your videos have been great inspiration! I just bought a semi-dwarf eureka lemon tree yesterday in West Los Angeles area and didn't get a chance to ask any questions. all I know is it needs sunlight at least 6hrs. and I think our west facing balcony could work. or indoors we have south facing corner windows that could work. I want to learn more about proper care, insects, pruning etc. 😃 I'm also considering a dwarf Meyer lemon tree and/or a pomegranate tree. 😎
Hello Efrain, Thank you so much for the compliment! :-) The Eureka lemon tree is a must have lemon variety. The Improved Meyer is my #2 favorite lemon variety. Also, good choice in selecting a semi-dwarf size. The plant will grow much more vigorously, quickly created more branches to support more fruit in a very short period of time. Also being in a pot, and a semi-dwarf, it will be easy to manage the size with occasional pruning of branches reaching in the "wrong" direction. Spend a bit of time 2-3x per year managing the shape and size. I recommend that you keep your tree outdoors, year round. In most parts of Los Angeles, there is very little chance of winter freezing temperatures that can harm your tree.... And the more mature your tree grows, the less likely it would be harmed by slightly freezing nights. It's a great idea to grow a variety of trees, that will reward you with years/ decades of organic quality food!!! The ONLY pest problem I have with my citrus is leaf miner, that will likely show up on your trees starting May/June through November--Only. Here is a couple video links to help you manage this problem: ruclips.net/video/Y6VdWAPiNhQ/видео.html ruclips.net/video/1b1VUyNEc1E/видео.html Let me know if you have any other questions! :-) Charles
IV Organic Awesome. any tips on how often to keep the eureka watered? and some leaves look eaten or burned away. should I clip those? also, any thoughts on keeping a dwarf or semi-dwarf Meyer lemon tree indoors? :: efrain
Hello Efrain, Thank you for the compliment! :-) When watering your citrus, you should allow the soil to dry, but not "bone-dry", between watering. And when you do water, soak the trees, trying to get the water into the entire rootball zone. Generally, this means watering 1-2x per week spring and fall. 2x (maybe3x) summer. 0-2x in the cooler winter months. Container trees require even more water... like 3x per week in the hottest summer months. For your indoor citrus, be sure to use a quality organic potting soil. Many potting soils add chemical fertilizers that do support the soil biology as well as the organics. Position in a south, or south-east (morning sun) window during the winter months. Note, your trees will perform better outdoors (if no freezing winter nights). Young citrus and avocados are very susceptible to sunburn to exposed branches and trunks-- coat all exposed surfaces with IV Organic 3-in-1 Plant Guard. Once it has an established canopy to shade the lower branches and trunk, the risk is minimized. Between dwarf and semi-dwarf Meyer in container, I would go with the semi-dwarf. Almost all trees grow slower in a container, than in-ground; therefore, I would want the additional vigor of the semi-dwarf which you can also control will occasional pruning throughout the year. You'll enjoy the semi-dwarf Meyer much more than the slower growing dwarf variety. Lastly, dead or weak branches should be pruned; however, damaged leaves can stay until they naturally fall off. Let me know if you have any other questions! :-) Charles
Awesome video and thanks. I'm an arborist and a fan of teaching my clients to prune. I was wondering if by chance you meant to prune to collars and growth points? It's splitting hairs, I know, but maybe you have different terms of phrase over there. Thanks. Joe
Hello Charles, I have a question. I’m growing a lemon tree from the seeds. It was getting tall and I cut off the head of it and about five new branches growing and the are having spikes. Are the males or the entire tree is a male? How am I suppose to know? Please help.
My orange tree has white spots on its bark near the ground and seems to have some scaring on the fruit. It’s almost like dead bugs. I can scrap it off with a fingernail and the fruit is mostly unaffected. I have some pale oranges and that fruit is sometimes hard and dry inside. Do you think I should be worrying? What can I do?
I am interested in growing a privacy hedge using citrus trees. I would like to prune it so it’s shaped like a formal hedge. Do you have any experience with this or advice?
How do you deal with scale. Or maybe it’s called rust it’s a little bubbly things on the branches and a lot of ants are hanging around. I’ve tried the various soaps for trees with very poor results. I live in northern California east of San Francisco
This man looks like a Dr but he likes gardening ☺️ I have a lime and avocado tree from seed. I need to prune both and although I’ve seen many videos on pruning, it makes me nervous. I don’t want to ruin the trees. Where can I buy those sticks in the middle of the trees? I want to add 1 to each tree cause they’re a lil bit wonky.
When is it a good time to prune a Meyer tree?! Mine isn't doing good at all my leaves havebturned out yellowish they are not green like your show in this video
I just planted 2 plum & 2 cherry trees 1 week ago. They are 6 foot and have strong leaves already. They need to be shaped / trimmed - pruned. I'm getting conflicting reports on waiting till next year to do this vs doing it immediately. I'd prefer to do it now.
Thank you so much for all great information, I enjoy your videos, I have an orange tree, it had fruits then I noticed loosing all the leaves and now it looks dead, is there anything I can do to save the tree?
We moved into a house with 1 orange tree with 3rd-degree burns, at least 20' tall. It's producing, but they are sour. Not sure if we should cut it down or try to rescue it. Also, have a lemon tree that is taller than the house. Have been pruning the wood branches as you suggest, but should the height be pruned to be shorter, and how much to cut without shocking it? Live in Tucson, AZ, so I'm nervous about damaging it from the sun. Thank you for these videos!
What would cause a lemon tree to produce lemons with no juice in them? It was that way from the start. Didn't bring it back to the nursery because I thought next crop will be better and watered the tree, put fert etc..; got lot of tlc and still the fruits are dry as. Other trees are not that way except a mandarine tree which I just cut off and will probably cut that tree also and start fresh. Any ideas ? Is it the tree or did i do something wrong? Other citrus are thriving.
I have two year old Meyer lemon tree and it gots about 15 lemons but all the weight of lemons splitting the branch from trunk. Should I be removing lemons? I'm neewbie with lemon tree
Hello Jesse, YES! Remove some of the most ripe... hopefully you can find a use for a partially ripe (even all green lemons). We use our lemons (even immature lemons) for flavoring water, salad dressings, marinades, etc, etc.... This weeks publication is on exactly this issue... except a naval orange tree where the branch split in half due to the weight of the fruit... to be published in the next day or two. Stay tuned! Charles :-)
If you live in the northern hemisphere, the fruit generally ripen November through March, April or May. However, many varieties offer small quantities of lemons between May and November. They are ripe once the skin turn yellow on all sides. A young tree can get severely damaged (broken branches) from supporting too many fruit, and may take one to several years for the tree shape to restore. As the tree gets more mature, the risk is less likely, however thinning is a good practice with all heavy bearing fruit trees to improve the size & quality of remaining fruit. Let me know if you have any other questions. Charles :-)
I just planted a meyer lemon tree this year. I live in San Antonio TX. The tree was doing well, had lots of blooms this spring and lots of little lemons started sprouting. Then the small fruits started turning black and some fell off and others just turned black on the tree and they only got to be the size of a small pea. Now all the blooms have gone, there's no fruit that ever matured, and the tree is back to Green Leaves only. I bought the tree from Sams Club. Is doing welll other than that. Am I doing something wrong? Will it bloom later on this year and bear fruit or will it be next year? Any help is much appreciated. My expectations may have been too high when I saw all the blooms and initial fruit before they all went away. Thanks in advance!
moved to a new place with an orange tree that is dozens of years old, needs some help bad! also have a meyer lemon tree that is splitting before ripening. ive heard from some it needs water, others say splitting is too much water. should i prune it down a lot? and cut off the branches even with the fruit? thank you!
Thank you so much this has really helped me as I know nothing about citrus fruit. I live in Spain and moved int a house with a lemon tree, an orange tree, and a mandarin tree, well more like bushes as the branches grow very low to the ground. The orange tree/bush is very tall. I wondered if I should remove the lower branches which are in the shade. After watching your video it has helped me a lot.
hey Charles, great video. I live in southern florida where it is next to impossible to find a dwarf eureka at a nursery. I need to keep it relatively short so it can be kept in a cage to prevent the crows from pecking lemons and eventually destroing them. I live near a bird sanctuary. So my question is can I keep a standard eureka tree to 5 feet without it looking weird?
Anyone please help on a overgrown lemon tree. Absolutely huge 20 feet wide 20 feet tall lemon tree. Should I lop off limbs and let it heal or what? Please help.
I just planted a satsuma tree in March I live Louisiana I want it to get a good root I don't want any fruit should I cut the flowers or wate till it makes fruit?
Hello Josh T, In the first year, I recommend that you remove any fruit the tree attempts to set. Even though some research will say a few on tree is okay-- which sometimes you just want to taste just one to make sure you planted what you wanted (no nursery labeling mistakes, which happens from time to time). The energy the plant will save from going into the fruit will be redirecting into more growth which ultimately will support even more fruit in year 2. I will be removing the fruit set on my 2 or 3 year old Oro Blanco Grapefruit this year to accomplish the same goal... More growth. The tree has been very productive for the past 2 years, but not accomplishing much in the sense of tree vigor... which I am hoping to correct this year. I'll have a publication on this topic in the upcoming 1-2 weeks... Stay tuned! Charles :-)
I grew a lemon tree from seed in a pot. I had one long upright stem with one branch growing to one side. I just trimmed the upright stem in hopes it would promote branching. was this the right thing to do?
Hello Christie Broadhurst, Absolutely! :-) You are the artist and designer of that tree, so do not be intimidated by pruning the tree periodically to perform the way you want it too (shape, size, etc...) Although citrus can go without any pruning at all, lightly pruning by 10-20 annually will ensure that the tree maintains more "stable" with a root structure that is stronger and more established relative to the upper tree. I have found that a light pruning of citrus results in less "dead wood", more flowers and more fruit too! :-) If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact me! Charles :-)
Thank you for the advice, I have recently ventured into citrus growing despite living in a totally unsuitable part of the globe (Upper Rhondda, South Wales, UK). I have grown fruit and vegetables for years, but exotics are a new venture for me. I have pruned some of the worst crossing growth on the Yuzu and it has been very forgiving, although my hands suffered with all of those spikes! At this point I can see that all of the trees (peach as well) that I have bought were essentially pruned to fit into the box for shipment to me, not pruned according to the plants' needs - so I need to be careful this year. I couldn't prune my Bears lime as it is flowering and fruiting just about everywhere. May 50/50 prune it in the future (like an evergreen) if that is how it 'behaves', that way I will get both the structure and the yield - assuming that is if it is still alive by next year. As your trees are grown outdoors, I would be interested to know how cold it can get there. My t.v. knowledge of California says it has hot beach/ desert areas as well as great skiing, so it is hard to know what your trees are exposed to in terms of winter and night time temperatures. My citrus will overwinter in a cold greenhouse, but I add a number of candles in frost conditions, I also plan to insulate the glass with large gauge bubblewrap - for insulation and shade purposes. Give my tree's current fruiting, I am nervous about potting on, which it ideally needs. Should I avoid potting on until the spring, or could I pot on regardless of the fruit? My tree is in its original pot as sent from the grower. Apologies for the lengthy response, but not a lot of knowledge in my location, thus short on advice. BTW: I have seen fishing weights used to bend branches into form, mostly on plum when it is trained onto a festoon. (An iron stake attached to a large iron hoop to which the branches are tied.) Should help transport the sugars to the fruit as well as they are south of the branch line. Thanks, Vox.
We have a 20ft lime tree in southern California. I want to make it smaller for practical reasons. Any suggestions? I am afraid I might damage it. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Hello Leser Sharp, Here are two videos released this year that discussing pruning. The first is a Bearss lime tree where the "leggy" shoots were pruned to maintain the bushy design: ruclips.net/video/KrObhsIwV4g/видео.html However, if you are doing major pruning, I would wait until all risk of frost has passed-- Such as late January or February to prune the tree. Be cautious of exposed branches and trunk to too much sunlight. Checkout this orange tree that suffered 3rd degree burns within 6 months of being pruned: ruclips.net/video/RJ-a473LWh4/видео.html If your canopy is going to allow too much light into it, I would recommend coating the lower trunk and branches with IV Organic 3-in-1 Tree Guard Paint, which can also be diluted 2-3 teaspoons per gallon and sprayed onto the leaves and thinner stems to help minimize the shock of pruning.... also coat all large pruned stems to prevent disease and wood boring insects (beetles & termites) from entering. Last tip, most citrus do not need to be pruned, other than to strengthen the tree, remove dead wood, or (as in your case) controlling the shape and size. When making you cuts, be sure to keep a lot of lower branches and leaves to help support the sugar needs of the plant. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Charles :)
Hi! Rookie here- I have a lemon tree that looked like there were two trunks (or just one large branch growing from the core at the very bottom of the tree trunk. I learn with peach trees you'd cut this ( so i did so) and was wondering did I just kill/damage the tree?
Thank you so much! I'm watching your other video about citrus trees now. I'm brand new to growing citrus but not new to gardening and house plants. I have a MASSIVE bird of paradise plant (strelitzia) happily growing and blooming a few times each year INDOORS in Southern NJ- zone 7 :(. In fact, this plant is now approaching it's 62nd birthday!!! It's quite a looker when it's blooming but a bit of an eye-sore when it's not. I love it all the time even if it's less than beautiful 6 to 8 months each year. It's become so large over the last few years that it has once again burst the side of it's pot out which will absolutely require me to divide it and re-pot it this year. I've been holding my husband off for at least 4 years about dividing it because it blooms best when it is a little pot-bound but NOT much or not at all when it has been put through the absolute horror of the division process. It usually takes a few years for my special baby to recover. I'm hoping that because we've been doing it for decades and we've got it pretty much down to a science, that we can somehow avoid shocking the crap out of it this time. I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that plant! I've had it for 29 years. It has become part of my family almost. Here's the story about how I came to own this lovely plant: my Dad had a friend who was stationed someplace in the South Pacific and had brought the seeds home to his wife (an avid gardener) when he came home on leave (US Navy) in 1954. She grew the seeds and it became this enormous plant that she loved and divided every 6 or 8 years. Everyone in her family had gotten one. At the time I came into the picture, she had recently divided it again and nobody wanted one. She was ok with that because she loved them and was fine with keeping them all. She used to have each of them sitting on a platform her husband attached to one of those red wagons that children play with. She'd pull them around, out into her driveway each summer. There were 3 of them. My Dad kept after her for weeks and weeks until she finally agreed to sell me one. I had to pay her 85 bucks for the one I finally ended up getting. Of course it was the smallest one she had but it was still very large compared to what you would buy at a garden center if you could even find one that was mature back then. But 85 bucks was a LOT of money for me back then. I was only 19. I So it took me almost 10 years to figure out how to get it to bloom. There were times through that initial period when it looked pretty bad and I almost killed it a few times from lack of gardening skills. Now I know that it really boiled down to the fact that I just didn't have enough sunlight in my first home to support blooming in this type of plant. I never wanted to put it outside because I was scared to death it would get bugs and die!!! I finally gave in and put it out there and holy cow did it finally bloom. It was slow at first but then more each year. Now it blooms on and off throughout the year. I have a few other plants that have been with me for 15 to 20 years or so- just one that is demands high light though. It's a croton shrub and it blooms as well. Nobody here has ever seen one bloom indoors and they're all shocked when they see it blooming. So anyway, I am going to attempt citrus. I'm hoping to avoid many of the mistakes I made with the others. Thanks to youtube and google, I'm way ahead of the game compared to years ago. Thanks again and wish me luck! I may even try figs next. Your fig tree videos are on my list to watch. I have friends who grow them outdoors all over this area but there is a trick to getting them to survive the winter. A lot of friends lost their figs the winter before last to extreme cold and blustery winds.
Hello Sherie, Thanks for sharing your success story with growing giant bird of paradise, indoors, and in growing zone 7! Two major challenges that you have overcome! Great point regarding your plant being most productive once the roots become bound. I too have noticed the same phenomenon with other plants and fruit trees. I will be sure to share this fact in future videos! Regarding winterizing figs, I just released this video that has become a hit about a week ago: ruclips.net/video/xIjGr1WJG-w/видео.html Thank you for your support and please keep in touch! :) Charles
I'm planning on checking out all of your videos. I really like them. My bird of paradise isn't the giant variety, it's just the regular orange and red multicolored variety that wants to be a giant! hahaha actually I did try one of those and it didn't do well for me. Of course that was back when I didn't have it figured out yet for these guys.
Got it! :) When you said massive, I was thinking "giant;" however, I know that the smaller bird of paradise can also get quite large! I am glad that you are enjoying watching our IV Organic RUclips channel! We try to publish something new and educational every week! So be sure to subscribe! Keep in touch! :) Charles
You did not discuss what I call sucker growth. My Meyers lemons my lime tree in my eureka tree all tend to have sucker thorny growth. I think this might be from the host plant. I’m assuming you’d want to cut these as close to the base as possible.
Hello, we have this Eureka lemon tree that was 7.5 gallon and planted it roughly 8 months ago. The main stalk has grown to almost 7' tall with all the others around 2' long. How would you prune this tree for a successful grow? Thanks for your advise.
Can the main trunk from a Eureka tree be trimmed or cut to make the tree shorter? Also, can the regular Eureka (non-dwarf) be potted? Thank you, love your awesome videos!
One of the best informative video that is straight forward. Please make more for gardeners like myself who knows pretty much nothing
Trinny T Thank you SO MUCH for the compliment!!! There are over 200+ gardening lessons on the IV Organic RUclips channel, and the publications from this year are getting way better in quality & expert collaborations!! Be sure to subscribe!!!
Charles 🌱👍
I have some 300 lemon trees in my garden. i was looking for how to maintain. I found it here. Thank you for the video. Now i will do the follow-up works.
Finally someone who knows what he's talking about . . worth subscribing to.
Hello Nathan,
Thank you for watching & love your comment! THANKS!!!! :)
Charles
thanks for all the info much appreciated! now I'm going to go out and prune my citrus
The tree shaping is a great idea. My trees are growing almost straight up. Will shape them to be bushier. Thx!
I learn so much good stuff from you!
TY!
I have had many veg gardens over the years but now I have caught the habitat gardening bug also.
Planted my first citrus trees also.
Struggling with this new learning curve and....
Your vids are the best!
Your techniques work great.
Saved me from wasting lotsa time and making mistakes.
Thanks man!
Never a wasted moment watching your vids.
You truly are a pro at this.
Thanks, the water bottle and bamboo string trick were 👍
Thank you! 🌱👍
Thank you for all of the great information. 🙂
What a garden! Love the variety
💯
Had my indoor meyer lemon tree a year now, has produced a nice 10 fruits. This has given me a massive insight how to tidy it up. It's growing new leaves like no tomorrow at the moment. Thank you for this video!
Hello Andrew Murphy,
Thank you for the compliment! :-) Another recent video I did on pruning Meyer Lemons is right here: ruclips.net/video/Q5EWng9cwaI/видео.html Keep me posted on your gardening successes! :-)
Charles
Just watching that video... Your lemons are a much deeper shade of of orange/yellow compared to mine. Makes me wonder if they are of the Mayer variety now. However it's been pruned with an unexpected casualty of the first flower of the year :(. Just need to harvest the lemons off, and do something with them! :)
Hello Andrew Murphy,
Whatever lemons I knew we would not consume fresh within 10 days of harvest, I squeezed the juice into eight (8) ice cube trays to have ready to use lemon juice any time of the year! Charles :-)
Thanks Charles for that advice! :) One question now we've entered spring... I've got a lemon tree, and now an orange one too (couldn't help myself, it looked like it needed a home at the store!). My orange tree has bloomed into flower and I've looking at in excess of 20 fruit off it, but my lemon tree has been growing leaves, leaves and more leaves! There are about 3 flowers on the oldest, but thinest branches nearer the bottom. Is it normal for it to just explode with lots of leaves? Will it flower more towards summer?
Hello Andrew Murphy,
Meyer lemons typically bloom 6-8 months out of the year... supporting as many of those flowers into fruit as it can tolerate... such an amazing citrus tree! But do not be focused on flowers and fruit, as much as gaining more growth and just getting established. The more your plants grow this year, the more branches it will have to support more fruit in the upcoming year. Supporting fruit in the first year WILL slow down it's growth and prevent you from enjoying heavier yields of fruit sooner. I hope this makes sense? Charles :-)
Wow!... Thanks for such an informative and upfront video....
Really good to see the variation of trees and different ways of pruning and helpful tips... I've wondered how to weight some branches... How innovative of you with the water bottles.....lol
Charles! I was searching for tips on how to prune my lemon tree and am so happy to see you! Hope you’re doing amazing and thank you for the great advice!
I have a lemon tree for 4 years it grows very slowly no fruit at all
We live in California in sandy soil
Any idea please to help my poor tree
I will be appreciate thank you so much
Super super helpful! Thank you for saving me from having to watch 10 different amateur videos to get everything I needed to know in one bite.
Just what i needed! Helpful information, easy to follow! Thanks, Charles.
This is awesome and has been so helpful and informative. I started my lemon plant from a seed and now it's very leafy and branchy and about three and a half feet tall. I knew pruning was something that people did but I didn't realize how important it is! Thank you so much! :)
Always wondered about cutting in an angle! Cool!
Wow thanks so much for your tips. I cant tell you how helpful they were. Thank you so much.
This was a great video with so much information! I enjoy your channel and your products! Thanks for providing great knowledge and healthy products!
Thank you for such a concise and informative video.
This video is as full of great tips as I want my Calamansi tree to be full of fruit! Thanks! :-)
Excellent tips for citrus trees, thank you for sharing!
Really informative and great explanation in this video.
Great tips and examples…thanks!
👍thanks Charles, this was really great!
Thanks for the advice. Wouldn't have thought of the mini water bottle weights... I'm trying to limit my plastic usage though.
Been saving old socks that I never managed to find its match. Think I'll invest in some round marbles (classic children's game) that I can later display in a vase for decoration but for purposes of the tree project, add a few marbles into the sock, tie sock and thread a needle- lightly rope around a branch so it stays.
*Excellent video and tips* 👍
_Thank you_
Excellent video, thanks for the close ups and extensive info!
awesome thankyou helped me alot i love the water bottle idea too going to be doing that
This was very helpful. Thank you.
Hugely informative. Thank you so much!
Awesome - I needed this info - very very helpful - thank you.
Wow, you really planted those trees close together. Great horizontal recommendations and now I've gotta try growing my tomatoes by my citrus!
Best garden pruning/maintenance video. Thanks
How can you be sure that and know when the roots can’t support more branches, leaves, fruit?
I have a calamansi plant and it’s growing crazy. Do I cut it just like a lemon tree?
Thank you so much for all the tips.
Can I prune my lemon tree in summer? My tree It's getting a little out of control, and living in southern California it gets pretty hot in the summer time.
What happens if you pick all the lemons 🍋 does the tress die and not produce any more lemons
Excellent pointers. Thank you.
Very informative, thank you
Good video. Very informative. I have a citrus tree????? Or a lemon tree not really sure. Someone gave it to me. But its branching tho no fruit yet. But I cant wait to go out and check for suckers and prune it so it can get enough light on each branch and the crown.
Thank you so much for the information; however, I have a question. Can you tell me if I need to prune young trees that haven’t produced any fruit? I have two young citrus trees about the size of your Meyer lemon. One is starting to bloom but the other hasn’t yet. Do I prune them or not. I live in San Clemente, California ant it’s the fall, 2023. THANK YOU!
how many months after planting citrus is the proper pruning to produce fruits
I have a 10 foot lemon tree here in souther California that use to give lemons but it has not in the last 5 years. Any advice?
@Spy Tube Thanks for your response, I just saw it. Yes there was a big tree that was cut down perhaps it blocked the wind before. It's too bad it doesn't give lemons anymore.
Nice video.. Do I need to prune bottom of the lemon tree
I've been wanting to have a few trees/plants on our balcony or indoors, and your videos have been great inspiration!
I just bought a semi-dwarf eureka lemon tree yesterday in West Los Angeles area and didn't get a chance to ask any questions. all I know is it needs sunlight at least 6hrs. and I think our west facing balcony could work. or indoors we have south facing corner windows that could work. I want to learn more about proper care, insects, pruning etc. 😃
I'm also considering a dwarf Meyer lemon tree and/or a pomegranate tree. 😎
Hello Efrain,
Thank you so much for the compliment! :-) The Eureka lemon tree is a must have lemon variety. The Improved Meyer is my #2 favorite lemon variety. Also, good choice in selecting a semi-dwarf size. The plant will grow much more vigorously, quickly created more branches to support more fruit in a very short period of time. Also being in a pot, and a semi-dwarf, it will be easy to manage the size with occasional pruning of branches reaching in the "wrong" direction. Spend a bit of time 2-3x per year managing the shape and size. I recommend that you keep your tree outdoors, year round. In most parts of Los Angeles, there is very little chance of winter freezing temperatures that can harm your tree.... And the more mature your tree grows, the less likely it would be harmed by slightly freezing nights. It's a great idea to grow a variety of trees, that will reward you with years/ decades of organic quality food!!! The ONLY pest problem I have with my citrus is leaf miner, that will likely show up on your trees starting May/June through November--Only. Here is a couple video links to help you manage this problem:
ruclips.net/video/Y6VdWAPiNhQ/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/1b1VUyNEc1E/видео.html
Let me know if you have any other questions! :-)
Charles
IV Organic Awesome. any tips on how often to keep the eureka watered? and some leaves look eaten or burned away. should I clip those? also, any thoughts on keeping a dwarf or semi-dwarf Meyer lemon tree indoors?
:: efrain
Hello Efrain,
Thank you for the compliment! :-) When watering your citrus, you should allow the soil to dry, but not "bone-dry", between watering. And when you do water, soak the trees, trying to get the water into the entire rootball zone. Generally, this means watering 1-2x per week spring and fall. 2x (maybe3x) summer. 0-2x in the cooler winter months. Container trees require even more water... like 3x per week in the hottest summer months. For your indoor citrus, be sure to use a quality organic potting soil. Many potting soils add chemical fertilizers that do support the soil biology as well as the organics. Position in a south, or south-east (morning sun) window during the winter months. Note, your trees will perform better outdoors (if no freezing winter nights). Young citrus and avocados are very susceptible to sunburn to exposed branches and trunks-- coat all exposed surfaces with IV Organic 3-in-1 Plant Guard. Once it has an established canopy to shade the lower branches and trunk, the risk is minimized. Between dwarf and semi-dwarf Meyer in container, I would go with the semi-dwarf. Almost all trees grow slower in a container, than in-ground; therefore, I would want the additional vigor of the semi-dwarf which you can also control will occasional pruning throughout the year. You'll enjoy the semi-dwarf Meyer much more than the slower growing dwarf variety. Lastly, dead or weak branches should be pruned; however, damaged leaves can stay until they naturally fall off. Let me know if you have any other questions! :-)
Charles
Awesome video and thanks. I'm an arborist and a fan of teaching my clients to prune. I was wondering if by chance you meant to prune to collars and growth points? It's splitting hairs, I know, but maybe you have different terms of phrase over there. Thanks. Joe
Hello Charles, I have a question. I’m growing a lemon tree from the seeds. It was getting tall and I cut off the head of it and about five new branches growing and the are having spikes. Are the males or the entire tree is a male? How am I suppose to know?
Please help.
How do you feel about pruning suckers low down. Leave them for protection from the sun or clean them up? Thanks!
My orange tree has white spots on its bark near the ground and seems to have some scaring on the fruit. It’s almost like dead bugs. I can scrap it off with a fingernail and the fruit is mostly unaffected. I have some pale oranges and that fruit is sometimes hard and dry inside. Do you think I should be worrying? What can I do?
Thank you for sharing.
I can't wait spring to come to start my project.
I am interested in growing a privacy hedge using citrus trees. I would like to prune it so it’s shaped like a formal hedge. Do you have any experience with this or advice?
When do you prune an orange tree if you live in SoCal? TIA
Great information it’s spring in Las Vegas. Would you suggest I trim my trees now or do it in the late fall?
Stay blessed and happy
How do you deal with scale. Or maybe it’s called rust it’s a little bubbly things on the branches and a lot of ants are hanging around. I’ve tried the various soaps for trees with very poor results. I live in northern California east of San Francisco
This man looks like a Dr but he likes gardening ☺️ I have a lime and avocado tree from seed. I need to prune both and although I’ve seen many videos on pruning, it makes me nervous. I don’t want to ruin the trees. Where can I buy those sticks in the middle of the trees? I want to add 1 to each tree cause they’re a lil bit wonky.
oro blanco can it take vegas cold nights? i just bought one and planted in a shady location and leaves dying......is it normal or i need burlap cover
When is it a good time to prune a Meyer tree?! Mine isn't doing good at all my leaves havebturned out yellowish they are not green like your show in this video
very informative! Thanks
When I cut a large I put a dab of white glue on the cut is that ok.?
I just planted 2 plum & 2 cherry trees 1 week ago. They are 6 foot and have strong leaves already. They need to be shaped / trimmed - pruned. I'm getting conflicting reports on waiting till next year to do this vs doing it immediately. I'd prefer to do it now.
It is a very good information, thank you sir
How long after you prune a branch will the new growth produce fruit?
You plant trees and install electrical appliances. Great video, thanks
Charles, is this you in the video. Is this your channel? You are so informative!
Can I use any white paint on my grapefruit tree ?
Thank you so much for all great information, I enjoy your videos, I have an orange tree, it had fruits then I noticed loosing all the leaves and now it looks dead, is there anything I can do to save the tree?
We moved into a house with 1 orange tree with 3rd-degree burns, at least 20' tall. It's producing, but they are sour. Not sure if we should cut it down or try to rescue it. Also, have a lemon tree that is taller than the house. Have been pruning the wood branches as you suggest, but should the height be pruned to be shorter, and how much to cut without shocking it? Live in Tucson, AZ, so I'm nervous about damaging it from the sun. Thank you for these videos!
so thaaaats why we cut at an angle! So water drips off and does not sit
What would cause a lemon tree to produce lemons with no juice in them? It was that way from the start. Didn't bring it back to the nursery because I thought next crop will be better and watered the tree, put fert etc..; got lot of tlc and still the fruits are dry as. Other trees are not that way except a mandarine tree which I just cut off and will probably cut that tree also and start fresh. Any ideas ? Is it the tree or did i do something wrong? Other citrus are thriving.
That reminds me of san diego county. Where I used to live, valley center... where is that place located?
Hello Kate B! I was at a beautiful home in the Hollywood Hills in this lesson, overlooking Lake Hollywood & downtown Los Angeles!!! Charles :-)
I have two year old Meyer lemon tree and it gots about 15 lemons but all the weight of lemons splitting the branch from trunk. Should I be removing lemons? I'm neewbie with lemon tree
Hello Jesse,
YES! Remove some of the most ripe... hopefully you can find a use for a partially ripe (even all green lemons). We use our lemons (even immature lemons) for flavoring water, salad dressings, marinades, etc, etc.... This weeks publication is on exactly this issue... except a naval orange tree where the branch split in half due to the weight of the fruit... to be published in the next day or two. Stay tuned! Charles :-)
IV Organic lemons are green and size of golf ball how can I tell if it's ripe?
If you live in the northern hemisphere, the fruit generally ripen November through March, April or May. However, many varieties offer small quantities of lemons between May and November. They are ripe once the skin turn yellow on all sides. A young tree can get severely damaged (broken branches) from supporting too many fruit, and may take one to several years for the tree shape to restore. As the tree gets more mature, the risk is less likely, however thinning is a good practice with all heavy bearing fruit trees to improve the size & quality of remaining fruit. Let me know if you have any other questions. Charles :-)
What happened if I cut all the branches? Pls reply to me. Thanks
I just planted a meyer lemon tree this year. I live in San Antonio TX. The tree was doing well, had lots of blooms this spring and lots of little lemons started sprouting. Then the small fruits started turning black and some fell off and others just turned black on the tree and they only got to be the size of a small pea. Now all the blooms have gone, there's no fruit that ever matured, and the tree is back to Green Leaves only. I bought the tree from Sams Club. Is doing welll other than that. Am I doing something wrong? Will it bloom later on this year and bear fruit or will it be next year? Any help is much appreciated. My expectations may have been too high when I saw all the blooms and initial fruit before they all went away. Thanks in advance!
moved to a new place with an orange tree that is dozens of years old, needs some help bad! also have a meyer lemon tree that is splitting before ripening. ive heard from some it needs water, others say splitting is too much water. should i prune it down a lot? and cut off the branches even with the fruit? thank you!
great and informative video thank you
Thank you for the compliment Diana Gimon! :-)
Charles
Very helpful tips. Thanks a lot! :)
Thank you so much this has really helped me as I know nothing about citrus fruit. I live in Spain and moved int a house with a lemon tree, an orange tree, and a mandarin tree, well more like bushes as the branches grow very low to the ground. The orange tree/bush is very tall. I wondered if I should remove the lower branches which are in the shade. After watching your video it has helped me a lot.
I would remove all branches below 2 feet or 60 cm. and branches above what you can reach.
Thanks for the great Info, I love lemon tree, its like Gold in my recipe , Thanks again keep up the good work!
Hello , i have a small orange tree ( less than 1meter high) with sagging branches , wondering if i should
Prune or stake them .
Very helpful, thanks!
hey Charles, great video. I live in southern florida where it is next to impossible to find a dwarf eureka at a nursery. I need to keep it relatively short so it can be kept in a cage to prevent the crows from pecking lemons and eventually destroing them. I live near a bird sanctuary. So my question is can I keep a standard eureka tree to 5 feet without it looking weird?
Anyone please help on a overgrown lemon tree. Absolutely huge 20 feet wide 20 feet tall lemon tree. Should I lop off limbs and let it heal or what? Please help.
I just planted a satsuma tree in March I live Louisiana I want it to get a good root I don't want any fruit should I cut the flowers or wate till it makes fruit?
Hello Josh T,
In the first year, I recommend that you remove any fruit the tree attempts to set. Even though some research will say a few on tree is okay-- which sometimes you just want to taste just one to make sure you planted what you wanted (no nursery labeling mistakes, which happens from time to time). The energy the plant will save from going into the fruit will be redirecting into more growth which ultimately will support even more fruit in year 2. I will be removing the fruit set on my 2 or 3 year old Oro Blanco Grapefruit this year to accomplish the same goal... More growth. The tree has been very productive for the past 2 years, but not accomplishing much in the sense of tree vigor... which I am hoping to correct this year. I'll have a publication on this topic in the upcoming 1-2 weeks... Stay tuned! Charles :-)
I grew a lemon tree from seed in a pot. I had one long upright stem with one branch growing to one side. I just trimmed the upright stem in hopes it would promote branching. was this the right thing to do?
Hello Christie Broadhurst,
Absolutely! :-) You are the artist and designer of that tree, so do not be intimidated by pruning the tree periodically to perform the way you want it too (shape, size, etc...) Although citrus can go without any pruning at all, lightly pruning by 10-20 annually will ensure that the tree maintains more "stable" with a root structure that is stronger and more established relative to the upper tree. I have found that a light pruning of citrus results in less "dead wood", more flowers and more fruit too! :-)
If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact me!
Charles :-)
IV Organic thanks so much! I feel better now!
Great! Keep me posted Christie! :-)
Charles
I have an orange tree that is growing tall. Should the top be cut?
Question: Would it not make sense to take cuttings from the tree and replant into new plants rather than just composting?
Try air layer before pruning if you want to have new trees from cuttings otherwise it is likely it will fail if you try to plant it before rooting.
I found using Root tone (Auxin) and sticking cutting in water works well. After hearty roots form the cutting is ready for soil.
Thank you for the advice, I have recently ventured into citrus growing despite living in a totally unsuitable part of the globe (Upper Rhondda, South Wales, UK). I have grown fruit and vegetables for years, but exotics are a new venture for me. I have pruned some of the worst crossing growth on the Yuzu and it has been very forgiving, although my hands suffered with all of those spikes! At this point I can see that all of the trees (peach as well) that I have bought were essentially pruned to fit into the box for shipment to me, not pruned according to the plants' needs - so I need to be careful this year. I couldn't prune my Bears lime as it is flowering and fruiting just about everywhere. May 50/50 prune it in the future (like an evergreen) if that is how it 'behaves', that way I will get both the structure and the yield - assuming that is if it is still alive by next year. As your trees are grown outdoors, I would be interested to know how cold it can get there. My t.v. knowledge of California says it has hot beach/ desert areas as well as great skiing, so it is hard to know what your trees are exposed to in terms of winter and night time temperatures. My citrus will overwinter in a cold greenhouse, but I add a number of candles in frost conditions, I also plan to insulate the glass with large gauge bubblewrap - for insulation and shade purposes. Give my tree's current fruiting, I am nervous about potting on, which it ideally needs. Should I avoid potting on until the spring, or could I pot on regardless of the fruit? My tree is in its original pot as sent from the grower. Apologies for the lengthy response, but not a lot of knowledge in my location, thus short on advice.
BTW: I have seen fishing weights used to bend branches into form, mostly on plum when it is trained onto a festoon. (An iron stake attached to a large iron hoop to which the branches are tied.) Should help transport the sugars to the fruit as well as they are south of the branch line. Thanks, Vox.
We have a 20ft lime tree in southern California. I want to make it smaller for practical reasons. Any suggestions? I am afraid I might damage it. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Hello Leser Sharp,
Here are two videos released this year that discussing pruning. The first is a Bearss lime tree where the "leggy" shoots were pruned to maintain the bushy design: ruclips.net/video/KrObhsIwV4g/видео.html However, if you are doing major pruning, I would wait until all risk of frost has passed-- Such as late January or February to prune the tree. Be cautious of exposed branches and trunk to too much sunlight. Checkout this orange tree that suffered 3rd degree burns within 6 months of being pruned: ruclips.net/video/RJ-a473LWh4/видео.html If your canopy is going to allow too much light into it, I would recommend coating the lower trunk and branches with IV Organic 3-in-1 Tree Guard Paint, which can also be diluted 2-3 teaspoons per gallon and sprayed onto the leaves and thinner stems to help minimize the shock of pruning.... also coat all large pruned stems to prevent disease and wood boring insects (beetles & termites) from entering. Last tip, most citrus do not need to be pruned, other than to strengthen the tree, remove dead wood, or (as in your case) controlling the shape and size. When making you cuts, be sure to keep a lot of lower branches and leaves to help support the sugar needs of the plant. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Charles :)
Thanks for the info!
My pleasure! :)
Can this work with lisbon lemons
Hi! Rookie here- I have a lemon tree that looked like there were two trunks (or just one large branch growing from the core at the very bottom of the tree trunk. I learn with peach trees you'd cut this ( so i did so) and was wondering did I just kill/damage the tree?
wonderful help - thank you.
Very informative. Thank you!
Hello Sherie,
I am glad you enjoyed watching this gardening lesson! Happy gardening! :)
Charles
Thank you so much! I'm watching your other video about citrus trees now. I'm brand new to growing citrus but not new to gardening and house plants. I have a MASSIVE bird of paradise plant (strelitzia) happily growing and blooming a few times each year INDOORS in Southern NJ- zone 7 :(. In fact, this plant is now approaching it's 62nd birthday!!! It's quite a looker when it's blooming but a bit of an eye-sore when it's not. I love it all the time even if it's less than beautiful 6 to 8 months each year. It's become so large over the last few years that it has once again burst the side of it's pot out which will absolutely require me to divide it and re-pot it this year. I've been holding my husband off for at least 4 years about dividing it because it blooms best when it is a little pot-bound but NOT much or not at all when it has been put through the absolute horror of the division process. It usually takes a few years for my special baby to recover. I'm hoping that because we've been doing it for decades and we've got it pretty much down to a science, that we can somehow avoid shocking the crap out of it this time. I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that plant! I've had it for 29 years. It has become part of my family almost. Here's the story about how I came to own this lovely plant: my Dad had a friend who was stationed someplace in the South Pacific and had brought the seeds home to his wife (an avid gardener) when he came home on leave (US Navy) in 1954. She grew the seeds and it became this enormous plant that she loved and divided every 6 or 8 years. Everyone in her family had gotten one. At the time I came into the picture, she had recently divided it again and nobody wanted one. She was ok with that because she loved them and was fine with keeping them all. She used to have each of them sitting on a platform her husband attached to one of those red wagons that children play with. She'd pull them around, out into her driveway each summer. There were 3 of them. My Dad kept after her for weeks and weeks until she finally agreed to sell me one. I had to pay her 85 bucks for the one I finally ended up getting. Of course it was the smallest one she had but it was still very large compared to what you would buy at a garden center if you could even find one that was mature back then. But 85 bucks was a LOT of money for me back then. I was only 19. I So it took me almost 10 years to figure out how to get it to bloom. There were times through that initial period when it looked pretty bad and I almost killed it a few times from lack of gardening skills. Now I know that it really boiled down to the fact that I just didn't have enough sunlight in my first home to support blooming in this type of plant. I never wanted to put it outside because I was scared to death it would get bugs and die!!! I finally gave in and put it out there and holy cow did it finally bloom. It was slow at first but then more each year. Now it blooms on and off throughout the year. I have a few other plants that have been with me for 15 to 20 years or so- just one that is demands high light though. It's a croton shrub and it blooms as well. Nobody here has ever seen one bloom indoors and they're all shocked when they see it blooming. So anyway, I am going to attempt citrus. I'm hoping to avoid many of the mistakes I made with the others. Thanks to youtube and google, I'm way ahead of the game compared to years ago. Thanks again and wish me luck! I may even try figs next. Your fig tree videos are on my list to watch. I have friends who grow them outdoors all over this area but there is a trick to getting them to survive the winter. A lot of friends lost their figs the winter before last to extreme cold and blustery winds.
Hello Sherie,
Thanks for sharing your success story with growing giant bird of paradise, indoors, and in growing zone 7! Two major challenges that you have overcome! Great point regarding your plant being most productive once the roots become bound. I too have noticed the same phenomenon with other plants and fruit trees. I will be sure to share this fact in future videos! Regarding winterizing figs, I just released this video that has become a hit about a week ago: ruclips.net/video/xIjGr1WJG-w/видео.html
Thank you for your support and please keep in touch! :)
Charles
I'm planning on checking out all of your videos. I really like them. My bird of paradise isn't the giant variety, it's just the regular orange and red multicolored variety that wants to be a giant! hahaha actually I did try one of those and it didn't do well for me. Of course that was back when I didn't have it figured out yet for these guys.
Got it! :) When you said massive, I was thinking "giant;" however, I know that the smaller bird of paradise can also get quite large! I am glad that you are enjoying watching our IV Organic RUclips channel! We try to publish something new and educational every week! So be sure to subscribe! Keep in touch! :)
Charles
You did not discuss what I call sucker growth. My Meyers lemons my lime tree in my eureka tree all tend to have sucker thorny growth.
I think this might be from the host plant. I’m assuming you’d want to cut these as close to the base as possible.
Hello, Should cotyledon leaves, or lower branches be removed when repotting/planting out young seedlings?
My lemon fruit does not turn into yellow. Its only green. I tried to wait for a long time the fruit just became larger but still green.
Thank-You for a great educational video #1
Hi,
I have an indoor orange tree. there are some small fruits but suddenly it started losing quite a bit of leaves.. Please advise
Mahreen Mamoon that could be root rot of some sort of disease. But I'm no citrus tree expert
Hello, we have this Eureka lemon tree that was 7.5 gallon and planted it roughly 8 months ago. The main stalk has grown to almost 7' tall with all the others around 2' long. How would you prune this tree for a successful grow? Thanks for your advise.
Can the main trunk from a Eureka tree be trimmed or cut to make the tree shorter? Also, can the regular Eureka (non-dwarf) be potted? Thank you, love your awesome videos!