How To

How to Prune Lime Trees in a Container

Contributor

By Elton Dunn, eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating: (1 Ratings)

Facebook
Twitter
StumbleUpon
Email
Print
Share

All types of fruit trees benefit from annual pruning, and container lime trees are no exception. For the best results, prune your container lime trees in the spring, once the danger of frost has passed. If you have indoor dwarf citrus trees, you should prune them in late winter or early spring. Pruning stimulates tree growth and, if done annually, helps trees produce more fruit for a greater period of years.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Clipping shears or bonzai clippers

Step 1

Inspect your tree for damaged or dead branches, which can be easily identified by their flaky bark, hollow texture, or mangled appearance. Clip these branches back to healthy, green wood.
Step 2

Clip back any suckers that point vertically toward the ground or the sky. These branches will not develop properly and can interfere with healthy fruit development.
Step 3

Remove any branches that are overlapping or crossing each other. This helps open up the interior of the tree to light so that the fruit can develop.
Step 4

Thin out buds on immature branches that are heavily flowering, leaving one to two developing fruits. These branches may snap under the weight of the limes as they grow, causing considerable damage to your container lime tree.
Step 5

Clear all scraps and leaves from the container and dispose of in a compost or garbage bin.

Tips & Warnings

Create light and air by thinning interior branches; sunlight is necessary for proper fruit development and color maturation. Use bonsai shears on tiny dwarf branches and standard clippers on larger container trees. The term "dwarf" may be a misleading label for container citrus trees, which can grow up to ten feet tall if left untended.
Do not prune trees in late fall or winter as new growth may begin immediately after pruning. Clear all wood scraps away from the tree to prevent pests that might be attracted to the cut wood.