Everyone knows oranges and lemons. But certainly not everyone has a real lime tree on the balcony or in the garden (of course in a bucket). The quite compact growing citrus plants are still a rarity, but are enjoying growing popularity. Limes grow much more slowly than lemons, but are densely branched. For this reason, a regular topiary is necessary so that the inner branches of the tree get enough light.
Prune lime trees in spring
The best time for a thorough topiary is early spring, just before the tree is put outside again. However, there shouldn't be any blossoms visible yet. All shoots that have shot light green over the winter are completely removed, as well as withered and stunted branches. You can then give the crown an attractive shape by shortening all the shoots. It also removes any branches that don't fit the shape you want.
Important: clear the crown
With the densely growing lime, light and air quickly become scarce in the crown. In particular, the lower and inner shoots on the trunk are in danger of dying off because not enough light can get inside the crown. Therefore, you should mercilessly remove all branches that are growing inside the crown or that are too dense or too lively. Incidentally, thinning out the crown also makes it more difficult for pests to establish themselves in your lime tree unnoticed.
Pay attention to hygiene
When pruning fruit trees, hygiene is the top priority, because uncleaned cutting tools or cuts that are too large offer fungi, bacteria and viruses a welcome target, with dirty scissors and knives bringing the pathogens straight into the wound. In addition, you should not leave any stumps, but always cut to astring. Always remove the branch or twig directly where it originates - i.e. directly on the trunk or on a strong side branch. Larger wounds can be sealed with tree sap to both prevent bleeding and provide a breeding ground for parasites and pathogens.
tips and tricks
Young lime trees in particular can be trained into the desired shape with the help of what is known as pruning. For this purpose, pinch off the new shoots as soon as they have reached the desired length. This has the advantage that the tree does not have to put unnecessary effort into the growth of an unwanted shoot.
IJA