Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How to Prune Lisbon Lemon Trees
How to Prune Lisbon Lemon Trees. Lisbon lemon is one of the two major varieties of lemon trees. It's native to Australia, though it will grow in any tropical or semi-tropical climate that rarely sees a frost. Lisbon lemon trees have thorny branches that bear fruit inside the canopy, rather than at the branch tips, and the fruit will typically ripen...
Lisbon lemon is one of the two major varieties of lemon trees. It's native to Australia, though it will grow in any tropical or semi-tropical climate that rarely sees a frost. Lisbon lemon trees have thorny branches that bear fruit inside the canopy, rather than at the branch tips, and the fruit will typically ripen in late summer to mid-fall. Pruning a Lisbon lemon tree is an easy and pleasant task, since this variety, like most citrus trees, actually needs very little trimming to produce a lovely, natural shape.
Things You'll Need
Long-handled pruning shears
Garden gloves
Long-sleeved shirt
Study the shape of your Lisbon lemon tree and its location. Prune out dead or wilting branches caused by shade from fences or other, taller trees. Consider cutting back or removing sources of shade from other trees if this becomes a problem. Lisbon lemon trees require warm temperatures and at least six hours of full sun per day in order to thrive.
Decide what height you'd like your Lisbon lemon tree to be. The ideal height for a mature Lisbon lemon tree is about nine to 11 feet. Cut back long shoots of new growth from the top before the tree flowers, to create a smaller, bushier tree that will sprout from lower on the trunk. Prune stray shoots from the lower part of the trunk to make the tree grow taller, faster.
Prune sparingly if the tree is young, since pruning tends to stimulate more fruit production in the remaining branches. Branches heavily laden with fruit in a young tree will tend to break, and the average Lisbon lemon left alone can produce more fruit in one year than a household can use.
Promote more fruit production in mature Lisbon lemon trees by pruning them back by half to increase flowering the following year. Each flower has the potential to create a fruit, so the more flowers the tree produces, the more fruit will eventually grow.
Check for dead wood at the center of the tree periodically and cut it out, being careful of the thorns as you go, to promote an overall healthy and vigorous appearance.
