How to Prune Orange Trees in Florida
- 1). Check whether your Florida orange tree need pruning. As the orange tree needs very little pruning, acceptable reasons to prune include simulating growth, maintaining size and removing damaged branches.
- 2). Gather your supplies. You need a sharp pair of pruning sheers, alcohol, a cloth and a bucket. Clean your sheers with a water-diluted alcohol solution to prevent the spread of disease before, between branches and after pruning.
- 3). Remove any dead, damaged or diseased branches, at the juncture where the branch meets the trunk at an angle, with the pointy end of the sheers closest to the tree. Snip smaller twigs, where it meets a main branch. Avoid over-trimming.
- 4). Cut any branches for aesthetic purposes or branches getting in the way of yard maintenance. Trim for size. Remove shoots and suckers.
- 5). Remove any large branches in three cuts. Make a cut 15 inches from where it meets the trunk on the underside. Do not cut through the branch. Repeat on the top side 18 inches from the trunk. The weight of the tree should break the branch. Make a final third cut at an angle, leaving the collar intact. The collar is where the top and bottom of the branch meets the tree.
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