Orange trees (Citrus sinensis) develop in 25 to 30 feet tall with a naturally curved symmetrical form. They bloom in spring and produce fruit the next autumn and winter. Even though they need no training while young to attain their kind, pruning for basic care will keep them vigorous, healthy and productive.
Timing
At the first couple of years, orange trees need no shaping in any way. In actuality, severe pruning of young trees that have not yet fruited will unnecessarily delay fruit production. For older trees, the very best time for important pruning is after the danger of frost passes and right before new growth appears in early spring. Orange trees are vigorous growers in the right conditions and need annual pruning.
Method and Tools
To minimize harm to the tree, you want to follow certain measures for pruning. Before you even start the cutting procedure, sterilize your saw or pruning shears by massaging the blades with rubbing alcohol. This will destroy any potential fungus or bacteria that can infect the skin. Sharp tools will create the best cuts. On smaller orange branches, less than 1 1/2 inches in diameter, then you can use pruning shears. Find where the branch meets another branch or the trunk. The swelling of bark where they join is called the branch collar. Make a clean downward cut right outside the branch collar and then angle it away from the tree. For branches larger than 1 1/2 inches in diameter, use a pruning saw and the three-cut process. Cut one-quarter to half of the way though the underside of the branch about 15 inches away from the trunk. Make a second cut about 18 inches away from the trunk, cutting in the top of the division all of the way through. This should relieve pressure and prevent bark splitting. From there, saw off the branch right beyond the branch collar, then making a downward cut angled away from the tree.
Maintenance
Orange trees will produce water bananas, also if they’re young. These will seem as weak branches growing straight up or out from the trunk or from stronger branches of this tree. The water sprouts produce little if any fruit, and abandon the orange tree open to disease and insects. Prune out these bananas the moment you see them. When little, they can only be brushed off the orange tree with little harm to the orange in any way. When larger, prune them as you would a little branch, leaving as little a stub as possible. Annually, cut out all dead, weak and diseased branches. This will keep the tree healthy and air going through the canopy.
Thinning
Although orange trees need no shaping, occasionally they develop a dense canopy that blocks the sunlight from inner branches. Resist the desire to shear the orange tree in case you believe it is too large because this will encourage unnatural outer increase; choose instead for selective pruning. Cut out little, crowded branches and branches that cross one another, removing around a third of the canopy. If you want to drastically reshape the orange, be patient and prune selectively over two or three years.