How to Pinch Off Small Fruits on 1-Year-Old Citrus Tree

Pinching off small fruits when a tree is young will result in larger and more bountiful fruit in succeeding harvests. The canopy will grow stronger without the weight of the fruit. Thinning the fruit load also will regulate future crops. Rather than have a large crop one year followed by a small crop, the yield will even out and you'll see healthy growth every year.

Gardening gloves
Pruning shears
Fertilizer

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the tips of most stems to encourage the branches to develop new wood. Do this in the spring, before the growing season begins. This will encourage bushier, fuller growth.
- 2
  Pinch the small stem connecting the fruit to the branches. Twist it off and discard it. Do not pinch off more than 15 percent of the fruit or subsequent harvests will be affected.
- 3
  Remove sprouts that grow on the lower part of the center trunk. They are taking nutrients from the rest of the tree. Pinch the sprouts between your fingers, and snap them off. If they've become hard and woody, clip them off with pruning shears. Don't rip them off if they are firmly attached. If bits of bark are torn off the tree, it becomes more susceptible to damage.
- 4
  Fertilize citrus trees in the early spring of their second year of growth to help them recover from the light pruning. Apply 1 to 1-1/2 lbs. balanced food (a ratio of 13-13-13 is sufficient) per year of the tree's age. Spread it in about a 3-foot diameter around the trunk, keeping it from touching the tree itself.

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