When is the best time to prune citrus in zone 9b, and would minimal pruning in fall/winter be a problem? This would include removing deadwood and a bit of shaping. Also what is the best way to deal with leafminers? I have tried trimming the affected new growth off. They have been affecting my Eureka Lemon and my Owari Satsuma Mandarin most of the growing season. Only the first flush of growth was unaffected.
Citrus dead wood removal is fine and in fact needed. Because citrus bloom only on new growth, any trimming GREATLY reduces the production of fruit. Citrus leaf miners (CLM) are a big problem, and very difficult to effectively control. The first flush in the spring, is not affected by CLM, but subsequent growth will be damaged by the leaf miner. Horticultural Oils and Spinosad, are chemicals that will give some control. - Millet
Thanks for the responce Millet. I forgot to mention that everthing is in the ground. I don't want to prune now and have any cold weather we get damage the new flush of growth that would likely follow pruning. Would Spring be a better time to prune, rather than now or January?
Unlike most fruit trees, citrus "set" (actually differentiate) fruit buds during the winter months. Citrus trees never actually produce fruit buds, they only produce foliage buds. However, during the winter the cold/cooler weather differentiates the foliage bud into a fruit bud. Therefore, the "foliage" buds will now produce flowers and fruit on the new spring flush. If you prune now, or in January, you will be cutting off the differentiated flush. Any later season flushes, caused by your pruning, will not have gone through the cold/cool period and will not have any differentiated buds, therefore will only produce foliage and no fruit. The amount of fruit reduction will be directly related to the severity of your pruning. - Millet
