How to Prune a Potted Lemon Tree

Dwarf lemon trees (Citrus limon) make the best choice for growing in containers because their height is limited to about 12 feet. While potted lemons don't require pruning to control height, regular pruning still is necessary to encourage outward growth for better fruit production. Additionally, diseased and damaged branches must be removed immediately to prevent disease from spreading throughout the lemon tree. Common dwarf lemon varieties include "Meyer" lemon (Citrus x meyeri) and "Eureka" lemons (Citrus limon "Eureka"), which grow to 12 feet and 10 feet tall, respectively.

  1. Disinfect your pruning tools with a solution of 10-percent bleach, which contains one part bleach and nine parts water. Bypass pruners work well for clipping small branches less than 1/2 inch in diameter. Prune 1/2- to 1-1/2 inch diameter branches with lopping shears. Use a pruning saw for larger branches.

  2. Clip off any root suckers that grow up from the ground below the graft union. Cut them with bypass pruners, making the cut as far down below soil level as possible. These suckers can be removed at any time throughout the growing season.

  3. Cut diseased, broken and dead branches off the tree as they develop throughout the year. Make the cut 1/4 inch above a branch union or bud, cutting back to at least 6 inches inside healthy wood. If an entire branch must be removed, cut it just outside the branch collar which is the wrinkly collar around the joint that protects the tree from disease. Disinfect your pruning tools immediately after cutting these types of branches to avoid spreading disease elsewhere.

  4. Clip off any water shoots back to the parent branch. A water shoot is a vigorous grower that commonly shoots straight up from stronger branches. They rarely grow into productive branches and simply crowd other healthy branches. These occur throughout the year and can be pruned at any time.

  5. Eliminate any rubbing or crossing branches to encourage an outward growing habit with an open center, so sunlight reaches all the branches. Cut these branches back to 1/4 inch above an outward-facing bud or just above the branch collar. Wait until late winter to prune these branches, after the tree is done fruiting, but before new growth begins.

  6. Clip any long, straight branches 1/4 inch above an outward-facing bud to encourage branching. The tree will produce more fruit and have a better shape if it has many short branches as opposed to a few long, straight branches.

  7. Cut back any overgrowing branches to 1/4 inch above a healthy bud to maintain a uniform shape. This type of pruning should be done in late winter after harvest but before new growth begins.

  8. Things You Will Need

    • Bleach

    • Bypass pruners

    • Lopping shears

    • Pruning saw


    Lemon trees grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11. Potted lemons, however, can be grown in lower hardiness zones because you can bring them indoors to protect them from cold temperatures.