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nafex - [NAFEX] trimming my Myers Lemon

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  • From: Ginda Fisher <list@ginda.us>
  • To: NAFEX Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] trimming my Myers Lemon
  • Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2008 21:55:02 -0500

As you may recall, my reliable, hardy Myers lemon suffered some cold damage this fall before I brought it indoors for the winter. (The weather wasn't colder that what it's faced before, but it was actively growing late into the fall, so it was more susceptible to cold damage.) I am pleased to report that it is recovering nicely. The cracks in the bark show a lot of callus filling in, with no sign of disease, and the branches that didn't die back have sprouted lots of new leaves and grown new twigs. It even set two lemons.

It's now very clear which parts are alive and which are dead. So it seems high time to trim off the dead parts. (Probably past time to do so, but I haven't gotten around to it.) In most cases, a branch has died back to a crotch. Usually, I cut back damaged plants to below the damage, so live cambium can grow callus over the cut. But that would be hard in many cases, as the dead part gets so close to the base of the new (or surviving) branch. Is it worth the risk and trouble to take a sharp blade and trim off all of the dead wood, or would simply cutting it off 1/4 inch or so out be good enough?

Thanks,
Ginda
eastern MA, zone 6.




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