Potted Meyer Lemon tree thick crossing branches

[NoBullets]

This potted tree is a few years old now and is doing great, but I’m terrible at determining branches to prune. Now that it’s winter and the foliage is very thin (it’s just now starting to sprout winter leaves after bringing it inside for the winter in September), I’m noticing on one side a bunch of branches are sort of weaving together and looking a little cramped. I know I’ll probably have to thin this mess out a bit, but all the branches involved are so thick and healthy that I’m having difficulty deciding what would be best for the plant. I’ve looked at countless tutorials online but I can’t really figure out what to do with this specific situation based on those, so any advice here would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Marck]

Greetings, welcome to the Forums.

Now that it’s winter and the foliage is very thin (it’s just now starting to sprout winter leaves after bringing it inside for the winter in September)

Tell us more about why your Lemon (Citrus x limon) has lost all its leaves. Also post more pictures od the tree and its pot from different angles. Instead of pruning, you might consider staking some branches in more upright and spread positions. Use multiple stakes and ties...

 

[Chuck]

I am not sure it is still a Meyer Lemon. I have had citrus of all kinds and none had thorns like shown. Could it have frozen at some time and what you see growing now is coming from the rootstock?

 

[cpp gardener]

Start with the big branch that arches from left to right and cut it to the branch that grows up where the twine is. There is a branch growing from right to let that could be trimmed too, unless there would be a hole where it crosses in the front.

If you can get a picture from directly above that shows all of the branches out to the tips it would help clarify where the issues are.

I'm guessing that those branches with the thorns were extra-vigorous this last summer. When they are, they tend to produce thorns.

 

[Marck]

Though Meyers Lemon (Citrus x meyeri 'Meyer's Improved') is often stated as being nearly thornless. Many people have trees or shrubs that do produce thorns. Some of this may be facultative due to various cultural conditions, but it is also likely that there are now multiple strains of Meyer's Lemon, this may be due to separate hybridizations, seedling offspring, or the inevitable origin of somatic mutations that will change the character of any widely distributed cultivar.

 

[cntrlwagdnr]

I am not sure it is still a Meyer Lemon. I have had citrus of all kinds and none had thorns like shown. Could it have frozen at some time and what you see growing now is coming from the rootstock?

Loved the way you said that. Brought a little joy to my warped sense of humor - "still a Meyer Lemon" - as if it changed overnight!

 

[Chuck]

During a vigorous spurt of growth citrus will exhibit a growth of thorns.....and foliage. However, in my experience these thorns are small, not thorns an inch long on such small limbs still in the green bark stage

 

[cpp gardener]

More pics?