Trimming a Citrus Tree

• 1). Locate the graft line, usually 1 to 2 feet above the ground. Remove all new growth below this line, making a vertical cut so that moisture can drain away from the trunk, allowing it to heal quickly.
  
  
• 2). Thin out the tree's canopy, but do not remove more that 25 percent of the tree's crown. Remove any branches that cross in the center and any thin, brittle twigs.
  
  
• 3). Make a small, wedge-shaped cut on the underside of branches you wish to remove, just above the joint with the trunk. Cut cleanly through the branch, about 2 inches away from the wedge, leaving a stub.
  
  
• 4). Cut the stub off as close to the trunk as possible.