There is conflicting info on the topic of pruning citrus. Some advise never, ever do it. Others suggest its ok (including popular suppliers like Four Winds). What are some guidelines?

Here is my tangelo with a runaway branch:



This is new growth this season, and I am thinking I ought to trim it back. It doesnt make sense to me to try and train this.

Thoughts?

It's really up to you to decide, trimming and pruning the tree will not hurt it and it really only for visual appeal. if you leave the tree without any trimming it, over years, will form a bush shape, where branches touch the ground. Most casual or home citrus growers(myself included) prune to an upright growth shape or topiary. I'll post a picture of what I mean if you like.

I want to see too

It must be a Seattle thing, all my trees have a very long side branch. The tree is probably thinking "maybe there is more sun over here if I stretch".

I apologies about the picture quality, these where taken right after a heavy rain storm.

This image is the natural, no pruning growth habit.


This one is pruned to maintain an upright habit, lower branches are removed and some branches are trained.


And then the topiary shape. heavy pruning to create central leader then tree is allowed to bush out. Any growth below is removed.

Thanks , but how do you make the leader when all branches are pointing sideways , and many of them are not even straight.?

I was told that I always could prune the side leaves but never the top ...so which one are the top leaves in a more bush-type tree

Should I go from branch to branch cutting and straighten up until I get my desired shape?

Love the look of natural!!! Have the space for the upright.. hate the look of topiary.. If I want topiary I think I'd rather do it with a pine of some sort and give it more than just a ball shape... Eslpager would be cool if I lived in zone closer to citrus belt and needed to fudge my zone a bit.. hehehehe trees hugging the wall looking like they are waiting for a pat down from the cops... LOL
Gina *BabyBlue*

I really really like how calamondins are shaped, pictured here:
http://www.floraleader.com/calamondin.html
They're so bushy, dense... Only with an outside grown tree had I gotten similar results...
I don't know if it's the rootstock, Portuguese sun, or do they use some sort of retardants to make the branches between leaves shorter... But I would like to know and be able to grow such trees.

I hate trellis ,I always take them out and I start straighten them up , like a natural tree will behave