Pruning guide
How to prune navel orange
More navel orange care
- How to prune sweet orange — the species this cultivar belongs to
- Full navel orange care guide
- Common navel orange problems & fixes
- How to propagate navel orange
- When to repot navel orange
Pruning navel orange — FAQ
When should I prune navel orange?
Late winter to early spring, after the coldest weather but before new growth flushes. Use clean, sharp loppers or pruning shears. Remove no more than one-third of the canopy in a single season. Thin the interior to improve light penetration and airflow, cutting back to a lateral branch or main scaffold.
How often does navel orange need pruning?
Annually, with light maintenance cuts throughout the year to remove suckers and dead wood. Navel oranges benefit from annual pruning to maintain an open canopy, remove crossing branches, and control size. Prune lightly — citrus fruit on old wood and over-pruning reduces yield. Remove dead, diseased, or inward-growing branches and any water sprouts or suckers below the graft union promptly.
How do you prune navel orange?
Use clean, sharp loppers or pruning shears. Remove no more than one-third of the canopy in a single season. Thin the interior to improve light penetration and airflow, cutting back to a lateral branch or main scaffold.