Fruit Trees After Freeze

Question

I live in San Antonio, Texas, and we just had a winter storm in February. My fruit trees below were wrapped at the trunk and seemed to survive. I cut the dead growth on the limbs until I saw green. As you can see I have green growth coming from the bottom and nothing from the top limbs. Should I prune the top branches back and how much, or shall I leave them alone? I also have peeling of the bark occurring on the upper branches. The produced a good crop in the past and I’d like to keep them. Any ideas? See attached photos: Meyer Lemon—-Valencia Orange——Lime

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Answer 1

Pruning down until you see green is the best that you can hope for, unfortunately. You will want to prune off anything that originates from under the graft point, as well. They will not be the same citrus as the top. Usually, a wild citrus rootstock will be used. Any growth coming from below the graft point will not bear edible fruit, likely.

This article will offer some tips to prevent as much damage from any other freezes in your area:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/tips-for-saving-cold-damaged-plants.htm