Mechanical Pruning of Citrus Groves

Mechanical pruning is a practice used in commercial citrus groves that can be an efficient and cost-effective way to manage tree canopy, improve fruit quality, and enhance tree performance. This method of pruning uses specialized machinery equipped with rotating blades or saws to trim the trees quickly and uniformly. In the short video clip below, you can see the final pass of pruning on a satsuma grove in Gadsden County.

Mechanical hedging of a citrus grove.

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Benefits of Mechanical Pruning

Efficiency & Labor Savings – Reduces the need for hand labor, allowing large areas to be pruned in a reduced amount of time. Pruning also saves money at harvest, as tall trees are more difficult and expensive to harvest.
Improved Light Penetration – Enhances air circulation and sunlight exposure, which can reduce disease pressure and improve fruit color.
Better Spray Coverage – A more open canopy allows for better penetration of pesticides and foliar nutrients.
Enhanced Fruit Size & Yield – Proper pruning encourages new growth and can improve fruit size consistency over time.
Easier Harvesting – Keeps trees within a manageable height and shape for harvesting.

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Satsuma mandarin tree before hedging, topping, or skirting. March 4th, 2025. Credit: Danielle Williams, UF/IFAS

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Best Practices for Mechanical Pruning

Timing: Severe hedging or topping of trees during the winter can reduce cold hardiness because trees with exposed internal scaffold wood and new tender growth are susceptible to cold injury, should a late freeze event occur. It’s best for our region to prune late winter/early spring or before bloom.
Pruning Patterns:
- Hedging – Hedging involves cutting back the sides of the trees to control width and encourage upright growth. Hedging is usually done at an angle with the equipment titled inward towards the treetops so that the hedged row middles are wider at the top than the bottom. This allows for more light to reach the lower skirt of the tree. The angles commonly used vary from 10-15 degrees form vertical.
- Topping – Topping is the process of reducing tree height to maintain accessibility and light distribution. Topping trees can improve fruit quality. Common topping heights are 10-12 ft at the shoulder and 13-14 ft at the peak. Generally, topping heights should be two times the row middle width.

Mechanical topping of satsumas. Credit: Danielle Williams, UF/IFAS

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- - Skirting – Skirting is the pruning that raises tree skirts. This involves removing the lower tree branches to prevent fruit from touching the ground. Fruit and limbs near the ground can be damaged by herbicide spray and fertilizer contact.

- Equipment Considerations: Hedging and topping machines vary in size and design, ranging from tractor-mounted booms to larger machines that are self-propelled or tractor-drawn. The booms on many machines can be adjusted to the desired width and angle. It’s important to use well-maintained pruners with sharp blades to ensure clean cuts and to minimize damage to trees. With specialized equipment, good safety mechanisms and operator training are extremely important.

Pruning machine. Credit: Danielle Williams, UF/IFAS

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Challenges and Considerations:

Yield Reduction: Heavily pruned trees may experience excessive vegetative growth and reduction in yield the following season. Developing a regular pruning program can help growers alleviate this.
Sunburn: Excessive pruning can expose inner branches and fruit to sunburn.
Disease Management: Open wounds can be entry points for pathogens. It’s important to prune during dry weather and disinfect equipment regularly to reduce disease risk.
Regrowth Management: Trees may respond with vigorous vegetative growth, requiring additional management through selective hand pruning.

For commercial citrus producers, mechanical pruning can be a valuable tool that enhances efficiency and grove management.

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