- 1). Walk around the tree and look at it from all angles to determine where dead branches are and what might need to be cleared away.
- 2). Find the graft joint. The graft joint is a small bump in the trunk of the tree that designates where the actual tree part begins. Above this joint is where the branches will begin to spread out.
- 3). Use the hand shears to cut away any small branches (called suckers) that are below the graft joint. These branches will not produce fruit and will draw resources away from the main part of the tree. If they are too thick for hand shears, use the longer handled shears to prune them.
- 4). Prune the main part of the tree. Start by cutting of all dead growth from within the branches.
- 5). Open up the center of the tree. An orange tree needs to have the center open in order to get light and air to the lower branches. Cut any branches that cross the center of the tree and that cover the top of the tree. Remove all long and thin branches by cutting them to the root, leaving only thick, fruit-bearing branches
- 6). Remove any branches that are higher than eight feet.
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