I need to mow my sister's grass soon, and she wants to trim her lime tree, how do I do that (URGENT)?

Question

I don't really have a lot of tools, but could I use those big scissors? Oh and could you tell how to do it? Like what should I avoid?

Answer 1

Lime as in citrus fruit, or lime as in Tilia?

If you don't know how to prune, please leave it to someone who does know how, or at least get a good manual from the library and follow it.

For branches over about an inch in diameter, you'll probably want a pruning saw in addition to pruning shears. I prefer bypass
pruning shears. All saw cuts need to have a relief cut made closer to the trunk, or you risk stripping the bark right off the tree.

Gilman's Illustrated Guide to Pruning is a good one.

Heavy pruning of a big tree is NOT a good job for a do it yourselfer... you can do yourself a bad injury quite easily. Branches are heavy and they fall hard. One trip to the emergency room is a lot more expensive than hiring a pro.
And then make sure the pro knows what s/he is doing... bad
pruning can create dangerous trees.
http://www.plantamnesty.org/plant_prune.htm
http://www.plantamnesty.org/stoptopping/5reasonstostoptopping.htm

Answer 2

Think about what you are trying to do. I assume the lime tree has gotten large enough that some of the branches are sticking out too far and getting in the way of something (walkway, porch, etc.). So you want to trim the limbs back far enough, so that after you cut them, and new branches grow out, that the new branches are not crowding you out. We are headed for fall, so the tree has time to put out one flush of new growth before stopping for the winter.
You want to keep some shape to the tree, so that if you are cutting branches mostly off of one side of the tree, trim the other branches somewhat, so the tree still is somewhat symmetrical, that is rounded and even on all sides.
The other way of looking at this is that the less you cut, the less work it is :) . Trimming a little less, rather than trimming a little more is better for the tree.
Lime trees have thorns. A pair of gloves and a long-sleeved shirt would be good to have.
I never seem to have all of the tools I need for a job. Clippers, Loppers (large clippers), or a saw of any kind will work. Having exactly the right tool is convenient, but for a one-time job you can make do with something you already have.

Answer 3

Totally different task. If she can't tell you, don't do it. Some bushes and shrubs are trimmed from the outside with hedge trimmers (big scissors) but trees are normally trimmed with loppers where you go back down a branch and take it where it comes off another branch. Different trees are different.

Answer 4

Here is a tutorial:
http://www.ehow.com/how_3642_prune-citrus-tree.html