What Causes CitrusSunscald? Citrus sunburn occurs when soft, vulnerable parts of the tree are exposed to too much intense sunlight.A citrustree with sunscald may experience rotting fruit, stunted growth, and any number of opportunistic diseases that have found their way in. CitrusTree Affected By Sunscald. As agricultural enthusiasts and advocates for sustainable farming practices, we at Farmonaut understand the importance of protecting your plants from environmental stressors. While sunscald is often attributed to either trees or solanaceous plants, the term applies to both situations. Sunscald affects fruit trees, younger trees, vegetables, fruit, vines, and shrubs. It occurs in extremes: sunny winter days, freezing nights in winter months, and summer. The damage is caused by large temperature fluctuations during the early spring months. Sunscald can occur when the bark is exposed to warm daytime temperatures followed by freezing temperatures at night. Can a citrustree get too much sun? Pruning citrustrees is important for tree health, pest control, fruit production and size management. Citrustrees grow in distinct layers and should be pruned to maintain a central leader shape with open spacing between branches to improve air circulation, sunlight penetration and reduce pests. Sunscaldon a tree. Conditions. Sunscald happens most frequently when a tree’s canopy has been overly pruned or another shade-providing tree or man-made structure has been removed. The sudden over-exposure to sunlight can damage growing tissues. Citrustrees are susceptible to sunscald, particularly in hot climates, due to elevated temperatures, drought, and excessive sunlight. Effective management is essential to avoid leaf damage and maintain healthy trees. Sunscaldoncitrustrees usually happens during hot and dry weather conditions, so it's very important to watch out for them everytime it gets hot. If certain parts of your citrustrees are too exposed to sunlight, citrus sunburn occurs and results into damage specially in the bark. Summer sunscald is more common on fruit and ornamental trees such as maples (Acer; sugar, red, hybrids), sweetgum (Liquidambar), linden (Tilia), ash (Fraxinus), honeylocust (Gleditsia), Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), and apple (Malus). Protect wounded plants with IV Organics 3-in-1 Tree Guard Paint. Also, prevent damage by applying IV Organics 1-2x per year to your prized plants. Protection against sunburn, sunscald, insects and rodents.