willy1der

I have a lemon tree about 6yrs old,I brought it in middle of october for winter and I have just noticed it has a flower bud for the first time.There is only one on the entire plant.So my qeustion is do I fertilize,how much water,humidty etc.How can I pollinate if there is only one flowerbud and should I expect more to come.thanks

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CookieCows

Gosh Will... looks like you better put an add in the paper quick looking for lemon tree dating service!!!

Just kidding... I have two Mayer Lemon trees in pots that I bring in every winter and I have had that happen to me before and before long I start to see buds popping up all over. That first flower may just be the start.

However you mentioned that this is the first time it's bloomed. Have you tried fertilizer specialized for promoting blooms?

Deb

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Richard

Many varieties of lemon will bloom year-round, usually in 2 month cycles. A few varieties only bloom in the early spring -- like the rest of the Citrus family.

Do not fertilize Citrus this time of year -- except perhaps with micronutrients or a low dosage of a winterizing fertilzer (very low Nitrogen, and higher Potash). For example, worm castings for micronutrients and a small dosage of Sul-Po-Mag (aka K-Mag) for Potash. If you can't find the latter, look for something with an N-P-K formula similar to 10-20-30. I would not feed Citrus a high-phosphorus bloom formula at any time.

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CookieCows

An expert stepped in!! I'm going to shut my mouth before I steer someone the wrong way.. yikes

Is that because it'll mess up it's natural cycle Richard or is it something else?
Deb

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willy1der

Thanks for the response,I will leave it as it is and hope for more buds to come.Ive been lugging this tree around for 5yrs so I am exited it has choosen to flower.

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Richard

Deb, many subtropical fruits including Citrus don't need encouragement to bloom. If they are not blooming normally, then it is either the wrong time of year or a symptom of some problem. Also, in the case of Citrus excess phosphorus can lead to many problems in the long term unless you have tremendous control over the environment; for example, hydroponics.

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Egluzhe

Hello,
first I am sorry for my terrible english.
I buy Citrus tree with flowers and fruits in spring 2008. In autumn I cary container with Citrus in house by the window. When come winter, my Citrus begin to shed flowers and leaves. Then I read, that Citrus tree need place to dark and wet cellar for one month. I did it, but it continued to shed the leaves. Now I bring back container to the house, but it stil shed the leaves end flowers. Just fruits and flowers only stay on the tree. I dont know, what can I do with Help... It's everything allright with watering, soil, etc. I live in Lithuania, so in winter the day is short. Maybe it needs more light? How can I save my Citrus.
Egle

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Richard

Needs at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. The plant should not be put in the dark for more than 24 hours. Leaves fall off citrus trees for many different reasons. When the tree was healthy, the leaves were green. Did the leaves change color before they fell off?

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Egluzhe

No, the leaves green fell off. Today I observed that the fruits turn black...
Our day lasted about 8 hours in this season, but it's gloomy, the sun not shines... Maybe I should make additional illumination?

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Jack Daw

I still wonder, why you didn't ask the European meembers in your climate zone such as me (see the map !).

The reason is simple. You have the citrus budded on a rootstock (attached to other citrus or citrus like tree), so that it starts flowring earlier. In my and your climate, we all use rootstocks resistible to freezing up to -5°C. And you took this plant and gave it inside, where the temperature is about 20°C. It's gone crazy, it's biorhytm has been all over the place, not knowing what the ehck is going on.

So, do this: Cut off all the fruits and all the flowers, they take too much energy. Then take the citrus and remove the dryout leaves.
After you have done it, DON'T water it, because you probably already did too much watering (the citruses need only very little watering in winter, almost none). Then place it somewhere in a light spot (as many light hours as possible), but with temperature 5°C AT MOST, not more, or it will. It will stop its biorhytm and hopefully the damage you did to this plant will fade the next summer. At his point, it could die as well. Just try to let it live in about 5°C and forgt about it until spring. That might save it.

First study the citruses and grow some from seed, then buy the bigger ones !!! In my country, you would be so put down on a forum like this, that you would be really sad for almost killing the tree and never wanting to grow again. I'm sorry, if I'm too sharp, but if you had studied the citruses, techniques, growing etc, this wouldn't have happened. It's not fair for the citrus, if you don't mind - it wasn't born to your conditions, you have to make it feel at home, even though it will cost you maybe lot.

Hope you will do some studying and that the citrus will live.
DON'T OVERWATER IT !!!!!!!!

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Thnx to Marcel, Ante, Dr. Chiranjit Parmar and Francesco for the plants I've received.



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Jack Daw

No additional lights, it will produce heat and the citrus will, again, start it's biorhytm spring hours, when it should be stopped !!!

READ BELOW !!!

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Egluzhe

Jack Daw, everytime when I have some question about the growing of citrus or other exotic plant, I am look for information by Internet and books. I dont buy soil in the shop, I make it by my self. I grow 3 citrus (4 years), 4 pomegranate (4 years), 8 coffea arabica (1 year), etc... It's all from seeds. When this big Citrus begin to shed the leaves in Winter, I ask by one man (he's growing citrus 16 years!), what can I do with it. He give me advice, that I should put the plant in the cellar. Now I see, that it was terrible mistake. In this moment I read hem e-mail letter and I am waiting for his answer. So don't be so sharp for me.
In my country the temperature in Winter is 0_-30C. If today is -+1 and I can it keep outside, tomorrow is -15C, so Citrus won't live. So I keep it in house. In cellar the temperature is 6-8C, but it is dark. Other plants (citruses without flowers and fruits, pomegranates) in cellar feel very well. So I have no lodging with a little light and the Temperature +5C.
In house temperature is about 16-18C. So I ask again, if I make additional illumination (it's not warming, it's for more light), then maybe it stops sheding the leaves and flowers. Citrus is evergreen tree, is it? So if I give for it necessary with temperature ~16C and a little more daylight and this necessary I'll keep to spring, maybe it will feel well?
And I don't underwater it!!!

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Richard

Egle,

You are brave to grow Citrus in your location. Although I have never been there, I had two students in recent years from a region north of Vilnius, a broad valley as they described it.

If green leaves are falling off and the fruits are turning black then the tree is nearly dead from a fungal infection in the roots. You might spend less money obtaining a new tree than trying to save this one. However, if you wish to try:
Remove all the fruit.
Keep the temperature of the pot and the air above 15 C. For air temperature above 25 C in the house, make sure the air is not too dry.
Give the plant at least 8 hours of "daylight" per day. Two florescent bulb fixtures with 2 1-meter bulbs in each would be about right. Position them about 1 meter above the plant but not directly overhead. Instead place them about 0.5m on each side. Use a bulb that is rated for "daylight" or a "plant light" if you can afford it. Do not use a "black light" bulb. If you use incandescent bulbs, place them higher -- about 1.5 meters so the heat from them does not hurt the plant. This lighting should be enough for several months but is not a substitute for real sunshine in the summer.
Apply a horticultural copper solution to the soil. A professional florist or a nursery that raises flower bulbs can help you with this. If you want to make it yourself or you know a high-school or college chemist, apply 1 liter of a 1% solution of copper sulfate that has been buffered (perhaps with gypsum) to keep the pH around 6 or 7.

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Egluzhe

Thank you, Richard! It's necessary for me to save this tree. I make a mistake and now I have to correct it.
I go to shop now and buy florescent lamp for my plant. I hope, I'll save it.

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Egluzhe

The florescent lamp hold a light already for Citrus, Coffee trees and other plants.
The Citrus take a new sprouts, by the way! It will certainly live!

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Bananaman88

Good luck, Egle! Don't be too hard on yourself. You didn't intentionally do anything to harm your citrus plant. The important thing is that you are trying to learn so that you don't make mistakes in the future. But if you do, don't worry. It's all a part of gardening. We're all here to help you!

Egluzhe

Thank you! It was to me really good lesson. All my citruses and pomegranats, that I am growing from seeds, every winter spend in the cellar and it feel very well. Now I know, why this big citrus was feeling bad... Live and learn...
P.S. Your backyard is nice.

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Richard

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damaclese

i probably should not directly confront this but I'm going to any way:

let me point out this simple Fraze "Do Un To Others As Yo Would have them Do Un To You" Any one that doesn't not Understand this is Free to MP me and we can discus it!
PaulO

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