We have had a lemon tree in a pot for a number of years. We bring it in over the winter but last year put it in a place without enough life. It lost many leaves and suffered some die back before we noticed. However, this summer it has recovered outside and has put on a lot of new growth.

My problem is that it has stopped flowering, we used to get quite a lot of fruit off it. Is it just a question of time?

Thanks

Jonathan

In article ,
wrote:
We have had a lemon tree in a pot for a number of years. We bring it in
over the winter but last year put it in a place without enough life. It
lost many leaves and suffered some die back before we noticed. However,
this summer it has recovered outside and has put on a lot of new growth.

My problem is that it has stopped flowering, we used to get quite a lot
of fruit off it. Is it just a question of time?

Probably. Many plants (including citrus) will not flower when they
are growing vigorously, including after a setback. I had to prune
ours hard, and it didn't flower for a while.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

wrote in message
...

We have had a lemon tree in a pot for a number of years. We bring it in
over the winter but last year put it in a place without enough life. It
lost many leaves and suffered some die back before we noticed. However,
this summer it has recovered outside and has put on a lot of new growth.

My problem is that it has stopped flowering, we used to get quite a lot of
fruit off it. Is it just a question of time?


They do that if they suffer a serious problem. One of our lemon trees is
only just starting to fruit after a few years of rest and growth after a
similar winter problem where I allowed it to get too dry. A tahiti lime is
only now recovering, it's flowering well, from over fruiting some years ago
when we had 32 full sized limes on a 3ft high plant.

BTW they are the two best citrus to grow in the UK, you get full sized
usable fruit off them. Just remember they are gross feeders (in the summer)
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

On 09/10/16 08:19, BobHobden wrote:
wrote in message
...

We have had a lemon tree in a pot for a number of years. We bring it in
over the winter but last year put it in a place without enough life. It
lost many leaves and suffered some die back before we noticed. However,
this summer it has recovered outside and has put on a lot of new growth.

My problem is that it has stopped flowering, we used to get quite a lot of
fruit off it. Is it just a question of time?


They do that if they suffer a serious problem. One of our lemon trees is
only just starting to fruit after a few years of rest and growth after a
similar winter problem where I allowed it to get too dry. A tahiti lime is
only now recovering, it's flowering well, from over fruiting some years ago
when we had 32 full sized limes on a 3ft high plant.

BTW they are the two best citrus to grow in the UK, you get full sized
usable fruit off them. Just remember they are gross feeders (in the summer)

I've finally given up with my Clementine/Mandarin/Satsuma (I can't
remember which it is). It lived in a just frost-free greenhouse for
years, and flowered well but produced few fruits. A couple of years ago
we had a conservatory built, so I repotted the tree (which was then
about 1 x 1 metre in size) in a 45cm square pot, and used new ericaceous
JI for it. The tree was put in the conservatory, where it got full sun
for most of the year. Minimum winter temp was 10 deg C. It flowered
reasonably well the first year, but then got scale insect and some other
insect problem which left the leaves sticky and the floor underneath it
covered in a sticky mess (wife most displeased...). It was treated with
systemic insecticide which helped at first, but although the scale
insect disappeared, whatever was causing the sticky leaves remained a
problem and unseen under a loupe. This year we had quite a few flowers
and a couple of dozen fruit, which, one by one, fell off until only one
was left. The sticky mess got worse, the plant started to get covered in
sooty mould, and the final straw was wasps being attracted to the sweet
sap on the leaves.

It's back in the greenhouse, covered in sooty mould, and visited by many
wasps. It still has one fruit on it. As far as I am concerned, despite
the wonderful scent of the flowers, a citrus fruit tree just isn't worth
the effort needed to grow it well in the UK.

--

Jeff

"Jeff Layman" wrote

BobHobden wrote:
wrote in message
...

We have had a lemon tree in a pot for a number of years. We bring it in
over the winter but last year put it in a place without enough life. It
lost many leaves and suffered some die back before we noticed. However,
this summer it has recovered outside and has put on a lot of new growth.

My problem is that it has stopped flowering, we used to get quite a lot
of
fruit off it. Is it just a question of time?


They do that if they suffer a serious problem. One of our lemon trees is
only just starting to fruit after a few years of rest and growth after a
similar winter problem where I allowed it to get too dry. A tahiti lime
is
only now recovering, it's flowering well, from over fruiting some years
ago
when we had 32 full sized limes on a 3ft high plant.

BTW they are the two best citrus to grow in the UK, you get full sized
usable fruit off them. Just remember they are gross feeders (in the
summer)

I've finally given up with my Clementine/Mandarin/Satsuma (I can't remember
which it is). It lived in a just frost-free greenhouse for years, and
flowered well but produced few fruits. A couple of years ago we had a
conservatory built, so I repotted the tree (which was then about 1 x 1
metre in size) in a 45cm square pot, and used new ericaceous JI for it.
The tree was put in the conservatory, where it got full sun for most of the
year. Minimum winter temp was 10 deg C. It flowered reasonably well the
first year, but then got scale insect and some other insect problem which
left the leaves sticky and the floor underneath it covered in a sticky mess
(wife most displeased...). It was treated with systemic insecticide which
helped at first, but although the scale insect disappeared, whatever was
causing the sticky leaves remained a problem and unseen under a loupe. This
year we had quite a few flowers and a couple of dozen fruit, which, one by
one, fell off until only one was left. The sticky mess got worse, the plant
started to get covered in sooty mould, and the final straw was wasps being
attracted to the sweet sap on the leaves.

It's back in the greenhouse, covered in sooty mould, and visited by many
wasps. It still has one fruit on it. As far as I am concerned, despite the
wonderful scent of the flowers, a citrus fruit tree just isn't worth the
effort needed to grow it well in the UK.


They do suffer from Scale Insect and I find I have to blast them off with a
high pressure spray every couple of years, leaf by leaf branch by branch.
Your problem, as you cannot see it, sounds more like red spider mite which
it could well be as you have the plant under cover all year. I put ours out,
normally about March after the worst of any frost, they are against a S.
facing house wall and under a porch roof and a wisteria that runs the length
of the house wall, so have some protection. Not taken them back into winter
quarters yet, I await a forecast of frost for that.
Being under cover might also mean a lack of pollinators.


--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

On Saturday, October 8, 2016 at 3:20:20 PM UTC+1, wrote:
We have had a lemon tree in a pot for a number of years. We bring it in over the winter but last year put it in a place without enough life. It lost many leaves and suffered some die back before we noticed. However, this summer it has recovered outside and has put on a lot of new growth.

My problem is that it has stopped flowering, we used to get quite a lot of fruit off it. Is it just a question of time?

Thanks

Jonathan

Thanks for your advice. We shall carry on and see how it goes.

Jonathan

On 09/10/16 12:10, BobHobden wrote:
"Jeff Layman" wrote

They do suffer from Scale Insect and I find I have to blast them off with a
high pressure spray every couple of years, leaf by leaf branch by branch.
Your problem, as you cannot see it, sounds more like red spider mite which
it could well be as you have the plant under cover all year. I put ours out,
normally about March after the worst of any frost, they are against a S.
facing house wall and under a porch roof and a wisteria that runs the length
of the house wall, so have some protection. Not taken them back into winter
quarters yet, I await a forecast of frost for that.
Being under cover might also mean a lack of pollinators.

The main problem is soft scale, but there is something else. It isn't
red spider mite, as that is visible to the naked eye, and pretty obvious
under a x10 loupe. As far as I could tell, although it was warm in the
greenhouse (25+ deg C), nothing was moving on the leaves.

Leaves covered with sooty mould:
https://s9.postimg.org/y7y9tpt1r/Citrus1.jpg

Soft scale on underside of leaf:
https://s10.postimg.org/d555wbetl/Citrus2.jpg

Other pests:
https://s14.postimg.org/5husvneox/Citrus3.jpg
In comparison with the second photo, I think the small white insects are
the mobile stage of soft scale. But what are the black dots amount them?
Are the larger rust-coloured spots immature, but immobile, soft scale?

I've just noticed some other seedlings (longans) in the conservatory
suffering the same way. They weren't bothered while the citrus was
there, but now it's gone, it seems the scale and whatever else is
looking for something else to feed on. I'm moving towards chucking out
*all* plants seriously affected by scale, as that seems to be the
general fallback position in the absence of effective treatment.

Where is dimethoate when you need it?...

--

Jeff

"Jeff Layman" wrote

On BobHobden wrote:
"Jeff Layman" wrote

They do suffer from Scale Insect and I find I have to blast them off with
a
high pressure spray every couple of years, leaf by leaf branch by branch.
Your problem, as you cannot see it, sounds more like red spider mite
which
it could well be as you have the plant under cover all year. I put ours
out,
normally about March after the worst of any frost, they are against a S.
facing house wall and under a porch roof and a wisteria that runs the
length
of the house wall, so have some protection. Not taken them back into
winter
quarters yet, I await a forecast of frost for that.
Being under cover might also mean a lack of pollinators.

The main problem is soft scale, but there is something else. It isn't red
spider mite, as that is visible to the naked eye, and pretty obvious under
a x10 loupe. As far as I could tell, although it was warm in the greenhouse
(25+ deg C), nothing was moving on the leaves.

Leaves covered with sooty mould:
https://s9.postimg.org/y7y9tpt1r/Citrus1.jpg

Soft scale on underside of leaf:
https://s10.postimg.org/d555wbetl/Citrus2.jpg

Other pests:
https://s14.postimg.org/5husvneox/Citrus3.jpg
In comparison with the second photo, I think the small white insects are
the mobile stage of soft scale. But what are the black dots amount them?
Are the larger rust-coloured spots immature, but immobile, soft scale?

I've just noticed some other seedlings (longans) in the conservatory
suffering the same way. They weren't bothered while the citrus was there,
but now it's gone, it seems the scale and whatever else is looking for
something else to feed on. I'm moving towards chucking out *all* plants
seriously affected by scale, as that seems to be the general fallback
position in the absence of effective treatment.

Where is dimethoate when you need it?...


Of course sooty mould and scale go together, problem is are those other
pests a pest or something else that has become stuck on the sticky excreta
of the scale? Try blasting all leaves and stems clean of scale and mould
with a sprayer kept pumped up to max pressure. A little washing up liquid
(or Soft Soap) in the water helps (as does a Wet Suit) . :-)
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

On 11/10/16 17:51, BobHobden wrote:
"Jeff Layman" wrote

Of course sooty mould and scale go together, problem is are those other
pests a pest or something else that has become stuck on the sticky excreta
of the scale? Try blasting all leaves and stems clean of scale and mould
with a sprayer kept pumped up to max pressure. A little washing up liquid
(or Soft Soap) in the water helps (as does a Wet Suit) . :-)

Well, as it happens I have to clean the greenhouse glass soon. So out
will come the high-pressure washer. If it blasts all the leaves off the
tree too, that won't matter - it's just an extreme was of ridding the
tree of nasties! And it will remove anything hanging around in crevices
in the bark. Of course, it will be washed outside, well away from the
greenhouse so any predators can have a meal.

--

Jeff

"Jeff Layman" wrote

BobHobden wrote:
"Jeff Layman" wrote

Of course sooty mould and scale go together, problem is are those other
pests a pest or something else that has become stuck on the sticky
excreta
of the scale? Try blasting all leaves and stems clean of scale and mould
with a sprayer kept pumped up to max pressure. A little washing up liquid
(or Soft Soap) in the water helps (as does a Wet Suit) . :-)

Well, as it happens I have to clean the greenhouse glass soon. So out will
come the high-pressure washer. If it blasts all the leaves off the tree
too, that won't matter - it's just an extreme was of ridding the tree of
nasties! And it will remove anything hanging around in crevices in the
bark. Of course, it will be washed outside, well away from the greenhouse
so any predators can have a meal.


That's a bit extreem Jeff.

--
Regards.
Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK