Suzy O wrote:
If they weren't pollinated, I don't think they would product any fruit, no
matter how small. The most common reason for citrus fruits to abort around
these parts -- Wisconsin, Zone 5 -- is lack or humidity or a moisture
problem, which could be too much (the usual) or too little.
Good luck!
Suzy O
"Bourne Identity" wrote in message
...
On 5 Jul 2005 16:46:14 -0700, wrote:
I have a young Meyer lemon tree that I planted in a large pot on my
patio this past spring. It gets flowers, but the little mini-lemons
fall off before long, never getting even close to full size. What
causes the lemons to fall off and how can I remedy the situation?
Thanks.
-Fleemo
Possible lack of pollination?
Citrus is apomictic. That means fruit can be formed (and even
viable seeds) without pollination. Citrus is also self-thinning,
dropping any fruit that exceeds the plant's ability to support to
ripening.
Common causes of fruit-drop in citrus is either a lack of zinc or
improper watering.
Zinc used to be found in commercial citrus food, but I notice it is
now lacking. If you can find a very small sack of zinc sulfate,
buy it. Use only about one large pinch per container once in 1-2
months during the growing season. Zinc is also good for gardenias;
a lack causes the flower buds to drop without opening.
Allowing the plant to get too dry and then compensating by
overwatering will cause ctirus fruit-drop. Citrus (and most
fruits, including annual fruits such as tomatoes) require constant
moisture. For citrus, however, this does NOT mean wet soil. In
the ground, it's okay for the top inch or two of soil to get quite
dry before watering; this could mean watering once a week or even
less frequently. In a container with a well-draining mix, daily
watering might be necessary. Note however that daily watering a
container-grown citrus in a well-draining mix will quickly leach
away nutrients, requiring frequent LIGHT feeding.
--
David E. Ross
URL:http://www.rossde.com/
I use Mozilla as my Web browser because I want a browser that
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