"Chookie" wrote in message
news:ehrebeniuk-C0B843.23413428122007@news...
In article ,
"Claude" wrote:

I have patiently and excitedly waited for my lime tree (in a
terracotta pot)
and my lemon tree (young and planted in the ground) to bud
and produce
fruit. All was going well, lots of flowers, lots of tiny
little limes and
lemons only to see them drop off and disappear! I am very
disheartened. Any
tips on why this is happening? I notice the kaffir lime I
have nearby is
thriving and producing lots of useless kaffir limes!! :-( I
have noticed
some cobwebs on my lime..... any ideas?

I'm afraid it's a natural process -- they set a lot of fruit,
then most of
them drop off. They are practicing for next year, when I trust
you will get
some fruit, though not a huge number. Remember that young
plants are still
establishing themselves and getting the hang of reproduction.
They're
actually a pair of sullen, spotty teenagers slouching in your
back yard, not
yet responsible members of society.


Depends on the age of the trees
The same thing will happen with a lack of water ... or perhaps
Too much water
Or even with a lack of bees for fertilisation
The latter is a problem I am facing at the moment
Not only with fruit trees, but also melons, pumpkins and marrows
Forced to artificially cross fertilise manually using male
flowers for the pumpkins