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Any thoughts on how I can encourage 3 green lemons to ripen? Being in
shitty England the weather is going poo so I am now concerned these 1st
born are going to go to waste before they become useable....

Thanks
Eddie

I see two choices you might have. I would leave them on the tree until just
before the first freeze. Then I would pick them and put them in a paper bag
with a couple of apples. The gasses put out by apples will cause a lot of
items to ripen. I don't know if it will work on citrus.

Your second choice is to pick them and tell everyone that they are limes,
big limes. OK, I apologize for that, but I thought it was kind of cute.

Dwayne

wrote in message
ups.com...
Any thoughts on how I can encourage 3 green lemons to ripen? Being in
shitty England the weather is going poo so I am now concerned these 1st
born are going to go to waste before they become useable....

Thanks
Eddie

As long as they are mature size, picking them green is usually fine (that's
what they do commercially). You can just leave them on the counter to ripen.

wrote in message
ups.com...
Any thoughts on how I can encourage 3 green lemons to ripen? Being in
shitty England the weather is going poo so I am now concerned these 1st
born are going to go to waste before they become useable....

Thanks
Eddie

Thank-you both! Lol about the lime suggestion! ;.)

I will hold my nerve over the frost as long as I can & then try the
apple/bag/counter-top combi.

Eddie

How bad are your frosts? And how many hours? I have an orange tree
and I've been able to sneak through a light frost for a few hours.
Here in California they use little gas heaters for the citrus orchards.
Maybe some kind of poultry heater would work too. If you don't have
one handy you can improvise. I fill a clay pot about 3/4 full with
sand (coarse or fine). Then I light a few pieces of charcoal. By a few
I mean 5 or 6 pieces, small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.
Feel free to roast marshmallows while you're waiting for them to die
down. After the coals die down I cover the pot (full of coals) with
another clay pot that has a hole in the top. I put the pot a few feet
away from the trunk.

You don't want a lot of heat. You just need to keep it slightly warmer
than freezing as long as possible. And be very paranoid about using
open flames outdoors. Be sure your pot won't be disturbed and can't be
knocked over. And give yourself a few feet of clearance around the pot.
Be sure it is covered and secure before you walk away. My tree is in
the middle of my lawn and the nearest structure is 15 feet away. Don't
do this if there is a breeze.

I've thought about filling a small barbecue or cast iron hibachi with a
concoction of stones and sand to see if it says warm longer. I suppose
if I had to do this more than once or twice a year I'd invest in a real
heater! Anyway, that's my crazy idea for you. Good luck!