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26-04-2005 03:22 AM

Lemon Tree

Hi,

I am here in Texas and recently planted a lemon tree. It started
producing little lemons but they turned real black and fell off. What
can I do to prevent this from happening? I tried putting lime around
the tree.

Rod

David Ross

26-04-2005 06:58 AM

wrote:

Hi,

I am here in Texas and recently planted a lemon tree. It started
producing little lemons but they turned real black and fell off. What
can I do to prevent this from happening? I tried putting lime around
the tree.

Rod

Lime can kill citrus! Citrus wants an acidic soil, not an alkaline
soil.

The little lemons died and fell off because the roots were
disturbed during planting. You should not expect any fruit in the
first year.

DO NOT FEED YOUR LEMON TREE! Feeding now encourages leaf growth
before the roots are sufficiently established to supply sufficient
water to the leaves. Next year, use a commercial citrus food
spread in a circle under the outer edges of the top growth.

DO NOT OVERWATER! Citrus likes soil that is slightly moist and
never wet. It needs deep irrigation after the top 2 inches of soil
are dry. (This does not apply if the tree is a dwarf in a
container. With a fast draining potting mix, citrus in containers
may need to be watered daily in hot weather.)

Do you have any gardenias? Are they thiving? Citrus actually like
the same care as gardenias, except that gardenias are hardier with
respect to frost. They want fast draining, acidic soil that is
moist but not soggy; protection against sunburn but lots of light;
frequent but light feedings, with extra iron and zinc; and pruning
only for aesthetics.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at URL:http://www.rossde.com/garden/

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