No lemons on my 6/7 year old tree.
I'm in the Ottawa Ontario area and my otherwise healthy looking lemon tree (2m) has never produced flowers nor fruit. It's about 7 years old and grown from a seed. During winter it's in a south facing very sunny warm room and soon it will go outside for the summer like I've done since it sprouted. I had been trimming it each fall but was told that was the problem. This will be the second year not being trimmed and still nothing. Dr Google says something should be happening by now.
Ideas?
by DayOdd3770
13 Comments
That’s an olive tree
https://preview.redd.it/4ipbn2vzbnxe1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4e4b0a0e7b4a0073a71529521f8dcf4975067f20
The larger leaf size indicates that it needs more light. I would consider a grow light, unless you are able to move it outdoors for the summer. (Edit- didn’t see that you plan to until after I commented).
Also they need to be fertilized a few times a year.
Trimming is never an issue with citrus. They need good airflow so you can trim the shoots that are facing inwards and crossing over one another (aim for a vase shape).
They love nitrogen which is where the adage of “pee on your lemon tree” comes from (urine is high in nitrogen) but this can cause excessive leaf growth so be sure to feed with a potassium fertiliser about 2-3 months before the fruiting season.
Maybe also try a bigger pot to allow for more root growth so they can take in more nutrients.
Other than that I can’t really guess why it wouldn’t be flowering let alone fruiting.
When life doesn’t give you lemons…
It is normal for lemons that were grown from seed to not give fruit for the first 8-9 years.
If you could find a street that’s already had blossoms and fruit you can splice in one of the branches down low and it will trigger the tree to produce fruit assuming you have enough light and fertilizer
It needs real sunlight. From the outside sun.
Well when life doesn’t give you lemons..
Sun… Literally… You need flowers first… Sun Sun Sun .. when you see flowers there a lot n and high pk with some minerals (miracle grow bloom to simplify).
Bigger pot for sure and lots of direct sun
Look I’m not an arborist but I once had a customer who was and I passed on a tip to a friend who had a lemon tree that didn’t produce after 5 years.
He told me ‘tell your buddy to get a wiffle ball bat and in the early spring give that tree about 5 good whacks.”
My friend did it and lo and behold that year it produced.
I ran into the customer again and asked him why it worked even if it’s too technical for me I wanted to know.
He said, “I really don’t know man. Maybe the tree feels threatened and it knows it has to produce offspring.”
Needs room to grow, try a larger pot. Maybe something you have to use with a dolley