I have 2 calamondin trees in my backyard which I've had for about 7 years. Although they're green and look healthy, they have never produced any fruits or flowers. They do have a lot of big thorns. What can I do to get them to produce some flowers & fruits??
yes they are. I actually have 4 of them in my backyard. 2 of them have been producing fruits, and the other 2 just haven't. All 4 trees have thorns.
You may get some ideas from a discussion (in an external forum) on a similar problem: Moro Blood orange, no flowers yet. Is that bad?. There are many knowledgeable citrus growers in that forum.
I have the same problem. Healthy plants but no flowers. My friend gave it to me and grew it from calamondin seeds.
According to the article, Calamondin - The Most Versatile Citrus: Another way to induce the development of flower buds is by exposing the tree to 600 hours of temperatures below 20C/68F during fall and winter.
I live in the Midwest so it will be hard to have the plant in less than 68F right now but I will try withholding the watering. I hope this works. Thanks.
Another question, is it normal for the plant to have thorns and large leaves? I’ve seen other plants that bears fruit and they don’t have the thorns and smaller leaves.
Calamondins normally have very few small thorns and smallish leaves. Some that I reproduced from June of last year are already bearing fruit. Here are some photos of my calamondins: Citrus / Calamondin | Aprici gallery ... and I also have the variegated variety: Citrus / Calamondin variegated | Aprici gallery
I've only ever seen calamondins sold in stores in containers and they are thornless. Seedling trees are often thorny so perhaps it's normal in your case. Larger sized leaves appear to be the norm when a tree is fertilized and given plenty of light. That's the case with the one I have.
My plants had never bloomed and it’s at least over a year old. What could be wrong? I keep the plants indoor year round. How often do I need to fertilize?
Please report back on how it turns out. Keep in mind though that your tree may still be in its juvenile state and is therefore not yet able to produce flowers.
The article says a seedling will mature in two years but that's likely under ideal growing conditions outdoors. It'll likely take much longer for a tree that stays indoors all the time. Place it in a spot where it will get the most light, a south-facing window if possible. Feed the tree once a month while it's actively growing and at half strength during fall and winter. I suggest using a water soluble fertilizer that contains micronutrients. Choose one with a high nitrogen an NPK ratio approximating 5-1-3.
It may be too soon to attempt to induce flowering but if you're going to give it a try anyway, take care not to allow the tree to sit in water for an extended period when you resume watering.
Planting seeds of anything will only guarantee that you get seedlings that are 1/2 the DNA of the pod parent (mother). If you didn't fertilize the flower that produced that fruit, you have no idea where the pollen came from. If you want a specific kind of fruit, you have to buy a scion of a named variety, or take your chances. If the foliage is unlike the supposed mother, then the likelihood of the fruit being like the mother's is slim to none. Brother Gregor Mendel knew this a long time ago. Some fruits like tomatoes are hybrids where the seed that produced the plant that produces the fruit is itself a hybrid that is produced for the sole purpose of growing fruit that has wildly different characteristics from the pod parent, like having no seeds, or very few seeds like "Big Boy".
Actually, in this case there's a good chance the seedling will grow true since calamondin seed is polyembryonic, with nucellar embryos.
Understood. But, those with uncharacteristic foliage may or may not be from a true Calamondin mother.
