Meyer lemon fruits stay small, yellow, fall off

Discussion in 'Citrus' started by Therese, Aug 5, 2008.

  1. Therese

    Therese Member

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    Location:
    Chicago
    I've cruised the threads, but this problem seems different. I ordered and recieved the tree by mail. It lost leaves over the first winter, but stayed alive, and after a bout with scale when I put it outside for spring (cured with an oil I bought at a nursery), it has rebounded with many leaves and new branches, as well as buds. But there's the problem: the flowers fruit and the fruits get to about thumbnail size, then they fall off. I haven't gotten a lemon yet! I fertilize using Miracle-Gro roughly every couple weeks. Water not too much, I think. Though just the last few days it's been very rainy here. But this is a long-standing problem, not new. It's in a nice roomy terra cotta pot on a wooden rolling stand, and I think it drains well...so I'm not sure what to try next. Any advice?
     
  2. skeeterbug

    skeeterbug Active Member

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    Location:
    Pensacola, USA
    It is not uncommon for most flowers and fruitlets to fall--normally only 1-2 % on flowers make it to fruit. If you tree only had a few flowers, it may be a little to young to set fruit. My inground lemon only had a few flowers the first 2 years and did not set fruit until the 3rd yr--then I got a hundred or so lemons.

    There are a couple things you can do to help the tree retain fruit and increase blooms. Apply a solution of 1-2% saltpeter about a month to 6 weeks before bloom time to increase flowering. Then from bloom to mid June, do not let the tree get too dry. This is a balancing act--too dry the tree will drop fruit, too wet the tree can develop root rot (If you have a good chunky soil with lots of air that will not happen). Citrus trees will only keep the fruit it can support--if it gets too dry in the early stage of fruit growth --it will drop the fruit.
     

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