I got several issues, maybe I can get some help about how to become a successful grower. My issues are: -some of my citrus trees (which by the way I don't know what are they, here I post pictures of the trees with a general view, fruit, if any, and pest problems), these trees were pruned mid to late August (I didn't know it would be not so good at that time). some of them are producing fruit (I think lemons and "sweet limes"), however, some are not, in fact my grapefruits are not looking very good, I think I got feeding and salt issues, water is not since they have been getting water about 2x per wk, during this past hot (105ºF+) summer, now they get water 1x a wk. I want to know what to do to make sure they don't die and possibly produce fruit. Also I got this "organic insecticide for fruit trees" made from "neem oil"? along with some gypsum compound and citrus tree food, however, I haven't used anything until I understand why and when to use it. I think this seems to be a very reliable place, I've read several threads and people seem to be honest and knowledgeable. I'd like to have good fruit for my family. It's my 1st time eating something grown by me. I think it's important to mention that these trees were underwatered severely before purchasing this house, some friends say that my wife and I "triggered a spring" in the middle of summer, since about 2wks after we started watering the trees they made a "come back" and even started to produce fruit, but some of the oranges and mandarins? were small, kind of wrinkled, and with some tiny black beetles inside, or maggots, and very few in quantities. The grapefruits were good but I was told not to eat them since they were too old from last season, and allegedly last season had bad frost so the fruit was not that good, though honestly to my taste, was the best grapefruit I ever tried, in fact I used to dislike grapefruits until I tasted this ones; but now they don't seem to be even blooming. Some of the last pictures I think they are barlet pears, but they don't seem to be doing good. Last, it may sound stupid, but I rather now know than staying actually stupid for not knowing and wanting to know, how do you know when to pick the lemons and limes? HELP! This is "Tree 1" and foliage
"Tree 3" Fruit and foliage and I'll leave it up to here for now, if someone replies and is willing to help me out I'll send the rest.
It looks like you might have aphids, and certainly you're having some sunburn problems, and there might also be rust on the second and third trees. If you check out the citrus forum you'll probably find solutions to most of this. As for knowing when lemons and limes are ripe, I grade them by size. If I suspect that the tree is supposed to be making lemons, I let them get fairly large, and then pick them green and let them ripen in the kitchen. If I think it's limes, I pick them smaller. Oddly enough, any green citrus is considered to be a 'lime' here in Ecuador, just as any yellow one is a 'lemon' and any orange one is an 'orange.' So I may not be the best guide here, because I pick my mandarins in their lime stage.
As for IDs, Tree 3 looks like a lemon of some sort and is having sun issues and aphid problems, Tree 2 looks like a lemon or a sweet lime, and has caterpillars that you need to spray for, and Tree 1 looks like a kaffir lime, and has aphids at the very least. My advice? Call an arborist to have a look at them and make suggestions for pest management. And if you want fruit, DON'T PRUNE more than to simply take off dead wood.
Thanx I'll Check out the citrus section; as far as how citrus are clasified in your country, well in venezuela it's about the same so no worries; thanks for the help.
