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masokealzafa

Help lemon tree not flowering

masokealzafa
9 years ago

Hi I need help with my ten year old lemon tree that I started by seed. It has never flowered it is ten feet tall and healthy lots of leaves. It is watered consistently and fertilized well Ido have scales which I treat every 3 weeks to keep control. It is an potted tree. What am I doing wrong? I believe it is a lisbon cause the lemon I bought was lisbon and is true to seed. Pls help me. Thanks

Comments (170)

  • masokealzafa
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    I believe it! But this is the first time it has never been strong enough. So if it doesn't I will trim it accordingly ! The rain has been really heavy and harsh not long but storm like with lots of wind. Still trying to figure out a pot for it I don't even know if I can lift it out of this one I may need a crane lol

  • cory (Zone 7a, NJ)
    7 years ago

    It really has filled in so nicely when compared to the header picture. NicE job!


    Cory

    masokealzafa thanked cory (Zone 7a, NJ)
  • masokealzafa
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Ahhhh I almost lost my tree last night we got a wicked rain drop and my tree literally bent over I thought the trunk broke I was a total mess freaked right out!!! But it didn't break I had to tie to the deck. The top is so heavy and with the rain it was too much. I checked every branch and nothing is broken ouf I was so happy but now I don't know what to do ??? I can't keep it tied like this forever !!

  • masokealzafa
    Original Author
    7 years ago

  • orangelime1
    7 years ago

    Hi masokealzafa is there anyway you can get a long stake into your pot then tie your tree to the stake and then tie the stake to your railing also bungee cords work great for tying. The only other solution is placing your tree in a more sheltered spot in your yard .


    Brian

    masokealzafa thanked orangelime1
  • Tushaar
    7 years ago

    Why don't you prune it? That will reduce the wind resistance factor and your tree will grow it back.

    masokealzafa thanked Tushaar
  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    7 years ago

    The tree will harden up on its own.. Just tie it when it gets wet and windy otherwise let it sway in the wind. Pruning it may cut back to a node count of immaturity and it might stop flowering.

    masokealzafa thanked poncirusguy6b452xx
  • masokealzafa
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Thank you for your advice everyone :) There is no other place for the tree to go its only ten feet from the house. Moving it to another deck will break my back Literally lol my kids were laughing at me because I had tears lol 12 years of work of love was too much to lose what a sap I am lol it is still ties to the deck but the string is loose so it did harden up again I have never seen a tree bent in a V shape without breaking. Very bizarre !!! I only prune when it hits the ceiling or it gets too wide at bottom it gets difficult to move around it. Will let you know how it has faired. Thanks guys :)

  • calamondindave
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Wow, wow, wow! I'm so glad I clicked on this thread. Wonderful lemon tree. You have done well with it. What a great seed to fruit story you have.

    I'm not sure I fully understand the number of nodes to get fruit thing, and how pruning a young tree prevents it from fruiting.

    Is this how it is?...The trees have to reach a certain node number goal, then after that it's grown up and will fruit and then doesn't matter if it's pruned? But if it's constantly pruned down before reaching that number then it will keep it in the immature stage?

    My meyer lemen tree is a small bush but flowers and fruits bunch. Not sure how old it is, but it's less than 3 feet tall. I pruned it way down last year, but it flowered and fruited this year anyway.

    Thanks for sharing your experience here.

  • Laura LaRosa (7b)
    7 years ago

    Dave, that's been my experience with my Meyer as well...perhaps not all varieties are like that though. If I cut off a branch, two or more sprout in its place...it's like medusa! Lol

  • Matt Par
    6 years ago

    Maso, i just found your story this morning and enjoyed reading about your lemon tree, but surprised to see the posts stopped last September. Is your tree still doing ok? I am also growing lemon trees from seeds, about 3 years now, and wondering about when they will bloom.

  • masokealzafa
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Hi Matt. Yes my lemon tree is doing well. It has about 100 flowers on it right now. All depending on your seeds but mostly all of them will take about 10 to 12 years to flower in flower pots. They have to mature you can tell by the new branches coming in the thorns are much smaller. It's fun and rewarding I now actually take branches and root them. I have given a lot away. The thing eighthat branch it remember sits age and won't take long to flower.

  • masokealzafa
    Original Author
    6 years ago

  • masokealzafa
    Original Author
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I have rooted this branch last year

  • Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
    6 years ago

    When you root branches from your old lemon tree, make sure you take branches from the top of the tree. Those are the most mature ones and should bloom the quickest.

  • masokealzafa
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Yes you are right!

  • Tatiana [USDA 6]
    6 years ago

    this topic makes me so happy! thank you for all the updates over the years <3

    masokealzafa thanked Tatiana [USDA 6]
  • sunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
    6 years ago

    Maso, I was fascinated by your patience to care for your lemon seedling and at the end you were rewarded with fruit. Very well done! Could you post a picture of your tree as of this month.

  • masokealzafa
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Hi sunshine! Sorry for the delay. It is night time and I am about to change the pot tonight there is some trimming to do but there is tons of lemons on it

  • masokealzafa
    Original Author
    6 years ago

  • masokealzafa
    Original Author
    6 years ago

  • masokealzafa
    Original Author
    6 years ago

  • masokealzafa
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    These are my other lemons rooted from a branch

  • sunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
    6 years ago

    Thank you Maso, looks good! I like your young trees from cuttings, have they flowered yet?

  • masokealzafa
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    No they haven't flowered yet. They are only a year old I expect maybe next year for the bigger one. Lemons grow from the branches of the year before. Hence why I won't trim them this year. I have given so many away and they seem to be doing excellent as soon as one flowers and produces I will all of you know with a pic. Because my lemon tree is in a pot And has to be entered in winter months I have to do things a bit different. I just changed the pot for it and will stay in this one forever it is 45 gallons! once we bring it in this year it will have to stay. The tree is too heavy and big !!

  • masokealzafa
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    UPDATE!! My branch that I rooted last year has a flower bud!! This was a branch from the bottom of tree trunk. So excited here what it looks like

  • sunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
    6 years ago

    Congrats Maso, it is a beautiful tree! How is your large lemon tree doing, have you brought it in yet?

    masokealzafa thanked sunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
  • sunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    So it turns out, once a seedling citrus tree starts fruiting, you can take cutting from anywhere on the tree and it will fruit in 1-2 years.

  • masokealzafa
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    It has tons of lemons on it. The trunk is crooked since it doubled last year. It suffered last winter since I was pregnant and couldn’t climb the ladder to treat it for scale and spider mites. But it is still gorgeous I didn’t cut anything this year I let it be. And flourished with lots of leaves but just not as usual. It’s new pot should help it this winter. I haven’t brought it in yet the weather is still good here but I gather Friday it’s coming in ! I have to treat it before entering it.

  • sunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Maso, keep us updated with pictures on your famous fruiting lemon tree :)) I love fruiting trees with a "story".

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    4 years ago

    How is your lemon tree doing now.

    Steve

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    4 years ago

    How is your lemon tree doing now.

    Steve

  • christine 5b
    4 years ago

    Ditto to Steve's question, I'd love to know also......

  • masokealzafa
    Original Author
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    My lemon tree has had difficulties producing but it’s doing just fine. I left for a month last summer to cross Canada and the person taking care of my tree didn’t listen to my instruction and proceeded to put lemon tree sticks in the dirt two of them. Needless to say it didn’t get one bloom. I try to explain to people that a lemon tree bound the same pot and dirt needs different nutrients that the ground would provide. I couldn’t give it the miracle grow it loves because of those sticks. it takes two man to take this tree out in the summer and patio doors taken down Lol. Anyway when it goes outside I will restart the miracle grow regiment it always got and it will fruit again. Thank you all for wondering.

  • christine 5b
    3 years ago

    I feel for you, two years ago I had to go away for a week and told the person taking care of my cats Do Not Water my plants, she didn't listen and watered all my plants, 10 that were in pots with no drainage drowned, a few of them I'd had for years, I cried many tears.

    masokealzafa thanked christine 5b
  • masokealzafa
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    That is so sad !! I would of cried too. I have a vine that has been with me for over 25 years. I get you.

  • Ali Ahmed
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Hello I just wanted to ask this with you all , I would be very grateful if you can help me .

    I have a lemon tree with large leaves and the tree is 6 years old now . It was planted in 2014 ..but it's about 6 foot now . Trunk is 1 inch diameter . And hard. But still no flowers .

    It has leaf miner problem and the foliage is not good . Shape or leaves is small and no shape as other full grown leaves .

    I have used NPK fertilizer of 20 20 20 .

    But still no flowers.

    From the picture the plant can be identified the one with red plastic bag .


  • Ali Ahmed
    3 years ago

    Update : I found a very sad thing from my citrus young plant . I found the Asian citrus psyllid,


    Now iam sure why my big citrus plant which is lemon is not flowering even if it's 7 feet tall .


    So sad 😢. This means I have to put double effort to fight against using admire insecticide.


    All's I found some golden colour fly .. I wonder what is this .you can zoom .( Second image )



  • uncle molewacker z9b Danville CA (E.SF Bay)
    3 years ago

    Ali, i suggest that you start a fresh thread. That does loop like ACP.

    Where are you located?

  • Ali Ahmed
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Iam from Maldives which is located in Indian Ocean .


    Before creating a new thread can help me what type of lemon tree this is ? It's got thorns which are big . Bigger leaves . Trunk is 1 inch in diameter... And woody

  • Silica
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Your description matches the Santa Teresa Lemon. .

  • Ali Ahmed
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Are you sure it's the santa Teresa lemon ? Or is it lime ?

    This is a picture of the plant .


  • Ali Ahmed
    3 years ago



  • Silica
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Ali, of COURSE i'm not sure. I just wrote that your description (without a picture) matches a Santa Teresa. First you wrote it was a lemon, now your writing it might be a lime. I'm guessing you do not know what type of seed you planted.

  • Ali Ahmed
    3 years ago

    Yes .. what I know is it's a lemon or lime ..🍋

  • masokealzafa
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    the age matters. Lemon trees can take up to ten years to produce. If you took a clipping from an older tree it would remember it’s age and produce faster. What I use for bugs inside and outside is sunlight dish soap in a spray bottle with water. It keeps the pests in control. Also your soil I find lemon trees need a lot of nutrients.

  • masokealzafa
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    To me this looks like a lemon the leaves are bigger than lime. Another simple way is remove one leaf and scrunch it it will reveal which one it is. The lemon is definitely a stronger smell.

  • masokealzafa
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Your thorns suggest your tree is in juvenile stage. As it gets older and bigger the new thorns will be smaller. Mine is in a pot and has to come in for winter. My care for it is completely different. It was at least 10 feet tall and 11 years old when it flowered for the very first time. Just keep nurturing it.

  • Kate Blair
    2 years ago

    In 2017, I planted 5 lemon seeds from a bag of sweet meyer lemons and they’re all varying in growth. The tallest one had some flowers in spring but nothing more. Long, sharp thorns on all of them and the trunks are getting thick. I’m about ready to puts them on the curb because they are tough to bring inside for winters. Is there any hope they will ever bear fruit?

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    2 years ago

    YES TAKE CARE OF THEM FOR A FEW MORE YEARS AND YOU WILL GET FRUIT