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bedtime_gw

Do flowers = lemons?

bedtime
10 years ago

I'm noticing lots of flower budding on my meyer lemon tree. It's 5' and is in a 5 gallon pot... Two flowers have opened up and many more look on the way. If I had to guess theres about 50 - 100 flower buds on this tree.

Do the flowers turn into lemons when they die off and fall apart? Is it likely that 'ALL' flowers are meant to turn into lemons or do most not make it? My 'uneducated' guess is that beneath the yellow part of the flower the lemon forms. Is this correct?

Anyways, I'm new to this and would love some input and maybe some of your experience as to how this works for your plant and what to expect.

As usual, a picture, just because you all love pics! :)

Comments (66)

  • Julio Macillas
    6 years ago

    We have a lemon tree for about 8 years it has never given us any lemons, but this year it has flower buds does that mean it will give us lemons


  • Matt
    6 years ago

    @Julio 8 years and no flowers?

  • kcandmilo
    6 years ago

    Great question! Now that my trees are finally flowering, I was wondering if I should be doing any pollinating, or just leave it to the insects! I do have plenty of bees and flies buzzing around my garden most days, so perhaps I should nature do its thing?

  • Jason (Zone 10b, San Diego)
    6 years ago

    Let nature do its thing if you have pollinators buzzing around.

    Julio, good chance that you will get lemons, if they get pollinated and the tree is healthy. Sounds like you may have grown your tree from seed if it has taken this long to fruit. It should be large enough to hold a decent amount.

    I will often have 3-4 flowers at a single node set fruit. I will usually prune back all but 2, but if I miss any, the tree usually does it by itself. I just figure to save it some energy and focus everything into just a couple of lemons per node.

  • jazmine9111
    6 years ago



    Hi. After reading through the discussions, I am a little concerned about the status of my Meyer lemon and Persian lime trees. I've attached pics of both. Looking at the lemon, there are quite a few buds. Should I remove some to lessen stress? Regarding the lime, thus far it only has one bud, and the leaves are two toned. Do you think it's due to a magnesium deficiency?

  • Susanne Michigan Zone 5/6
    6 years ago

    if it would be my tree, i would not take anything off. the tree will drop ant that is too much.Your tree looks very healthy :)

  • jazmine9111
    6 years ago

    Thanks Susanne. Regarding the lime, thus far it only has one bud, and the leaves are two toned. Do you think it's due to a magnesium deficiency? Also, any recommendations regarding fertilizer?

  • Susanne Michigan Zone 5/6
    6 years ago

    I would think it is new growth that appears lighter green. Magnesium deficiency looks mottled. Just keep fertilizing regularly with a good citrus fertilizer. How long do you have had them?

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    6 years ago

    To the original question From my personal experiences, I can say!

    ----------flowers equal Meiwa kumquat at close to 100%.-------

    6b Steve

  • doctorcopper
    6 years ago

    Is this where the lemon/fruit grows from. The base of the stamen? https://thewhiskerchronicles.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/954668_10201303642342635_1579111838_n.jpg

  • Vladimir (Zone 5b Massachusetts)
    6 years ago

    No. That is the base of the pistil, which is where the ovary is. The stamen contains the anthers with pollen.

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    6 years ago

    The lemon is in the circle.

    6b Steve

  • jazmine9111
    6 years ago

    @Suzanne. Thought I would post a closeup of my lime tree leaves to better illustrate the discoloration of the leaves. Do it appear to be magnesium deficiency?

  • qshierms
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago


    Hi all. Wanted opinions on how my lemon tree is looking? Got it at lowes about 5 months ago (Canada) and has just finished flowering for the second time. Is this a lemon forming or do I have a couple years still? How do I know if it's a dwarf tree? I changed the location because too many leaves were falling off, not enough sun and kids were touching it. Since a couple weeks ago when it was moved no leaves have fallen. The soil is nice aged manure and I re-potted to a large pot with the manure and the leaves really took off. New green ones forming all the time this past summer. it's now indoors since it's fall here.

    Thanks.

  • Lesley Whitecliffe-Smith
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Im new to lemons aswell so

    this feed has been awesome. LOVE my little tree

  • urbandwella
    4 years ago

    I have a lime in a pot and it has some lime nubbins (i just learnt that word from this thread :) ). Can you tell by looking at them, whether or not they are pollinated? does the stamen have to stay attached or can they develop without it? There's one that seems to have progressed beyond the other green nubbins- Could it be a potential lime?




  • Silica
    4 years ago

    You do not have to pollinate them,. The tree will automatically accomplish this by itself. Your fruit will soon begin to develop.

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Or they will drop if the tree 'feels' like it can't support a fruit load. How does you whole tree look.

    Steve

  • Jessica Villalpando
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I just recently reported my lemon tree and was wondering if my pot is too big?


  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    4 years ago

    It's fine

  • HU-545368962
    3 years ago

    Can A pot be too big? starting to plant my now.

  • Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.)
    3 years ago

    yes, depending on the mix you use. If you use a mix that stays wet too long or decomposes too quickly, too big is not good.

    if you use a very porous mix a big pot would be just fine.

  • HU-545368962
    3 years ago

    Thanks I got a non soil potting mix that I was told was best to plant them in is that ccorrect

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    3 years ago

    What is it called.

    Steve

  • HU-545368962
    3 years ago

    Its members mark professional quality potting mix feeds up to 6 months and contains a wetting agent for easy even watering

  • HU-545368962
    3 years ago


    45

  • HU-589568588
    3 years ago

    Hi there, I moved into a new place 6 months ago and was absolutely stoked that it came with a lemon tree. It’s about 6ft tall and has produced lemons previously. It’s now blooming quite a bit and I’m wondering if you guys who know way more about this than I do can tell if you think some fruit will be produced behind these blooms? The flowers are mostly white with a few tinges of purple here and there. Also, how can you tell if it’s a Meyer? Finally, how often do you recommend watering? I want to keep this guy as healthy as I can. I’m in Northern California, Bay Area (Sonoma county). Warn dry days, cool nights. Thank you!!!







  • HU-293610379
    3 years ago

    Just got my first lemon tree a few months ago. im starting to see a lot of buds. they are mostly white is that correct b/c I thought they were supposed to be more of a purple

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    3 years ago

    Yes.

  • HOWARD Martin
    3 years ago

    maybe it's slightly different genetically

  • Myriam Mcmanus
    3 years ago


    My friend gave me her lemon tree cause it bloomed and buds fell off. I put it outside and it's all blooms.

  • Myriam Mcmanus
    3 years ago



  • Myriam Mcmanus
    3 years ago

    What do you think? Please comment.

  • HOWARD Martin
    3 years ago

    citrus are ment to be grown outside maybe it wasn't getting enough light to keep the blooms

  • HOWARD Martin
    3 years ago

    mine right now too young to flower

  • charleswu2
    3 years ago

    I don't think that's a citrus.

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    3 years ago

    I think its gorgeous. If you decide you don't want it because it might not be a lemon and you live in or near Cincinnasti Ohio, I can find a home for it.

    Steve

  • HOWARD Martin
    3 years ago

    take a few leaves to your local nurseries and they will check from the leaves if it is a citrus

  • Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Myriam Mcmanus, I'm not 100% sure what your plant is. Certainly not a citrus. Are the blooms fragrant? Can you take closer up pics of the blooms? Not Osmanthus because the leaf arrangment doesn't look to be opposite. It looks quite a bit like Ardisia elliptica.

    Link: Ardisia elliptica

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    3 years ago

    Howard. That is a great advice'

    Steve

  • HOWARD Martin
    3 years ago

    that was the best I could think of when they say they don't think a plant is something this way it can be checked and confirmed one way or another

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    3 years ago

    I can say that a lemon is a past flower which is good. That lemon is even better when it's past flower was that of a New Zealand lemonade.

    Steve

  • HOWARD Martin
    3 years ago

    I'm just trying to fit in here

  • HU-222558198
    3 years ago

    I just purchased this Meyers dwarf tree about two weeks ago. It's got a lot of flowers on it. I've never had a fruit tree before so I'm not sure if the flowers will turn into lemons. Any help is much appreciated.



  • CHERYL MILLS
    3 years ago

    My Meyer lemon tree is only 2 ft tall. It made it through winter and this week I noticed the same as you...I counted 22 purple buds and one is flowering. Will they all flower and become lemons???

  • CHERYL MILLS
    3 years ago



    This is a photo.

  • tom1328732
    3 years ago

    They'll all flower, but it'll drop most fruitlets as it sees fit. In the odd case that it retains most and the fruitlets start expanding to the size of a dime--Meyers can be strange--I'd remove all but a couple (depending on the size of the tree). Generally the plant is able to moderate itself, though.

  • CHERYL MILLS
    3 years ago

    Thank you Tom. I had three more flowers come and go. I will remove most of the remaining buds, fertilize and hope for next year. Is that what you mean?

  • tom1328732
    2 years ago

    You may not even need to wait a full year! But if the tree overall is somewhat struggling, I'd do exactly that.