citrus plant- not flowering

have a citrus plant about 18" high. It has loads of fruit on it and seems healthyy enough but its not flowered. Have googled it and it seems this may be either because its been too cold, watered erratically or not fed. Well it could be any of these really! Is it too late now for it to flower this year? looked in GC last night and there are feeds for winter and feeds for summer. which one should I get at the moment?? should I put it somewhere warmer?

 

How long have you had it LG?
where is it growing?

 

Hello l-g. I have a silly question perhaps ... you say you have an 18" high citrus tree with lots of fruit and no flowers. Can you tell me what you think the problem is, please?

Also, can you tell us what type of citrus it is ... lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit ??? Or could it be a Calamondim, the miniature orange tree which is really not an orange tree but can grow to 3-6m and the fruit can be used to flavour foods and drinks?

Also, as pete asks, how long have you had it and where is it growing, ie, indoors, conservatory, greenhouse, outdoors?

Because of our heat here, we can have certain citrus fruiting and blooming at the same time, ie, the lemons and oranges are at the moment ... the smell is heavenly.

A bit more info may be useful.

[ 13. March 2008, 07:51 PM: Message edited by: Lady of Leisure ]

 

sorry guys!! ok so more info.

had it about 18 months. Not sure exactly what kind of citrus tree it is . It is bitter oranges which are maybe walnut size. It is growing indoors on the kitchen windowsill. Last year it had absolutely loads of fruit on it and it still has loads on now but I only found out yesterday that a citrus tree doesnt shed its fruit and i should be removing them. To be honest I have been talking them off when they have got kind of soft. You cant really eat them unless you like really bitter things so are there mainly for show.

I have not fed it and when i went to garden centre yesterday there was a winter feed and a summer feed so maybe I should wait a bit until the summer feed?

I just thought that these plants usually flowere jan to feb time but this one hasnt flowered and doesnt look like its ready too but apart from that seems healthy enough.

hope this helps!

 

Hello again l-g.

I would definitely say you have a Calamondin. They are very popular here, and don't come cheap. I keep toying with the idea of getting one and am going to the garden centre today so may well do! :rolleyes:

Now to your predicament. Living in the midst of citrus orchards or groves, I can confirm you have to pick the fruit or it just rots and drops, not very pleasant. Like all citrus you can tell when they are ripe to pick by the feel, not hard, not soft but with a little give to the touch.

My sister (Kedi-Gato from Germany on GC) bought one last year I think. She comes back from a short holiday this weekend so I will alert her to come on here and perhaps she can give you a little first-hand knowledge.

In the meantime, here are some interesting facts regarding this fruit ...

http://www.geocities.com/verymad_scientist/

 

I'd definitly remove a good bit of the old fruit I think. The old fruit can restrict growth, I've found.
Flowers can come at anytime of the year really but spring tends to be when they flower most so there is still time.
Feeding would probably be a good idea, I'd just start now with the summer stuff as it indoors.

 

My Citrus trees have not flowered yet, but if they perform like in the past I'm not worried theres plenty of time still. Last year my Lemon flowered most of the late spring and summer.

Trevor

 

Hi lazy-gardener. I agree with Sis that you have a Calamondin. Here is a pic of mine taken this afternoon.





I think I bought it about 2 years ago. It has these 4 fruits right at the bottom of the stem and a couple of tiny ones are now growing at the top of the treelet.

 

Kedi, if I'm not mistaken, it looks like the four fruits at the bottom are growing on the rootstock.
There appears to be a graft just above them.
I could be wrong, its difficult to see for sure from this angle.

 

Hi pete, you are right, the fruits are growing out of the stem below the graft. I did wonder if they are not true Calamondins but fruit of whatever rootstock had been used to graft the C. on to. It looks wierd, doesn't it?

There are two weeny fruits now growing up on the top of the grafted part.

 

Seems harsh but I think they need to come off.
Are they lemons, do you think?

Makes you wonder if it might not be better to let the rootstock grow on, although maybe after those fruits are cut there may not be anymore dormant buds down there.

 

I'll have closer look at it tomorrow in the daylight, Pete, and get back to you.

I wonder where lazy-gardener is, I thought she would have been back here.

 

Pete - here is a close-up showing the graft and the fruits growing below it.

I don't think they are lemons but I am not sure. The two larger ones are round like the Calamondins are, just the two smaller ones have a bit of a pointed end.

If I don't remove them, what will happen? Will branches eventually grow from the rootstock too? Or will they prevent the two weeny fruits growing on the top from developing?


Sis said that it might be a good idea if I put the photo in ! Sorry about that




[ 19. March 2008, 01:21 PM: Message edited by: Kedi-Gato ]

 

Dont know what they are Kedi, who knows what they use for rootstocks. :confused:

They must be different from the top growth though, otherwise there would be no reason to graft.

They look ripe to me, think I'd have to take one off and cut it open, to see whats inside and how it tastes.
You could get some shoots coming from that area later, and if you do, you could try using it as a cutting and growing it on.

Probably, by rights you should remove all the lower fruits as they are taking the strength from the top growth, which is the plant you are supposed to be growing and the one you bought.

 

They do look like lemons, Sis.

Here's an interesting article regarding citrus fruits, rootstocks, etc, but not sure it tells us anything about your problem. :rolleyes:

http://www.tmorganics.com/gardening_art,conmap,2432

I agree with pete regarding removing the lower fruits which are taking the nourishment from the Calamondim itself.

Note to self and Sis ... sort this problem out before the tree comes here.