Dooryard citrus evokes summer days and provides lovely blooms and colorful fruit. Stress from lack of water has been shown to cause a bloom on many citrus trees once the stress is relieved. See this paper, for example. Back in , I moved into my current house and the yard had a mandarin tree. Citrus trees don't need pruning to fruit well, but they may need pruning to fit in your backyard. Old trees benefit from a hard 'renovation' prune every 5—10 years after fruiting — remove dead wood, rubbing branches and inward-facing branches, and reduce all other branches by at least half.
Depending on variety, most citrus trees bloom and set fruit in spring. Fruit "sizes up" through the summer and is ready to harvest in fall and winter. Some varieties have different schedules or may flower or bear fruit off and on through the year, such as lemons, limes and kumquats, which make fun-to-grow container plants.
Citrus trees, such as lemon and orange, are very attractive and not only provide tasty fruit for your family but also make a great addition to your garden. They are beautiful and produce wonderful fragrance when they are blooming. At JMG, we do too!
It is most important during the most active growing months, starting in January or February before the trees bloom. Use an organic citrus and avocado food and follow the label directions. Most budded citrus trees can produce a few fruit in the second year after planting, but usually do not produce until the third year. The most important aspect of growing key lime trees is temperature, which impacts when and how well the tree blooms. These cold-sensitive trees will not tolerate temperatures below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, which means they should be grown in large pots in climates north of USDA plant hardiness zone 9.
Draping the tree with string lights or covering it with a lightweight cotton sheet can help keep the tree warm at night in temperatures below 60 degrees, but they should be removed after the threat of cold has passed. Fertilizer is also vitally important to supporting flower production in key lime trees. Feed them with the solution every two weeks during the spring and summer months.
Sasha Degnan is a freelance writer and educator specializing in gardening and horticulture. The mulch will help to conserve moisture and smother competitive weeds. Fertilize the lime tree once a month from spring through fall with a granular fertilizer, high in nitrogen and phosphorus, recommends the University of Florida.
Hand spread the fertilizer around the base of the tree, following all package instructions. Nitrogen will promote healthy green growth, while phosphorus will encourage flower production, forcing the tree to bloom on time. Remove damaged or weak branches in the spring. Use pruning shears, making a degree angled cut just above the leaf node or lateral branch.
If the branch is to be completely removed, make the cut flush with the trunk of the tree. When the water drains out of the drainage hole in the container, it also depletes nutrients from the soil, so feeding the dwarf citrus tree is a must. After reaching its full height, a dwarf key lime trees will begin to bear fruit in about years. The tree flowers in the spring, with fruit following in late spring to early summer if the flowers fall off without bearing fruit, that means your tree is not yet mature enough to bear fruit.
So…when do you actually harvest the limes? When limes are fully ripe, they actually turn yellow.
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