[Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page

[Dick]

Assuming this lemon tree is young, Vergie, it may not set any fruit at all 
until it is a little more mature with foliage and a root system that can 
sustain a crop. A young, juvenile tree will, in my experience, bloom like 
crazy but drop all or most on the fruit because it has not the strength to 
hold and mature it. A tree will hold only an amount of fruit that will not 
jeopardize the whole organism. I think it is a self preservation thing. I 
predict, however, that when blooming is all done, there will be a few fruit 
on the tree. Any respectable fruit tree will produce many more blooms than 
it needs for a bumper crop.  Feed and water it properly and in time you will 
be amply rewarded.

I have a sweet lemon tree that is thirty five years old loaded with fruit no 
one will eat; also, a Naval, a Tangerine, a tangelo a grapefruit and a 
pommelo. You almost can't stop citrus from producing in  your climate and 
this one but citrus will instinctly shed immature fruit when it percieves it 
to be a burden that might threaton its existence or make it more 
susceptable, in a weakened, stressful condition, to diseases.

Fruit from a seedling is quite iffy. It may produce fruit unfit for pigs, 
but, if that is the case and the tree is healthy, find someone who can bud 
other varieties on it. In Florida, a person with those skills should not be 
difficult to find. I believe lemon may run true from seed but don't quote 
me.

Dick Gross, Sec Ed/Arizona Rare Fruit Growers
Master Gardener Volunteer
University of Arizona MaricopaCounty
Cooperative Extension

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <VDAKPARTY at aol.com>
To: <arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu>
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2008 10:33 AM
Subject: [Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page


> Vergie Thompson
> 85205
> VDAKPARTY at aol.com
>
> I have a lemon tree grown from seed from Florida.  It is loaded with buds 
> and blooms but does not seem to be setting fruit at all.  Thank you for 
> any info you may have on this.
>
>
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