The lemon, an evergreen tree up to six meters high, is native to the subtropical climates of southwest Asia. Like almost all citrus species, the lemon tree is a self-pollinator.
The flowers and fruits of the lemon tree
Given the right conditions, lemons bloom almost all year round, usually producing flowers and fruit at the same time. The strongly fragrant flowers usually grow individually or up to three on short stalks in the leaf axils. The buds are slightly reddish. The white, cup-shaped calyces have five very short, triangular lobes. They are about four millimeters long. The also five fleshy, white petals have a length of about two centimeters. The approximately seven to 14 centimeters long fruits are actually berries. The period from flowering to fruit ripening is very long, averaging six to nine months. The pale to strong yellow color - depending on the variety - only develops at cooler temperatures.
The fertilization of the lemon tree
Contrary to the opinion of some self-proclaimed citrus experts, which can be read in various garden forums, lemons are self-fertile plants. For this reason, neither a second citrus plant nor human tutoring with a brush are necessary for pollination. With a few exceptions, lemon flowers are hermaphroditic; H. have masculine and feminine characteristics at the same time. In some flowers, however, the female flower traits are stunted. The fertilization takes place either via insects, by the wind or within the hermaphrodite flower. Parthenocarpy, i. H. fruit development without previous fertilization. If you want to be on the safe side, you can shake the tree a little - if it is not outside - and thus stimulate the wind.
My lemon tree produces flowers but no fruit. Why is that?
Many owners of a lemon tree are surprised that their plant produces flowers but no fruit. This is often due to insufficient conditions, i. H. the lemon lacks water, nutrients and/or light. If you pay attention to optimal site conditions, then fruiting should also work. However, there are some lemon varieties, particularly hybrids, that are sterile. This means that these plants - mostly hybrids of different citrus species - are not able to form pollen and thus carry out fertilization and form fruit.
Reasons for lack of fruit development
- Plant is sterile
- Plant receives too little water
- Plant suffers from waterlogging (e.g. due to lack of pot drainage)
- The roots are not intact, which is why not enough nutrients can be passed on.
- The fertilization is not sufficient.
- Plant suffers from lack of light (especially in winter!)
- The pot is too small.
First of all, check the criteria mentioned and improve the site conditions and the care of the lemon tree accordingly. If it does not fruit even under optimal conditions, then the tree is sterile.
tips and tricks
Since almost every flower leads to a fruit, sometimes there are simply too many lemons that the tree cannot support. For this reason, excess fruit is usually discarded. However, if (almost) all fruit is regularly dropped, then the tree usually lacks water.