What happened to my limes?!

[djayz]

I planted 6 lime trees about 6 weeks ago in the back garden. Some were grown from seed and the others were bought from nurseries about 6 months ago and were already grafted and bearing 2 to 3 small limes per plant when I purchased them.

Two of the purchased plants had wonderful flowers recently and some very small fruit began growing on them (see photos). Within about 7 to 10 days all the blossoms and fruit simply fell off the trees for no apparent reason.

I water them every 5 to 7 days, depending on the weather. I didn't add any fertilizer to the plants before or after planting (just added a bit of organic matter to the soil before planting).

Any ideas as to why I lost my first crop of limes? The plants are still quite small and young.

I've already checked the Farming forum for threads regarding limes, but I haven't found any threads which talk specifically about this problem.

Any comments would be welcomed.

Thanking you in advance.

[soidog2]

It's not unusual for young trees to loose their crop, if no other symptoms are showing (yellowing leafs or variegated leaves or severely curled leaves) don't worry about it.

In a few month they will flower again and perhaps at that time fruit will stick.

Check the soil at about a foot depth make sure there is enough moisture according to your watering schedule.

[djayz]

It's not unusual for young trees to loose their crop, if no other symptoms are showing (yellowing leafs or variegated leaves or severely curled leaves) don't worry about it.

In a few month they will flower again and perhaps at that time fruit will stick.

Check the soil at about a foot depth make sure there is enough moisture according to your watering schedule.

Thank you Soidog! That is a relief!

The leaves all look fine and there are no other symptoms. The trees seem to have taken to the soil immediately after I planted them - no signs of stress. I assumed I should have watered them more/less or fertilized them during the blossoming stage.

Anyways, I much appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions. I'll wait until they flower again and see what happens next time.

Good luck.

[xen]

How old are the trees ? Usually citrus should not be allowed to bear fruit until 3 years as a general rule , as they need to establish themselves. In this time you can prune and shape the tree. In fact it is good practice to remove the flowers to encourage establishment and strength in the plant .

Another reason why flowers do drop off is too much nitrogen at flowering stage - i know you said you didn't add fertilizer but keep this in mind for later.

[JHolmesJr]

Looks like you got some lemons.

[djayz]

How old are the trees ? Usually citrus should not be allowed to bear fruit until 3 years as a general rule , as they need to establish themselves. In this time you can prune and shape the tree. In fact it is good practice to remove the flowers to encourage establishment and strength in the plant .

Another reason why flowers do drop off is too much nitrogen at flowering stage - i know you said you didn't add fertilizer but keep this in mind for later.

Thanks a lot for your input; I hadn't thought about the age of the trees. The plants are approx. 18 to 24 months old so based on your reply, they're not ready yet. I'll wait another 12 to 24 months and see what happens then.

I've really gotten into gardening over the past year and it's now my no. 1 hobby.

The growth of certain vegetables surpasses my expectations so I'm pretty sure the soil where I live is really good (something my better half constantly reminds me of).

Unfortunately I want all my veggies, fruit and herbs to bear produce equally well - hence my constant questions regarding this or that. Sometimes I'm quite disappointed when certain vegetables don't do well (e.g. I can't get a single carrot to grow) so I was really concerned about my limes.

I really appreciate all the advice I've received here in the Farming/gardening forum. You guys are top blokes. Ta!

Edited February 23, 2016 by djayz

[drtreelove]

How old are the trees ? Usually citrus should not be allowed to bear fruit until 3 years as a general rule , as they need to establish themselves. In this time you can prune and shape the tree. In fact it is good practice to remove the flowers to encourage establishment and strength in the plant .

Another reason why flowers do drop off is too much nitrogen at flowering stage - i know you said you didn't add fertilizer but keep this in mind for later.

Also, the period of time between flowering / fruit set and up until the young fruit is about 1 - 1.5 cm in diameter, is a critical period of time where you don't want any stressful impact on the trees. Water deficit, harsh chemical fertilizer, overpruning, transplanting, etc can cause fruit to drop.

I notice in your photos that the leaves are being chewed, probably by caterpillars (larvae of a moth). If this factor is causing extensive foliage loss, then it can contribute to physiological stress and fruit drop. Leaf surface is important to maintain and not allow defoliation, as leaves are where the sugars are produced through photosynthesis, that feed the tree tissues, flower and fruit development.

[Scoop1]

I have to agree with drtreelove, there is no way that tree would support the fruit loading it has, there are not enough healthy leaves to support the fruiting stage so you end up with fruitlet drop, you need to get rid of the bugs that are eating the leaves first, and also a potassium based fertiliser will help after you rectify the pest problem.

Cheers

Scoop

[soidog2]

Just for fun, air rooted about 8 month ago from a tree that had limes with orange flesh, sweet & sour.

Must have cross pollinated with one of the orange trees.

It flowered like crazy, it was full of fruit. I removed most of them, it is only about 18" tall.

Posted from my phone, the picture is sideways; the site should have a photo editor !!!!

Edited February 29, 2016 by soidog2

[manfredtillmann]

citrus trees love acidic soils. most soils in - i don't know where you live - tropical drenched thailand are barren of anything.

try this - and don't call me rude:

if you are a male above the age of 45 - pee on and around your lemon / lime tree twice a week. if you drink beer, have a few before you do.

and rather than flaming me over this post get back to me in 6 months time...

[djayz]

citrus trees love acidic soils. most soils in - i don't know where you live - tropical drenched thailand are barren of anything.

try this - and don't call me rude:

if you are a male above the age of 45 - pee on and around your lemon / lime tree twice a week. if you drink beer, have a few before you do.

and rather than flaming me over this post get back to me in 6 months time...

Nothing rude about that. I usually pee in a bucket, mix with water (1:5) and then water my plants with it. However, I didn't do this with these lime trees while they were flowering as I wasn't sure if that would have an adverse effect or not.

I have the greenest and healtiest looking hedge and flowers in the whole of Isan... ?

[djayz]

How old are the trees ? Usually citrus should not be allowed to bear fruit until 3 years as a general rule , as they need to establish themselves. In this time you can prune and shape the tree. In fact it is good practice to remove the flowers to encourage establishment and strength in the plant .

Another reason why flowers do drop off is too much nitrogen at flowering stage - i know you said you didn't add fertilizer but keep this in mind for later.

Also, the period of time between flowering / fruit set and up until the young fruit is about 1 - 1.5 cm in diameter, is a critical period of time where you don't want any stressful impact on the trees. Water deficit, harsh chemical fertilizer, overpruning, transplanting, etc can cause fruit to drop.

I notice in your photos that the leaves are being chewed, probably by caterpillars (larvae of a moth). If this factor is causing extensive foliage loss, then it can contribute to physiological stress and fruit drop. Leaf surface is important to maintain and not allow defoliation, as leaves are where the sugars are produced through photosynthesis, that feed the tree tissues, flower and fruit development.

Thanks Drtreelove. There has been the odd caterpillar on the lime trees but I kill them as soon as I find any. However, the damage was minimal with only the odd leaf eaten. Edited February 29, 2016 by djayz

[BAMBOO13]

Can you take a photo of the whole tree, including pot, some pots can be toxic to plants, have you checked the ph of the soil

check here for some help

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/horticulture/citrus/management/other-information/soil

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

Another tip. Paint the tree stems with a white pva paint, about 10 cm wide, it prevent ants from carrying aphids on to the trees. They dont cross the line so to speak. Plant garlic and marigolds around the trees it keeps bugs away.

As to the flowering and fruits I would suggest you must not allow them to bear fruit for the next 2 years. The trees use too much "energy" to produce the fruit which them decrease their growth.

[dotpoom]

"What happened to my limes"

I was asking myself the same question only recently. When I first came to Thailand i used to get half a one with my Chow Pat Gui, now I only get a quarter....along with the "fans", ladies use to use them a lot then ...and the putting of the hand over the mouth when laughing....all seem to be slowly disheartening.

Apologist for diverting.

[mydee]

In actual fact it is better to debud young citrus until they area few years old This encourages the development of the tree until it is mature enough to bear a good crop after 3 or 4 years

How old are the trees ? Usually citrus should not be allowed to bear fruit until 3 years as a general rule , as they need to establish themselves. In this time you can prune and shape the tree. In fact it is good practice to remove the flowers to encourage establishment and strength in the plant .

Another reason why flowers do drop off is too much nitrogen at flowering stage - i know you said you didn't add fertilizer but keep this in mind for later.

Thanks a lot for your input; I hadn't thought about the age of the trees. The plants are approx. 18 to 24 months old so based on your reply, they're not ready yet. I'll wait another 12 to 24 months and see what happens then.
I've really gotten into gardening over the past year and it's now my no. 1 hobby.
The growth of certain vegetables surpasses my expectations so I'm pretty sure the soil where I live is really good (something my better half constantly reminds me of).
Unfortunately I want all my veggies, fruit and herbs to bear produce equally well - hence my constant questions regarding this or that. Sometimes I'm quite disappointed when certain vegetables don't do well (e.g. I can't get a single carrot to grow) so I was really concerned about my limes.
I really appreciate all the advice I've received here in the Farming/gardening forum. You guys are top blokes. Ta!

[Stupi]

From my experience looks like the few caterpillars you have taken off they have munched some leaves, there will be many more you cannot see that are affecting the growth of the plant. Spray with a good chemical to eradicate these pests, on monthly basis.

Peeing around the plants is very good, suggested to em by a plant nursery owner many years ago, it really works.

All citrus plants need water more that twice a week, even a small amount each day, I used to use drip irrigation on my orchard back in the old country and had fantastic crops of all citrus fruits.

Good luck

[F4UCorsair]

It may have already been said, but it's not unusual for plants to suffer 'transplant shock', and drop fruit and/or leaves. I'm sure it's true of lime plants also, although I have no experience with them.

If they are otherwise OK, just continue what you're doing.

[Roy Jing]

Down below is the web address to a show on growing citrus I watched on tv a while ago. It should have some information that will help you.

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s4310556.htm

[bazza40]

citrus trees love acidic soils. most soils in - i don't know where you live - tropical drenched thailand are barren of anything.

try this - and don't call me rude:

if you are a male above the age of 45 - pee on and around your lemon / lime tree twice a week. if you drink beer, have a few before you do.

and rather than flaming me over this post get back to me in 6 months time...

Not rude, but puzzling. Why does the age of 45 have significance? Pee is pee. Also, are you saying women don't meet the pee specifications?

[chudless]

Water more as well, they love a soak every couple of days.

[manfredtillmann]

citrus trees love acidic soils. most soils in - i don't know where you live - tropical drenched thailand are barren of anything.

try this - and don't call me rude:

if you are a male above the age of 45 - pee on and around your lemon / lime tree twice a week. if you drink beer, have a few before you do.

and rather than flaming me over this post get back to me in 6 months time...

Not rude, but puzzling. Why does the age of 45 have significance? Pee is pee. Also, are you saying women don't meet the pee specifications?

no, it certainly is not. ask any pathologist.

however - i do not have a scientific explanation, my post is based on experience gained from some 35 years of growing lemons for my own personal use. girls or women certainly do NOT qualify (hormones perhaps? or lack of aim?) and the younger the male the less successful is his urine treatment. i know that from getting much better fruits as i am getting older and from the state of my lime trees in thailand when i am not there and the boys (9 & 11) have to take over. as for the beer - i had a dry spell for some 20 years and since i have taken up beer worshiping again my citrus crop has improved 100%.

one can probably achieve similarly good results by using chemicals to lower the ph level of soil - but this method is as easy as piss

Edited March 1, 2016 by manfredtillmann

[Suradit69]

citrus trees love acidic soils. most soils in - i don't know where you live - tropical drenched thailand are barren of anything.

try this - and don't call me rude:

if you are a male above the age of 45 - pee on and around your lemon / lime tree twice a week. if you drink beer, have a few before you do.

and rather than flaming me over this post get back to me in 6 months time...

Make sure the neighbors see you doing this and you'll not be bothered by people stealing the fruit in future.

[chilli42]

I am totally impressed with this thread! Knowledgeable, thoughtful and helpful responses.

[robertson468]

I am totally impressed with this thread! Knowledgeable, thoughtful and helpful responses.

Me too! Well done Guys. Have just started growing three orange trees from pips and now turning my attention to limes. Will take in all this invaluable and helpful advice.

[manfredtillmann]

citrus trees love acidic soils. most soils in - i don't know where you live - tropical drenched thailand are barren of anything.

try this - and don't call me rude:

if you are a male above the age of 45 - pee on and around your lemon / lime tree twice a week. if you drink beer, have a few before you do.

and rather than flaming me over this post get back to me in 6 months time...

Make sure the neighbors see you doing this and you'll not be bothered by people stealing the fruit in future.

not surprisingly - my neighbors have started to copy me...

i really don't have any (neighbors). the ones that ride or drive past always ask, but. lots of laughter.

i do my 'fertilising' after dark...

[meatboy]

citrus trees love acidic soils. most soils in - i don't know where you live - tropical drenched thailand are barren of anything.

try this - and don't call me rude:

if you are a male above the age of 45 - pee on and around your lemon / lime tree twice a week. if you drink beer, have a few before you do.

and rather than flaming me over this post get back to me in 6 months time...

do i qualify? cider drinker,over 70,got quite a few lime/lemon tree's over 4yrs.old lime's are ok.but lemon mai mee.

[manfredtillmann]

citrus trees love acidic soils. most soils in - i don't know where you live - tropical drenched thailand are barren of anything.

try this - and don't call me rude:

if you are a male above the age of 45 - pee on and around your lemon / lime tree twice a week. if you drink beer, have a few before you do.

and rather than flaming me over this post get back to me in 6 months time...

do i qualify? cider drinker,over 70,got quite a few lime/lemon tree's over 4yrs.old lime's are ok.but lemon mai mee.

don't really know, mate, it's all piss and error.

try what i wrote and get back to me on this one in october 16 / 559

cheers

[mango66]

citrus trees love acidic soils. most soils in - i don't know where you live - tropical drenched thailand are barren of anything.

try this - and don't call me rude:

if you are a male above the age of 45 - pee on and around your lemon / lime tree twice a week. if you drink beer, have a few before you do.

and rather than flaming me over this post get back to me in 6 months time...

Nothing rude about that. I usually pee in a bucket, mix with water (1:5) and then water my plants with it. However, I didn't do this with these lime trees while they were flowering as I wasn't sure if that would have an adverse effect or not.

I have the greenest and healtiest looking hedge and flowers in the whole of Isan...

flowers in Isaan !

Do buffalows like them ?

[Slain]

I know Citrus family are prone to red spider mite when the plant is in low humidity, or drought conditions. Not sure if that's could be part of the problem in your growing conditions.. If it is, the mites are hard to detect because they are almost microscopic in size. But still give plants a considerable check in growth.