All leaves, no lemons
Gigi Asked
We are a senior apartment building and have had this lemon tree (brought back from Florida about seven years ago). It grows to the ceiling often and I trim it. It is pretty, but are we ever going to have lemons? All of the older people here say they don’t understand why? Maybe you can give us some insight?
The Gardener’s Answer
Hi, Gigi: Lemons require 8-10 hours of light each day. This is a challenge during our winters in Kentucky. Hopefully you have a south facing window that allows the lemon to receive as much light as possible indoors. Grow lights are helpful if a sunny window is not available. Since your seven-year-old tree is thriving enough to reach the ceiling, it is definitely mature enough to produce fruit. The frequent trimming to manage its height may be accidentally removing the buds that could become flowers. Try a “heading” cut in late winter to keep it at a manageable 5 to 6 feet. This will encourage more horizontal growth and fruit bearing side branches. Use a fertilizer specifically for citrus trees during the growing season. Finally, since indoor trees lack natural pollinators, you might need to help the residents “be the bee” by using a small paintbrush to hand pollinate any blossoms that appear. Since the tree was brought from Florida seven years ago, it has likely spent its life adjusting to the Kentucky climate. Modify the pruning schedule, proper fertilization, and hand pollinating is the best way to finally see those lemons.
Angie Oakley
Kentucky Living- Ask the Gardener
