Lemon trees (Citrus limon) are self-pollinating citrus plants which may be grown year-round. Lemons, like other citrus trees, typically keep a complete crop set within 3 decades of planting. When you purchase a orange tree in a pot, then it has generally been growing for approximately 1 to 2 decades, but this pre-planting age doesn’t count towards the tree official age. If your tree has been in the ground for many years and isn’t thriving, then there are different chances to investigate like an environmental imbalance or disease.
Complete Maturity
It is possible that a 2-year-old lemon tree hasn’t reached maturity. The average time from putting a citrus tree until plants can be picked is just 1 to 2 decades, but it may be as long as 3 years to 4 years depending on individual growth patterns. Trees will not bloom until they reach maturity, because it’s the initial step in reproduction. Blooms also just emerge on a schedule throughout the year. They’re generally most abundant in the spring, but small flourishes can happen in fall and summer.
Environmental Factors
Lemon trees have a very low cold tolerance. If the tree is situated in the improper hardiness zone, it might never bloom. Citrus trees grow best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 10. Late frosts, drought or intense heat may kill young blooms and lead them to fall off or shrivel until the tree has a chance to develop the fruit. In this case, the tree might bloom, but you never see the blossoms. Improper water balance may also cause a delay in or lack of blooming. Lemon trees like routine water with quick drainage, so a very rainy season may cause problems.
Soil Requirements
Lemons require just the right balance of nutrients within their soil. A lack of blooms can be a sign that your tree is suffering from mineral deficiencies. Spread 2 tablespoons of nitrogen under a tree less than 4 years old, indicates the University of California Riverside Research Facility. Duplicate this application three to four times throughout the year, followed by a freezer. Double the amount to 4 tablespoons from the next year of treatment, irrespective of age. Together with nutrient worries, the pH level may also affect a tree’s overall wellness. Citrus trees prefer soils with a slightly acidic to neutral pH of between 6.0 and 7.5.
Rootstock Compatibility
If all else appears normal, it is possible that your lemon tree has a bad graft. Like many other vegetables, lemon trees are most frequently the product of grafting to keep them true to cultivar type. This process requires a scion, a piece of small branch from a donor tree, and attaches it to the roots and trunk of another tree, the rootstock. There’s usually some benefit the rootstock offers the scion, such as faster growth or an alteration in tree size. There are a few combinations of lemon cultivar rootstock and scion which are incompatible in addition to a few viruses that may attack a graft and cause it to fail. A physical malformation is the defining symptom of a bad graft. The area location between the scion and rootstock might split, crack, bump or appear otherwise abnormal. In this case, there’s very little you can do besides buy a new tree.