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Lemon's Lament

15 years ago

One year and one half year past, with curiosity and perhaps perverse ennui, I resurrected and interred the significance of one large grocery store lemon ($1.13). To my delight, and subsequent obsession, the sprout rose from it's small clay and earthen funerary.

Parting to the prosaic: It grew. It's grown several branches and pot sizes. It is currently residing in what only could be described as 50 pounds of sandy soil. I water roughly 2ce weekly, and give it some plant food (non specific brand or measurement) 1ce every 2 weeks.

1. What is one of the many things I'm doing wrong?

2. What are the odds/circumstances that this plant will fruit?

Time is of no consequence, all I have is time.

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Comments (2)

xentar_gw
15 years ago
Citrus likes an acidic soil. You could probably get that with a citrus fertilizer, or the cheaper way would be to get a hand full of mixed green, brown, partially composted and composted pine needles and mix in and around the soil a couple times a year.

Odds the plant will produce fruit? As long as it survives and does OK, it should fruit at about 8-11 years of age, maybe sooner if it's really "happy". In general, Lemons and Limes from seeds usually produce fruit like their parent plants.
softmentor
15 years ago
your poetic patter is most meaningful. The musings of a verified garden soul.
Your concern is for naught, good gardenation. The young tree is but a young back, not ready for saddle and rider. Give it yet a few more seasons and it will bear in good time. (seedlings often take several years to develop the hormones to produce fruit. grafted bud wood from a mature, producing tree will bear much sooner)
You may be fertilizing a bit too much as well. To much nitrogen produces lots of green growth but little fruit. Once a month is quite a lot and none in winter till it warms and growth starts up again.
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Whole branches are turning black and dying now. Vascular system is deteriorating rapidly. Should I yank it? Will other plants be affected? Can I hold out for some fruit to ripen? There are very few diseases where foliage turns back and Late Blight ( P.infestans) is one of them. Another is Gray Mold but with that one there isn't the wilting and dire prognosis. Why don't you check out those two diseases in the Problem Solver #2 or online via Google and see if any match what you see. Again, it's the dark dark you're calling it black foliage that concerns me. If it's Gray Mold it's treatable, if Late Blight not. Carolyn
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