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Second set of blooms on satsuma

11 years ago

I have seen many discussions in the forum about Meyers blooming multiple times per year, but not a lot on other citrus doing so. The tree is potted and bloomed back in January and dropped all the fruit. It has now been outside or about two months and started to bloom last week. Has anyone else had one bloom multiple times? My in ground satsuma only blooms once per year.

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Comments (3)

johnmerr
11 years ago
A lot of mandarins, some lemons including Meyers, and some smaller citrus like calamondin and kumquat tend to bloom every time they are very well or too well fed.

My garden Meyers bloom the whole year, but have a major bloom only twice; but my field Meyers only bloom twice.

My inground calamondin blooms almost the whole year; and my inground kumquat and to a lesser extent my Pixie mandarins bloom at various times of the year.
timsf
11 years ago
Citrus flowering is largely determined by genetic regulatory factors. Researchers in Japan have identified four main genes involved in Satsuma flower induction (during their Fall/Winter) and blooming (in Spring). So, in Japan, Satsumas naturally bloom once/year, and are alternate bearing.

However, environmental factors (photoperiodism, temperature, water, culture/feeding, etc.) do play a role. Satsumas in Spain, for example have a tendency to not bear fruit in alternate years and is likely due to the country's more moderate climate. Similarly, your in-ground Satsuma will exhibit the same natural single flowering inclination, while your potted Satsuma which may have seen warmer temps/increased artificial light or even water stress(!), etc. might be more predisposed to flowering at a slightly different time or even bloom a second time in comparison to your ground-planted Satsuma.

And just as the Satsuma is naturally inclined to bloom once/year, the Meyer is programmed to do so a couple times/year (or more given more favorable environs). Again, this is dictated by (most likely) the same set of genes, but which are regulated slightly differently. For instance, in Trifoliate orange, two additional genes (CsAP1 & CuFUL) are expressed during flowering, but these two genes (though present) are turned off/inactive in the Satsuma. What's the difference between the two citrus? The Satsuma is evergreen and bears flowers in the Spring, while the Trifoliate is deciduous, has two induction periods (separated by a dormant stage) and then blooms in the Summer.

Tim
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