Possible to tell if getting enough sunlight?

3 years ago

I keep my potted citrus on my front porch (East facing). They get wonderful morning sun and the porch overhang shades them during the afternoon. This was great during the hot summer months as it gave my container trees a little reprieve in the triple digit heat.
Summer is slowly turning to autumn in Phoenix, and while the daytime temperature still hits the nineties, the days are getting shorter, which cuts into the amount of sun my trees get.
My Meyer lemon continues to grow and keeps putting out new shoots. The leaves are a nice deep green. I was hoping for a fall bloom but I'm worried that the shorter days and only morning sun provides too little sunlight.
Is the tree's continues growth and healthy color an indication that it's getting enough sunlight, or is it possible to have active growth and still not have enough sun to blossom and bloom?

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Comments (8)

poncirusguy6b452xx
3 years ago
Your tree is getting enough sunlight.

Steve
Travis in PHX (9b)
Original Author
3 years ago
Thank you Steve!
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Ken "Fruity Paws" (N-Va 7a)
3 years ago
Travis,

Two things to look Ive found to help to determine plants happiness regarding light levels for my citrus (which are readying for winter hibernation)

Leaf Size: oversized leaves are a hallmark of lower light levels, in many cases, my trees will shed outdoor summer leaves which I will call normal sized and grow new bigger leaves for the lower indoor light levels (even with supplemental) these leaves can be more than 2x in dimensional (so 4x in area) over the summer leaves. Being that your trees are outdoors in natural light (although not a southern exposure), you're leaf size probably wont as good an indicator.

Leaf Internodal distance a plant with plenty of good light will have a shorter internodal distance. If the plant wants more light, it will stretch out towards the light, with longer internodal. If you don't rotate your plant, you'll could see longer internodals on the shaded side as it reaches around or up, though again, in your 9b area, the amount of sunshine may be adequate even on the shaded side, but you would probably see a measurable statistical difference between the outward side and the shaded side.

And my plants are never happy with winter sunshine and supplemental light :(
Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.)
3 years ago
You have plenty of sunlight like that. Several times more than what mines get in winter and mines still grow actively Travis
Travis in PHX (9b)
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks guys, I'll take a look at the internodal distance. The leaves it's grown since I bought it are bigger than the ones it came with. I don't know if that's because it's getting older or because it gets less light than at the nursery it came from. I know it's happy because it continues to grow a lot. I just really hope it blooms in the fall. I know my temperatures here have probably been too high for flowers, but now that autumn is approaching I'm getting scared that I don't see any signs of developing buds. Whew. Deep breath. Let the tree be what it will be. It's not like I have many other options for location anyway.
Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.)
3 years ago
You are a poet and you don't even know it..Ha)

I am surprised that you don't get much flowering! Mines all year long at any given time. Never in FULL bloom all at times, but a few here and there at least. Happy it's finally cooling for you my friend. MIne are all coming in tomorrow. Once last harray for a day, 70's, then back into the 50's by Sunday and possible 20's at night. I think this time my garden flower beds are ging to get knocked out until next summer((

Mike
Travis in PHX (9b)
Original Author
3 years ago
Mine flowered when I bought it in the spring, even fruited some, then the summer came it dropped all the fruit. We finally got in a good rhythm and it's been growing like bonkers for the last 1-2 months. Just no flowers. I told myself that was understandable given the extreme heat, but now that temperatures are livable again I'm turning to other explanations for the lack of flowering.
Travis in PHX (9b)
Original Author
3 years ago
Don't break your back Mike, I know you've got a lot to move in. Glad you got another day of 70s!

Possible to tell if getting enough sunlight?

Comments (8)

poncirusguy6b452xx

Travis in PHX (9b)
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Possible to tell if getting enough sunlight?

Comments (8)

poncirusguy6b452xx

Travis in PHX (9b)Original Author

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Travis in PHX (9b)
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