How Do I Coax a Honeybell Tangelo to Bloom?

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RxBenson Pikesville, MD(Zone 7a) Jan 10, 2014

My plants are at least seven years old, started from seed. (The first one I ever ate had seeds, but almost all since have been seedless...) They are together in a tub and will probably need potting-up to larger accommodations this spring as they are almost 4-ft tall now and quite fully branched. (The photo is from April 2013.)

They spend the winter on the floor in front of an east window. (They used to be on the sill....) Their summers are spent in the yard here in Zone 7.

I know that late winter is their bloom time in their native FL habitat, but I have never seen any semblance of intent to bloom from them here in MD -- or in NJ where they began.

Do they need a winter chill rather than room temperature? Grow lights? Are they too immature to bloom yet? I don't dream of raising my own fruit, but I would adore having them flower. Is there a fertilizer trick or a photo-period problem?

Thank you for all assistance.

Roxanna

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frogymon Lisle, IL(Zone 5a) Jan 22, 2014

Citrus, like almost all fruit trees, are grafts of the fruit variety onto root stock and they may not produce true when grown from seed, which may be why yours hasn't flowered. I live in the Phoenix, AZ area and my lemon is in full bloom right now, but it much larger than yours, so age could also be an issue, although I've seen smaller ones at local nurseries and plant departments that are also in bloom.

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RxBenson Pikesville, MD(Zone 7a) Jan 23, 2014

Indeed, since mine are F1s, they technically aren't "tangelos," but I don't know what else to call them.

I have two plants, so I would be thrilled to have them both bloom and fruit so I could see what they each turn out to be.

I've had 8-ft grapefruit plants that were non-bloomers, too.

The blooming ones offered for sale are probably all dwarf hybrids meant for pot culture, and forced into bloom in greenhouses.

I just want my babies to experience blooming. VBG

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