Lime Tree drops fruit

Hi

I know its been mentioned in a post lower down but I have the same problem of fruits falling before they're mature. Also they have lots of pith and hardly any flesh. Last year they went yellow and fell off at half an inch diameter but this year there has been a small improvement to 2 inch diameter before going pale yellow and dropping. It is high summer in Spain (Zone 9b - 10a) now and pretty hot. The 4 ft plant is containerised (40cm pot) and stays out in sheltered courtyard all winter. It get watered regularly and fed with proprietary citrus feed from early spring. It has dark green glossy leaves and is otherwise very healthy

Does anyone know what causes this?

Thanks in advance
Lizzy

Opps ...wrong picture- don't have the one I wanted any more!!!

Soz
Lizzy

This message was edited Jul 3, 2006 1:16 PM

Lizzy, this is exactly what happens in the normal course of things with my Key Lime tree, a variety which normally produces small fruits. The fruits turn yellow, and I know they are fully ripe when they fall into my hand at a touch or fling themselves onto the floor. I think they have the most flavor at this stage, so I pretty much use them as they drop. (They'll keep for a week or so in the fridge, of course.)

From your description, I wonder if yours might be a Key Lime or something similar? Of course, I have no idea how a plant that's normally found around the Florida Keys would end up in Spain, LOL... I had to special order mine when our local nursery did their annual winter trip, asking them to please include a Key Lime for me in their truckload.

I have a bearss lime that is doing extreemly well here in so cal, a zone almost as high as yours. I am also growing in a container on the patio, mine is about 2 years old. I have not yet harvested, as my limes are still very firm and green. It's dark outside, but I will try to get a pic later today.

Well thanks critter for your input. I don't know what type of lime this is. I bought it in a local nursery. Looking at my photo, do you think it looks like a Key Lime or some other kind?

It is only the second attempt at fruiting. This year my 4 fruit have been reduced to 1 now but it still looks green and it's hanging on there!!!

Incidentally when I cut open the ones that dropped off they were mostly pith and hardly any segment so I presumed they were dropping before they were mature.

I'd like to encourage them to stay on next year - any tips?

Gardenerme....... I reckon your plant is younger than mine.

Actually, I have been offered a young Key Lime to be sent over in exchange for some spanish seeds by dale_a_gardener. I'd love to take him up on this but am struggling to find any new and interesting seeds he probably doesn't already have!!!

I can't tell from your photo if yours might be a Key Lime or not, probably just my own ignorance in not knowing the identifying features. However, the little limes from my tree have a thin skin and lots of juicy fruit within the rind, very little pith, so I think you are probably right in guessing that yours is not a Key Lime.

My lime tree bloomed several times and immediately aborted all fruits before they were even pea sized before finally blooming and setting a nice little crop, so it may just be a matter of your tree not yet being mature.

Just one more thing...This lime tree has no spines. I should have noticed before. do lime trees have some varieties without spines??????

Critter - I guess it just needs to setle down to it's location. Thanks

There are some 'thornless' Tahitian limes are sold here in the US. This link shows photos of the different varieties of limes.
http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/limes.html

I also came across these two paragraphs as possible explanations for your pithy fruit:

"Citrus harvest time is here and it is not unusual to find some fruits that are lacking juice. Dry or pithy citrus fruit can be the result of excess nitrogen or potassium, not enough water during a drought period, minor element deficiencies (especially zinc, iron and manganese), cold damage, unhealthy rootstock, or over mature fruit.

You will need to be a detective to find out the exact cause of your problem. Occasionally trees never produce juicy fruit. If your fruit is dry and pithy for two years even after you have tried all the remedies, then you may have to admit that you will never have good fruit. Early fruit such as the navel oranges seem to be the ones whose fruit gets very dry. Navel trees prefer a dry climate but there are some good producing trees in this area. Their fruit are fully mature in December even if the peel is not as orange as you think it should be. Pick one and try it, you may be surprised."

I noticed that your lime tree is in a black pot. It could be responsible for some of your problems. When I lived in the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area, I had 10 healthy citrus varieties, growing in either 24" or 30" resin pots. My Meyer lemon produced fruit year round. All the others produced yearly. I've spent the last three years, here in central Texas, trying to find the perfect location for my new citrus trees. I think the rootballs are getting too hot. This year, I'm shading the pots to see if that helps.

Hello Bettydee

You have you have been so helpful. I would never have found that information myself. I will have to try changing the pot for one thing.

From the photos on the link I think mine could be Bearss lime - which is great because we are not really in a Key lime climate here.

Thank you so much for answering my post. I'll let you know how I get on.

Cheers
Lizzy

I also suggest that when the fruit sets, after blooming, that you 'cull' the smaller fruit and leave just 2 or 3 on a branch end...even just one or 2. That will make better fruit, not stress the end of the branch and encourage the tree to set better fruit. HTH

Thank you Aloha...the tree answered its own prayer and shed all but one - which has stayed the course - I hope it is good and juicy!