Pollination of lemon tree in greenhouse

I have a Meyeri lemon tree in my greenhouse that has decided to put out lots of blossoms. Will shaking the branches be enough to pollinate them or are insects required? If insects are needed, I suppose it will just have to wait for another month when I can put it outside for the summer (in April sometime) and tell it to make more blossoms then. Does anyone know what is required for pollination of lemon trees in greenhouses?

You may want to use a small soft artist brush to pollinate the flowers making sure the pollen gets to the stigma. If the odor is strong enough, the bees will find a way into the greenhouse. I was surprised at the number of bees that get into my greenhouse. My greenhouse is not all that air tight so they do find their way in. Open the greenhouse on a warmish day and let a few bees in. In some locations, Meyer lemons bloom all year long. In others only once or twice a year. They don't take instructions well so help Mother Nature out and use the brush. Even with pollination don't be surprised if most of the flowers and or small fruit fall off. It's natural for that to happen. It self thins and keeps what it can support.

Thanks for the advice. I'm not sure I'm ready to start pollinating the flowers - it sounds like something they should be able to take care of themselves! But I realize a closed up GH is not the same as being outside. Maybe I'll try this weekend as soon as more of the blossoms open up completely. Thanks.

I was surprised last summer when more of the fruit (actually all of it except one) fell off after looking okay for a while. The one that was left grew and made a beautiful lemon that I picked the day after Christmas Small crop, but that one was tasty.

stillwood, I had a Meyer lemon tree in my house for several years. I summered it outside and finally gave it away this past Fall since it got too big for me to move. Mine always bloomed and set fruit even though it lived in my living room from October til May. I didn't do much to it except water it and I got quite a few lemons off it every season. There was always some fruit drop but that's true of most fruit trees, I think.

Roseone33 - thanks for the info. It's encouraging that you had success. Tonight one blossom is wide open and the smell is wonderful. I'll give it a shake every day or so as more blossoms open up and see if that does it. In a month I will be able to move it outside safely and then it can do its own thing.

Someday I may try using a brush early in the season - although I have never seen that done and will just have to use my imagination (pollination has not been MY job through the years!!).

I have a 9 year old Meyer Lemon in my greenhouse, stillwood. First year I had the greenhouse, I worried about pollination too---especially since I had gone to great lengths to make sure the unit was as "airtight" as possible. So I carefully swabbed each flower with a Q-Tip, trying to be a bee. It worked! Had a great crop of lemons, and felt real proud of myself. Did it again the next year with the same results. Then I got lazy, and stopped trying to be a bee. Fruit production almost doubled (although smaller). It's got 42 small lemons on it right now without the benefit of bees. The plant is older now, but I don't think that alone accounts for the increase in production. My guess is that you don't necessarilly need bees to polinate flowers---other critters must do it too, even if accidentally. White flies and soil gnats must be good for something!

StonoRiver - that is really encouraging. It seems in nature (plants and children) things go right frequently not because of what we do, but in spite of what we do. Of course, we still have to try - but apparently it will all go on even if we don't really have all the answers. 42 lemons sounds wonderful - I was thrilled with 1 last year. I'll keep my fingers crossed.