I have had a miniature lime tree for about ten years. When we brought it home in a small bucket it was producing limes. It stayed in that bucket for about 4 years and didn't get consistent water. When it had pretty much withered away to a 6 inch stump, we then moved it into a larger clay pot for the next 5 years. Numerous 1/4 inch shoots with thorns on them grew out but still no limes. When it became root bound again, we planted it in the ground about a year ago. Those thorny shoots took off to the point that it is out growing the limited space we had designated for this tree. I'd like to cut it back some but am not sure if this is a good idea. Any ideas of what I should do and how to get it to produce limes again?
Does this type of tree require a male and female tree? I know many apple trees require a male and female tree. Might be something to look into... Yeah, i just looked, some varieties need both for cross pollination to occur.
About avocado: The avocado fruit does not ripen on the tree, but will fall off or be picked in a hard, green state, then it will ripen quickly on the ground, but depending on the amount of oil that it has, the taste may be very different.
I think what I have read about this tree is you must strip all flowers and tiny fruits for the first two years. It apparently needs time to grow and the presence of flowers or tiny fruit weakens its chances.
I'd recommend using a speciality Citrus fertiliser, and then feeding during the growing season. Citrus plants can sometimes suffer a lack of all of the micro-nutrients that they need, in order to grow and fruit successfully. As it is flowering, I'm also wondering whether you've had any chilly weather around or just after that time, as this could cause the flowers/baby fruits to drop. From your additional comment about splicing, most commercially sold citrus plants are grafted, as this gives the fruiting top variety the benefit of a stronger root system, some Limes are double grafted, with 2 different varieties grafted onto the root stock - this may be what you have too. I guess that all of the parts of your plant are flowering at the same time, as otherwise this could cause a lack of pollination, even though your fruit will be seedless. Attract insects to your growing area with other plants, who will also have the opportunity to visit your lime. Add other fragrant plants that will bloom at similar times of the year, and this should increase your successes, if it was a lack of pollination that caused your last season's issue.Otherwise, use a small paintbrush, and move pollen around between your Lime flowers, to ensure that pollen is being received by the flowers in appropriate volume - assuming that your tree is small enough to do this completely, or to do a test patch of flowers. But, if watered and fed well, with good weather and sufficient pollination, especially Cross pollination, there isn't much more that you can do. Hope this helps. Good luck! Rob
3 Years is too young I think....Give it some time. I think it would usually take maybe 4-5 years. Thats how long my orange tree took to bear fruit. Orange is a citrus fruit, so is the lime. Im guessing you should give it more time. And if you planted it by seed, then it would take maybe 8 - 10 years or more.
