Do your lime trees produce much fruit?
2 years ago we planted a lime tree in our backyard. It was already about 5-6 feet tall when we planted it. There's a lemon tree next to it that is probably 50 years old and produces more fruit than we can use. We're constantly giving away lemons to our friends and neighbors, baking stuff with the ones we keep and we still too many left! But our lime tree barely produces anything. The first year it produced 3 limes, all of which were hard and almost juiceless. This year, so far it has produced a single fruit which doesn't yet look ripe. The thing is that it produces tons of buds that look like they're going to become limes, but they either die or are eaten by squirrels, I guess. I've heard a similar story from a coworker about her lime tree. Is there any secret to getting a lime tree to produce fruit?
I don't have any experience with lime trees myself, but I do have some experience with tree planting and maintenance. And IMO there are so many factor at play that can determine the health of a tree and how much it fruits that without inspecting the tree in question, the best anyone can probably do is give some vague recommendations like; try fertilizing the soil, prune it to force more fruit production, make sure the root system has adequate drainage, make sure it's getting enough water, etc.
Have you considered consulting with an arborist? They can inspect the tree, and test the surrounding soil conditions for you, and then tailor their recommendations for you and the specific tree.
We have a gardener who comes weekly and takes care of everything. I'd like to talk to him about it, but am currently unable to due to the pandemic. (My spouse has an immune condition, so interacting with other people is tricky.) I finally got my first vaccine this morning, so hopefully I'll be able to interact with him more safely soon.
Oof! Sorry to hear that. This must have been an insanely stressful year+ for you both. :( Glad to hear you finally managed to get vaccinated though. I can't imagine how much of a load that must be off your minds. I have some slightly higher-risk people in my immediate family and social circle as well, just got my first jab earlier today too (AstraZeneca), and it was like a giant weight was lifted off my shoulders immediately afterwards. I still plan on remaining careful until after I get my second dose, which sadly isn't scheduled to take place until Aug 25. But even still, it's such a relief to known that I'm a bit less at risk of catching and spreading it to others now... or at least I hopefully will be ~14 days from now once the antibodies have been sufficiently produced.
First off, most for trees will take 5 to 10 years to start bearing in proliferation. I believe it's a mistake to force the tree to do so earlier. Let it get established and strong before you start dousing it in fertilizers.
Second, how are your insect populations? If you live in an area where everyone uses insecticides, there may simply not be enough pollinators to go around. You can resort to hand pollination to increase fruit set.
Also, how do you fertilize? Industrial chemicals or compost and mulch? Chemical burn can result in decreased productivity and mortality.
How much light does it receive? Part shade or full sun? What kind and how much root competition? Does grass grow right up to the bowl?
Always lots of questions but I often see the mistake that folks plant a fruit tree and expect fruits immediately. It takes years and years of nurturing before nutritious fruit set. Trying to force it earlier will reduce its life span and decrease its vigor.
Thank you for the information! I'm more curious than trying to force anything to happen. I wasn't sure if this was normal or not, but it sounds like it is.
Our insect population is pretty good. We have lots of bees, crickets, and butterflies, as well as the other things you'd expect (ants, termites, stink bugs, gnats, pill bugs, cockroaches, etc.)
As mentioned in another reply, our gardener handles most of the fertilizing, etc. He tends to use a light touch, so I don't think he's overdoing it. But he'd probably be using industrial chemicals.
It receives pretty good light. I think right now the sun hits it from ~9AM to ~4 or 5PM. The grass stops a few feet from the base of the tree. The tree is set off from the grass with a few other trees (the lemon tree and a white peach tree). The lemon tree was here when we moved in and we put in the peach and lime trees about 2 years ago. They were already up to about 6 feet when we planted them. The peach tree is exploding with fruit this year. It was a little sparse last year.
Do you know the age of the tree when you planted it? Limes can take up to 6 years before they start consistently fruiting, and up to 10 before they're fully bearing.
I'm not positive, but it's probably about 3-4 years old. So it sounds like it's normal, and we just need to wait. That's good to know!
Yeah, it can be a real challenge for farmers wanting to transition to tree crops; they have to make the investment a decade before there's a good chance of paying off.