Blame it on the hot summer… Lots of other staple crops had a disappointing harvest for me this year.
(Among other things) Made some Orangeat, tastes incredible:
Lemons lagging a bit behind. Also lots of fruit (and larger than usual, but not ripening yet. Wondering if I can just pluck them and let them ripen inside, in the warmth?
And lastly, this little fig came to us this year as a quite small seedling, and somehow already managed to produce some ripe fruit (albeit, not very sweet):
That looks great, congratulations on your balcony garden harvest! ^^
When and how did your plants start bearing fruit, and when will they ripen? I also have a few citrus plants… but they usually bloom in the fall, right when it’s time to bring them back inside (where it’s unfortunately too warm) for the winter… so the harvest usually suffers a bit from being overwintered (and those pesky scale insects).
Thanks :)
When and how did your plants start bearing fruit, and when will they ripen?
This plant in particular is 3 years old. It did have some fruit before, but they never ripened. I think it’s just the insane amount of sun/heat we had this year.
they usually bloom in the fall
I have also noticed that my citrus bloom at seemingly random times, and not all at the same time. Maybe it’s just bad luck. Do you feed them with a citrus fertilizer? Also, when are you putting them back outside?
those pesky scale insects
Wait, which ones are we talking about? I hate these buggers with a burning passion, but I think you are talking about something else?
That could very well be true, it was unusually warm and hot here, too. With potted plants, I just have to be careful not to fall behind on watering.
I have a theory that the transition from cool fall weather to a heated apartment is what triggers flowering for me. At least my calamondin is blooming right now, and my kumquat and lemon trees are well on their way to doing the same.
I have to say, I’m a pretty lousy citrus gardener and probably don’t take good enough care of the plants. As far as fertilizing goes, I do repot them regularly (and mix in compost from the garden, which has quite a lot of nutrients), but I don’t actually use any special citrus fertilizer (even though I’m pretty sure I have a bottle of it sitting around somewhere). Lately, I’ve started using the water I change from my aquarium (I have a pretty voracious catfish in there that produces a lot of waste) for watering; I think this way the plants are also getting nutrients (I have no idea if it’s enough, but at least I don’t have any problems with chlorosis right now). In the spring, I usually put the plants back on the balcony around mid-May, after the last frost. I live in a low mountain range, and we get late frosts here from time to time… since the plants start sprouting in the spring as the days get longer, I don’t want to subject them to that right away, because the young shoots are probably even less frost-hardy than the rest.
Yeah, those very creatures! Although in my case, it’s more the non-woolly variety. In my experience, home remedies often don’t work very well because of their shells.
I have a theory that the transition from cool fall weather to a heated apartment is what triggers flowering for me. At least my calamondin is blooming right now, and my kumquat and lemon trees are well on their way to doing the same.
That sounds very plausible yeah. Also, oh, kumquat sounds great to keep as a tree! Slightly envious!
As far as fertilizing goes, I do repot them regularly (and mix in compost from the garden, which has quite a lot of nutrients), but I don’t actually use any special citrus fertilizer (even though I’m pretty sure I have a bottle of it sitting around somewhere).
Try finding and using the citrus fertilizer. Not because I doubt the nutritiousness of your compost, but because citrus wants some trace elements not usually found in compost, first and foremost iron. (Which is why a lot of citrus fertilizer is deeply red when you mix it with water!)
In the spring, I usually put the plants back on the balcony around mid-May, after the last frost. I live in a low mountain range, and we get late frosts here from time to time… since the plants start sprouting in the spring as the days get longer, I don’t want to subject them to that right away, because the young shoots are probably even less frost-hardy than the rest.
Yeah also makes sense. I don’t know what kinds exactly you are saying, so I can’t really comment on that. (I unfortunately have no place to overwinter mine in the house, they stay out in the greenhouse you can see in the pictures over the winter. All of my citrus should in theory be OK with -10C. I don’t know if being out in the greenhouse is a hindrance for them come spring, or a head start.)
Yeah, those very creatures! Although in my case, it’s more the non-woolly variety. In my experience, home remedies often don’t work very well because of their shells.
Gah, yeah, I know your pain. I try to mechanically squash them when I see them, and then use neem oil 2-3 times in two week intervals. It’s… effective enough, but never 100%.
Also, oh, kumquat sounds great to keep as a tree! Slightly envious!
Thanks! If you’re thinking about getting another little citrus tree, I’d recommend a calamondin orange, based on my many years of experience as a lousy citrus gardener. In my experience, they’re relatively tolerant of neglect, bear fruit reliably and abundantly, and, even though the fruit is pretty sour for eating fresh (though, doesn’t sour make things fun?), you can make excellent orange marmalade from them.
Not because I doubt the nutritiousness of your compost, but because citrus wants some trace elements not usually found in compost, first and foremost iron.
That’s a very valuable tip, thank you! I wasn’t aware of that connection…
they stay out in the greenhouse you can see in the pictures over the winter.
I think that’s actually better and healthier for the plants. Unfortunately, in my area we do get severe frosts < - 10°C from time to time, and during prolonged frost, frost desiccation is a risk. Unfortunately, I don’t have a suitable greenhouse for overwintering, so I bring them into my bright, but actually much too warm, apartment. In the spring, I have to harden them off in the shade again so that the leaves that formed over the winter don’t suffer immediate UV damage.