Lemon trees make attractive, ornamental specimens in containers or in the garden landscape. Like all citrus fruit trees, they require a bit of maintenance to produce ripe, flavorful fruit and without care can develop unsightly, bitter, juiceless fruit. So what happens if the lemon tree fruit does not turn yellow, and is there a “cure” for lemons that stay green?
Why Do My Lemons Stay Green?
Lemon trees need plenty of sunlight in a protected area with adequate moisture. The tree, like all citrus, should be pruned to allow the sunlight to penetrate and allow for adequate air circulation as well as to maintain the shape and make it easier to harvest lemons.
A regular feeding schedule of an all-purpose soluble food (18-18-18) should be applied to the tree. If you are doing all of this and still wonder, “Why do my lemons stay green?”, read on.
Citrus trees do not ripen the way rock fruits or apples and pears do. They gradually mature and gain sweetness; in fact, the fruit may take as long as nine months to ripen. Once the fruit is mature, it can be left on the tree for a few weeks, but it does not ripen more.
So first off, the lemons may not be turning yellow because they have not been ripening on the tree long enough. If this is the case, then patience is in order. If, however, you have knocked this factor off your list, cultural conditions such as inadequate light or adverse weather conditions could be the reason that lemons stay green.
In fact, the most common cause for citrus fruit, in general, to fail to ripen is lack of sunlight. The tree may be too shaded, or trees may be planted too close together. Weather conditions affect the fruiting of lemon trees and contribute to slow ripening. Irregular amounts of irrigation will affect how the lemon tree fruits and matures.
Drought conditions stress the tree, producing juiceless fruit or that which splits or fails to ripen. All citrus trees need consistent, even watering. This may depend on how hot the weather gets, the season, the soil, and whether the tree is container-grown or in the garden.
In very hot, dry weather conditions, citrus trees (depending upon the size) may need as much as 37 gallons (140 L.) of water per day! Lastly, diseases may be a factor in lemons that refuse to yellow.
However, if a disease is afflicting the tree, there will be other more obvious signs of distress than just a lack of yellow fruit. Stressed trees are vulnerable to disease, so a regular watering schedule is paramount.
Finally, commercial citrus growers will sometimes use dyes to enhance the color of the fruit. In the home garden, the yellow color is not a prediction for ripeness; in fact, the fruit may be ripe even if it appears green. The best bet is to taste the fruit for sweetness and juiciness to ascertain its ripeness.
-
"My Worst Mistake" – Gardeners Share 10 Hard-Learned LessonsGardeners never stop learning, and sometimes our mistakes are the best teachers. But why not save time and heartache by learning from other gardeners' failures?
-
Crops for Urban Growing: 8 Edible Plants For Urban GardensUrban edible gardening lets your yard do double duty of beauty and practicality. Have fun combining edible plants with ornamentals.
-
Eureka Pink Lemon Tree: How To Grow Variegated Pink Lemon TreesFans of the quirky and unusual will love the Eureka pink lemon tree. These plants are beautiful and unique versions of the standard lemon tree. This little oddity produces flesh with a fascinating characteristic. Click here for tips on how to grow variegated pink lemon.
-
Soft Lemon Fruit – Why Container Grown Lemons Have Gone SoftLemon trees produce marvelous fruit that is equally at home in sweet and savory recipes. But what happens if your lemons have gone soft? Lemons may get soft before they are ripe – be it soft lemons on a tree or soft lemon fruit that occurs during storage. Learn why here.
-
Lemon Blossom Drop – Why Is My Lemon Tree Losing FlowersEnvironmental consistency is essential to flower and fruit set of lemon trees. Any sudden change can cause fruit or flower drop on lemon trees. Have you found yourself wondering: why is my lemon tree losing flowers? Click on this article for more information.
-
Transplanting A Lemon Tree – Best Time To Transplant Lemon TreesLemon tree transplanting is a tricky prospect. Find out when the right time is to transplant lemon trees and other helpful information of lemon tree transplanting in this article before you take on this task. Click here for additional information.
-
No Flowers On Lemon Tree – Tips For Getting Lemon Trees To BloomGrowing lemons is a tricky business, as one wrong move and you?ll find all your effort has been for nothing. Getting lemons to bloom is about balancing the plant?s needs. Learn about the various pieces in the blooming puzzle in this article.
-
Repotting Lemon Trees: When Do You Repot Lemon TreesLemon trees grown in pots eventually outgrow their containers. When do you repot lemon trees? Click on the following article to find out when the best time to repot lemon trees is as well as how to repot a lemon tree.
-
Yellow Lemon Tree Foliage – Why Did Lemon Tree Leaves Turn YellowLemon trees are a great addition to the landscape, but sometimes your trees will develop problems like yellow leaves. This common issue can result from several different causes, but most are simple to correct. Click here to learn more about yellow lemon tree foliage.
-
Sweet Lemon Information: Tips On Growing Sweet Lemon PlantsThere are a number of lemon trees out that claim to be sweet and, confusingly, several of them are just called "sweet lemon." One such sweet lemon fruit tree is called Citrus ujukitsu. Find out how to grow Citrus ujukitsu trees in this article.
