If you are willing to spray for the scale, you can cut the thorns. Missouri Botanical Garden: Citrus X Meyeri. The best way to prevent these problems is to care for the tree properly. Those branches won't produce Meyer lemons and your tree is wasting energy growing them anyway. Should I trim off the thorns that are growing? Most believe it to be a hybrid tree -- a cross between a true lemon (Citrus limon) and the mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata), which are both also hardy in USDA zones 9 through 11. Still, Meyer lemons are usually "nearly thornless," according to Texas A&M University's Aggie Horticulture. If only some of the branches of your Meyer lemon have thorns and those branches originate below the grafting union on the trunk, they are likely a result of the original plant and not the Meyer lemon at all. My lemon tree have some very thick thorns. Otherwise, a gardener will have to deal with some problems eventually. Both of these rootstocks have the potential to produce thorns, depending on the species. What would cause my lemons to go mouldy on the tree? Never prune more than one-third of the tree in a year. Do they take away from energy to plant growth? Cut a third of the way through the branch from the other side – an undercut. Why Does My Lemon Tree Have Lemons with Thick Skins & Very Little Juice? In general, a Meyer lemon tree should not have large thorns, but there can be exceptions. If your tree is looking poorly, try replanting it in a sunny location that has rich, well-drained soil or in a container with adequate drainage holes in the base. In a natural case, they come out with sprouts and fruiting wood. They also enjoy humid conditions and benefit from a daily mist, especially if they are cultivated indoors. If so, when is good time? Whether your style is fiddle leaf figs, or maidenhair ferns, creating your very own indoor oasis is the perfect finishing touch to your living spaces. In general, a Meyer lemon tree should not have large thorns, but there can be exceptions. Purdue University Horticulture and Landscape Architecture: Lemon, Texas A& M University Aggie Horticulture: Home Fruit Production -- Lemons, Missouri Botanical Garden: Citrus Reticulata "Clementine". Hi Chizu, numerous citrus have thorns, this is very common and does not affect the fruiting ability of the plant. If the thorns are on the Meyer lemon portion of the tree and the tree is otherwise healthy, the best thing to do is ignore them and protect your hands with gloves when you harvest the lemons. Finally, move a few inches up the length of the branch and cut from above, severing the branch. If the yellow thorns are on branches growing below the grafting union, it could be normal for that particular rootstock, especially as the tree matures. Hi Chizu, numerous citrus have thorns, this is very common and does not affect the fruiting ability of the plant. Can I Graft an Orange Branch Into an Apple Tree? For first timers, those thorns may come as a surprise later. Houston Chronicle: Should My Lemon Tree Have Thorns? Technically they are spines (modified branches) and not thorns, but the “when” of doing it doesn’t really matter. True lemons have very sharp thorns, so some Meyer hybrids may end up with small thorns on a few of the branches. The Meyer lemon came from China -- it was brought to the United States by an agricultural explorer named Frank Meyer, but its exact origins are not known. Meyer lemons grow best in full sunlight and when the soil is kept consistently moist but never soggy. The thorns on a lemon tree are developed at the nodes. If the thorns are on the branches above the grafting union and other parts of the tree are also turning yellow, such as the veins or margins of the leaves, it could signify one of several health problems, such as a problem with the tree's roots due to overwatering practices or diseases in the soil. They can also add thorns that should be cut off. Meyer lemons are grafted onto either rough lemon or sweet orange rootstocks. Use a sharp pruning tool to cut them off where they meet the trunk of the tree, and dip the tool into bleach before each cut to prevent the possible spread of diseases. What are the signs of overwatering or under watering my Meyer lemon tree? © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Should I cut the branches? To begin, start with an angled cut 10-12 inches out from the branch union. The wee finches that eat the scale that likes to infest lemons use the thorns as protection from squirrels and other predator/harassing birds. They can be cut off at any time of the year if need be. I don't want to waste energy growing thorns if it takes away from health. I have some leaf drop but the lemon has new growth and the key lime is flowering. It's difficult to say exactly why the thorns are turning yellow without knowing the general condition of the rest of the tree or the species of the rootstock. If you want to make lemonade when life hands you lemons -- but you live in a cold climate -- try growing a Meyer lemon tree ( Citrus x meyeri). If the thorns are on branches sprouting from below the grafting union -- which is usually a knob near the base of the tree -- the best thing to do is to prune them off. Hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11, the Meyer lemon is the most cold tolerant of all the lemon types, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden. The tree won't care if you cut them. I am growing a grafted lemon and grafted key lime indoors that I recently purchased. Problems with Thorns Can I spray my lemon tree with copper if it has fruit on it. They can be cut off at any time of the year if need be. Consequences of Thorns Thorns on lemon trees can prick the fruit and introduce bacteria. Cut these sprouts off with hand pruners at their junction with the branch.

Mix Vegetable Recipe In Urdu By Chef Zakir, Stonewall Kitchen Sesame Ginger Dressing, Carbon Neutral Dairy Farm, Kirkland Pizza Calories, Signs Of The Messiah In The Old Testament, Spicy Shrimp Linguine, Ottoman Pull Out Bed,