If your lemon tree is setting off too many flowers, they may fall off.
The reason is probably due to a number of factors — including:
- Improper irrigation
- Potassium deficiency
- Pollination, etc.
In some cases, lemon trees can’t handle the water required by their flowers.
If this happens, you should contact your local nursery and inquire about the best solution for your citrus plant.
After reading this article, you should have a better understanding of how to prevent lemon tree flowers from falling off.
Water management
If the flowers on your lemon tree are falling off, you may have an infestation. Lemon trees are especially susceptible to pests and diseases.
Whiteflies and other insects feed on the sap of lemon trees, causing damage to the tissue and an increased risk of infection.
Common citrus tree pests include aphids, scale, mealybugs, and crusader bugs. The leaves of your lemon trees may also become yellowed or drop prematurely. While preventing the problem, you can also spray your lemon tree with a limited range of horticultural oils.
Poor nutrition is one of the leading causes of lemon tree flowers falling off. Lemon trees need sunlight to produce healthy leaves and fruit. However, overwatering them will result in their leaves falling off and yellow.
Excessive moisture also promotes the growth of fungi, and leaves can begin to drop off early.
To avoid this, water your lemon tree deeply every other day. Be sure to keep mulch around the base of the lemon tree to conserve moisture.
Although lemon trees require watering about once or twice a week, they do not like sudden temperature changes. Too much water can interfere with fruit production and too little can lead to baby lemons scattered across your lawn.
It is best to water a lemon tree only once per day if it is grown in a pot. If you have a lemon tree indoors, you can keep it moist by watering it every day. However, if you can’t do this, try moving it indoors into a room with a consistent temperature and light.
If you want your lemon tree to bear abundant fruit, it’s important to keep the blossoms moist. Lemon trees need about one percent of their blooms to produce good-quality fruit.
However, some plants only need about 1% of their blooms to produce adequate fruit. To prevent the occurrence of an abscission layer separation, reduce ethylene production in your lemon tree. Also, mulching the soil helps the top layer retain moisture longer.
Improper irrigation
There are a few possible reasons why lemon tree flowers fall off. Improper irrigation can lead to the blooms not setting fruit on the tree, or to a low percentage of fruit.
A tree will experience a lack of fruit if it receives too little water, but it can also suffer from a lack of sunshine. In such a situation, it is important to water the lemon tree deeply and keep mulch around the base of the tree to conserve water.
Poor soil can also be a major cause of fruit drops. Lemon trees grow best in light soil with good drainage.
A pH level between 5.5 and 7.5 is ideal. Lemons can survive on slightly acidic or slightly alkaline soils. However, it is recommended to choose slightly acidic soil with adequate drainage. Also, make sure that the area where your lemon tree is located does not have air conditioning or fans.
Another cause of lemon tree flower drops is a lack of nutrients. A two-year-old lemon tree should be watered for about two to three weeks, while indoor lemon trees need only one or two times a month.
The best way to provide enough nutrients for your lemon tree is to fertilize it once a year.
One pound of nitrogen per tree is ideal. However, you can also feed the tree smaller trees every month. Ideally, lemon trees need eight hours of sunlight per day.
If you live in a climate where summer temperatures are extreme, a sudden shift in temperature may cause your lemon tree’s blossoms to drop. Improper irrigation can also lead to flower drops when a lemon tree is placed in a warm, permanent spot. Lemons require full sun for fruit development, so too much shade can cause lemons to lose their flowers.
In addition, unseasonably cold spring weather can cause lemon blossoms to drop on outdoor trees. When a lemon tree experiences frost nipping, its blossoms will turn brown and mushy.
During frost nipping, lemon buds will also drop from the tree, and will eventually fall off as well.
Potassium deficiency
Lemon trees need plenty of potassium to flourish and thrive. When you see your lemon tree’s flowers falling off, the root cause might be a deficiency of potassium.
The right amount of potassium is essential for flower sets and overall citrus health. Fertilize your lemon tree with potassium-rich fertilizer.
To get the most out of your lemon tree’s flowering cycle, use a fertilizer specifically made for citrus trees.
In some plants, low potassium levels lead to a generalized reduction of growth. The fruits may fall off prematurely.
Symptoms of potassium deficiency include bronzing on the foliage, reduced fruit size, thin peels, premature shedding, and yellowing at the base of leaves.
Lemon trees can also produce excess potassium, causing them to delay ripening, thicken the rind, and promote greening.
If your lemon tree is suffering from a potassium deficiency, its leaves may become yellow and bent. If you have recently sprayed them with sulfur-based fungicides, fruit drop is common.
After misapplying oil to control scales, the plant may become defoliated. Fruits may also begin to turn brown or discolor. Symptoms may not be as severe as your lemon tree’s falling flowers.
Deficient amounts of potassium will affect flowering, and the leaves will wilt. Potassium is also essential for the movement of carbohydrates in plant tissues. It helps activate the enzymes necessary for complex chemical reactions.
Potassium helps plants utilize carbohydrates efficiently and transport them to storage sites.
In addition, it stimulates rapid growth and regulates the level of photosynthesis in the plant. The plants’ photosynthesis rate will drop if they lack potassium.
Pollination
If you have a Lemon tree, you may be wondering how it pollinates itself. Lemon trees have three stages in their flowering cycle: the abscission stage, the floral stage, and the fruiting stage.
In each stage, the flower’s reproductive parts – the stigma, style, and ovary – detach from the tree.
The male portion of the flower, the stamen, consists of filaments and anthers.
When pollinating lemon tree flowers, it is necessary to use a Q-tip swab or small paintbrush. Dip your brush in the anthers of the flower clusters and use it to pick up the yellow pollen grains on the stigma.
Repeat this process as needed until the flowers are fully open and the fruits are forming. It is important to wait a few days for the flowers to fully mature before pollinating them.
To improve the odds of fruit production, the lemon tree needs regular water and lots of nutrients. Watering deeply and keeping the base mulched helps the feeder roots absorb water. If the fruit set is hampered by water stress, lemon trees will drop fruitlets, not produce them.
When water stress occurs, competing plants are forced to prioritize their resources. The leaves will often take water over the flowers. This is especially true for the first three weeks after the flowers appear.
Lemon trees should be placed outdoors when temperatures are in the mid to low 50s. Once the flowers begin to develop, move them outside gradually over a couple of weeks. Then, gradually transition them to a sunny area.
Unless they are placed outdoors, lemon trees will not be ready for pollination until their flowers have opened. The flowers can self-pollinate, but if you want the fruits, you must pollinate the blossoms to ensure that they grow.
Temperature
If you’ve ever wondered why your lemon tree’s flowers fall off, the reason may lie in temperature. Lemon trees are sensitive to temperature changes and the sudden drop of blossoms during the spring is one of the most common causes.
Lemons also need full sun for proper fruit development, so the plant needs ample light to grow fully.
The same can be said of lemon trees that receive too much shade in their environment. Even though these plants are known for producing beautiful flowers, they do not like shade and may lose blossoms when they are in the shade.
Extremely cold spring weather can also result in the drop of blossoms. In some cases, frost nips the blossoms and they turn brown.
Citrus trees grow best in temperatures between 55 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. They are tolerant of freezing temperatures for short periods, but not longer.
If your citrus tree will be outdoors, wrap it in packing blankets or cardboard to avoid extremely cold temperatures.
Make sure it is sheltered from drafts. It is also important to protect citrus trees from damage caused by extreme cold. Cold temperatures cause lemon tree flowers to fall off, so you’ll want to be sure to avoid drafty areas if you can.
The temperature swing can cause lemons to fall off if it occurs suddenly. This usually happens right after the fruit has appeared.
Conclusion
Lemon trees are susceptible to citrus canker, so be sure to protect your citrus tree from this by spraying it with copper.
Mites also love lemon trees, so if you notice fruit falling off, you’ll want to deal with the infestation immediately with organic insecticides.
And of course, if you’re worried about mites ruining your fruit, spray your lemon trees with a citrus-friendly insecticide.