Lemon tree flowering in Cambridge, UK

[robert]

Hi, I got a large lemon tree which now is about to flower. This is very exciting given that it's the first time in it's 5 year life that it's doing so and that I sown the lemon tree myself from lemons bought in the supermarket. I guess the warm winter this year has helped as I've had it standing outside in its pot practically every day since Xmas apart from the few nights with frost. Although it had a few flowers last summer it was suffering from pests and lost them quickly.

However, some problems with pests do persist. One is some larvae that tends to use the leafs as a cocoon whilst eating them away. The insects curl up the leafs with some protective sticky web and leave their larvae their to feed off the leafs (not sure if this is the exact reproductive cycle of the beasts). Some flower buds are also affected. I'm not sure what sort of insects the larvae are but would be glad to get advice on how to get rid of them once and for all.

Thanks,

Rob

[Jangchub]

If indeed these are what's known as leaf rollers, they can be treated very effectively using Bacillus thuringiensis or Bt-K sold as a liquid or powder. It is a natural biologican way to get rid of caterpillars.

I don't think the leaf rollers are what's causing your lemon to lose flowers. Depending on what variety of lemon you used to sow the lemon tree is going to determine its fertility. You may want to go out with a small paint brush and take pollen from flowers and just pollinate each flower. I do this the moment each of my lemon trees set flowers and from two 5 foot trees I get many dozens of lemons.

[robert]

Thanks for the reply. I'll see if I can find some Bt-K in the garden centre. I was thinking of manually pollinating the flowers as I don't think there are yet many insects around at this time of the year.

Rob

going to determine its fertility. You may want to go out with

[Jangchub]

going to determine its fertility. You may want to go out with