I did not expect fruit this soon. I think it is a blend of climate and fertilizer?
In May of last year, soon after arriving in Venice Beach, California, I planted 2 fruit trees a semi-dwarf Meyer lemon and a semi-dwarf blood orange. In July my daughter added a Fuji apple tree, and just this January I decided my front yard could also handle a Satsuma mandarin tree.
All of them have a bunch of blossoms. The first batch of lemons are almost ripe. What the heck is going on?
There is a lot of citrus in my neighborhood and bordering properties have very productive lemon trees. One of those neighbors also has a blood orange tree that is quite bushy but has only produced 3 oranges in the many years he has had it. My blood orange tree is covered in new blossoms and if the lemon is any indication I will likely see a lot of fruit. The main differences between the trees are maybe 45 minutes of sunlight a day, mine is only in potting soil while the neighbors are growing in amended sand. His lemon tree produces MANY lemons year-round, however. The other adjoining neighbor has a tree producing UNLIMITED LEMONS and it is certainly planted right into the ground and never fed or looked after.
While lemons are always useful, and the blood oranges are for my Sazeracs, I really wanted the Satsuma to be successful, so naturally, a large chunk of its rootball tore during transplant. I was worried the tree was done for and assumed it would cost me a lot of recovery time, however, the tiny signs of new life have begun to appear! A whole lot of blossoms are lining the branches too. Sumo oranges are my favorite and the Satsuma seemed to be as close as I could get in a productive-to-pot semi-dwarf varietal.
I had a Fuji apple tree at my last house and almost got an apple once. I tried and tried for years to nurture it along, but it struggled. This tree has tripled in height since July and has lovely, lovely pink flowers coming up. I assume they will turn into apples.
Aside from putting the trees in containers big enough to house them for 3-5 years with fresh potting soil, I have been feeding the trees with Jobe Organic's Fruit and Citrus stakes. They make them container and ground-tree sized and they appear to work. I try to keep the apple tree well-watered and let the citrus dry out a bit more between waterings.
I thought I should trim the blossoms for the first year, but a woman whom I trusted informed me a tree knows what it should be doing and to let them go.
I really don't know what to expect and the internet has strangely been little help.
Lemonade soon.
