Citrus roots

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I went to a nursery yesterday and had a few questions. My lemon trees are pretty good size. 10'. It has no fruit. The lady at the nursery told me that the roots were messed up. Is there anything I can do to get it to grow fruit again or is it done for?
 
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How did she know the roots were messed up? Is the tree in a container or in the ground? What do the leaves look like. Pictures would help.
 
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How did she know the roots were messed up? Is the tree in a container or in the ground? What do the leaves look like. Pictures would help.
Not sure how she knew the roots were bad. She was pretty knowledgeable about everything else. It's in the ground. The tree itself looks healthy from what I can see. It's just not producing fruit.
I'll have mama send me a pic when she gets home.
 
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Let me ask a few questions:
How long has it been since the tree had fruit?
What is the variety. Are the fruits it has had a lot bigger than the fruits at a grocery store?
Have you been having a lot of rain for the past 6 months or so? I see yellowing of some of the leaves on the tree and on other plants .
Does the tree ever bloom?
Can you get a picture of the base of the tree?
 
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I've lived in this house for a month. I don't really know much about the history. I haven't seen a bloom yet. I water every other day. Not sure on the variety. Citus trees are tough for a n00b like me to ID. She said it was either lemon or orange. I think it's rained 2 or 3 times this month, counting today. Ill get some pics of the base when I get home.
 
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I've lived in this house for a month. I don't really know much about the history. I haven't seen a bloom yet. I water every other day. Not sure on the variety. Citus trees are tough for a n00b like me to ID. She said it was either lemon or orange. I think it's rained 2 or 3 times this month, counting today. Ill get some pics of the base when I get home.
I will give you my opinion now. You are watering way too often and that is the reason the leaves are yellowing but NOT why the tree doesn't fruit. What has happened in the past, probably 4 or 5 years ago, is that the grafted part of the tree died and the rootstock kept on living, sending up what now is the main trunk. All of those large thorns are not found on grafted lemons or on own root trees, only on rootstock. IMO there is nothing you can do except remove the tree and plant another. It will never produce or at least not produce edible fruits.
 

alp

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They need ericaceous soil and it might help if you can check the pH.
 
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They need ericaceous soil and it might help if you can check the pH.
I used to live in Houston and grew all kinds of citrus. The soil is perfect there. The only thing bad about Houston is that it freezes too often, sometimes severely.
 
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I've lived in this house for a month. I don't really know much about the history. I haven't seen a bloom yet. I water every other day. Not sure on the variety. Citus trees are tough for a n00b like me to ID. She said it was either lemon or orange. I think it's rained 2 or 3 times this month, counting today. Ill get some pics of the base when I get home.
The tree is probably growing on what is called Sour Orange rootstock.
 
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Everyones help is very much appreciated. I hate to get rid of this. My kids are going to be heartbroken. Looks like it's time for some new trees!! Lol!
 
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Everyones help is very much appreciated. I hate to get rid of this. My kids are going to be heartbroken. Looks like it's time for some new trees!! Lol!
Houston sometimes has temperatures into the low 20's. Not often but it does happen. I recommend the following citrus and they should all be available there. The first is a Mandarin orange, sort of like a tangerine but not. There are two varieties that will take cold down to the low to mid twenties, Arctic Frost and Orange Frost. For a regular orange the best for your area is Republic of Texas and Navel, and for grapefruit try Ruby Red. Lemons and limes are more cold sensitive than the above so you need to keep them as a bush. If it does get below freezing you can cover them with a blanket or NSulate. The two best varieties of lemon are Ponderosa and Myers. For limes all of them are very cold sensitive so it is best to keep them in large movable containers. Key lime is about the best in Houston.
 
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I have a tree like that and it didn't bear fruit for the first 6 years I lived in my house. Last fall I couldn't keep up with all the fruit it dropped. I thought it was a lime tree but then they kept growing and they looked like oranges.
There's a word for the kind of tree that I have but I can't remember it. I never water it, just pruned the lower spikes.
I'll get pictures and the name of it. Don't cut it down yet!! It might be the same thing I have.
 
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I have a tree like that and it didn't bear fruit for the first 6 years I lived in my house. Last fall I couldn't keep up with all the fruit it dropped. I thought it was a lime tree but then they kept growing and they looked like oranges.
There's a word for the kind of tree that I have but I can't remember it. I never water it, just pruned the lower spikes.
I'll get pictures and the name of it. Don't cut it down yet!! It might be the same thing I have.
Get good pics of the trunk and limbs. I would guess that the tree you have was grown from a seed. It usually takes about 8-10 years for a seed grown tree to produce.
 

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