Hand Pollinating Lime TreesHand Pollinating Lime Trees

Hand pollinating lime trees is necessary for indoor growing where the natural pollination methods may not take place.

Limes grow well as container plants in colder areas and produce fruits when the temperature is favorable for their growth(not below 50°F). 

When a lime tree grows from outdoors, pollination occurs naturally by wind or bees, which transfer the pollen grains from anthers to the stigma to facilitate fertilization resulting in fruit formation.

However, you can hand pollinate the tree, especially if it is indoors. No wind or bees are performing the pollination.

What is hand-pollinating lime trees?

Hand pollination is where you manually transfer pollen from the stamen(male part of the flower) of a plant to the pistil(female part). It can be from one flower to flower.

Hand pollinating lime trees helps improve low yields in a garden. It’s mostly done during the winter when there are fewer pollinators. 

Lime trees are self-pollinating though you are free to choose hand pollination to increase the yield. Remember, lime is a hybrid of citrus fruits, so it’s not exceptional.

Suppose you are growing lime trees indoors, and you realize your production is stellar. In that case, you will want to increase the harvest by hand pollinating the flowers.

How to do hand pollinating for a lime tree?

When hand-pollinating a lime tree, you need to transfer the pollen grains to the stigma at the right time when the flowers are already opening.

The anther has to be ripe, and the pollen mature for the transfer to be effective.

Below is how hand pollinating lime trees can take place;

1. Get a tiny brush, cotton swab, or a feather as the tool for the hand-pollination process.
2. Gently brush the anthers to the stigma tip to transfer the pollen grains.
3. Keep transporting the pollen grains from one flower to another.
4. The lime tree has to have white flowers appear and open for the process to be useful and practical.
5. With time, the flowers’ ovaries will start to swell and make tiny fruits, hence fruit production.
6. The fruits will be ready for picking within six to nine months after pollination

It’s effortless, and if you do the hand pollination rightfully, the lime tree will produce enough fruits at the right time.

 If your lime trees are outdoor, you are at an advantage because the wind can do it, but if the lime tree is indoor, hand pollination is your best shot.

Is hand pollinating lime trees necessary?

All-female parts of a flower need male pollen grains to produce fruits. Lime trees are usually self-fruitful, meaning the blossom can give their pollen.

Pollinating agents would naturally be the ones to carry the pollen if a lime tree is outdoor.

However, when you plant the tree in-door, you will have to transfer the pollen by hand.

Lime tree flowers but no fruit 

Imagine a lime tree does not produce fruits but looks healthy; it means the tree is not happy to have enough blossoms.

Numerous reasons could be the cause of no fruits on a lime tree as below;

1. Lack of fertilizers

When a lime tree lacks enough nutrients and organic composites, it will produce no fruits. When you fertilize a lime tree, it gets nitrogen and phosphorus, which adds acidity levels to the soil.

These nutrients are essential, especially phosphorus, and its absence can affect the growth and blossoming of the lime tree.

2. Lack of heat

Lime trees need enough trees to be productive and bear fruits. When the average temperature where a lime tree is going below 50°F or a shade blocking the sun from reaching it, fruit production will be low.

You need to make sure the lime tree is not near any tree, shading it to help it receive sunlight and fix the problem of not receiving enough heat.

3. Lack of watering and poor drainage

A lime tree needs frequent watering to help it not dry out. You don’t have to water it exceedingly, or else the leaves will drop off. If the drainage is not proper, the tree will have less moisture hence not thriving.

These conditions will hinder fruit production if not taken care of at the right time in the right way.

4. Poor pruning methods of the lime tree 

When you care for a lime tree, you need to prune it to keep it looking fair. However, if you do not do it rightly, you might cut off its blossoms, affecting fruit production.

Lime trees have buds on their branches’ tips, so as you prune the tree, you might cut the buds off hence no fruit production.

Lime tree fruit stages

The most common lime tree is the Mexican lime and is mainly grown by commercial and home gardeners.

Below are the factors that facilitate the lime tree fruit stages and care for lime trees;

Growth rate

1. A lime tree’s growth rate is moderate at 13 to 24 inches per year from the seedling and on-wards.
2. The seedling tree starts blooming in 3-6 years, and the full production comes in 8-10 years.

Each year, from May to June and November to December, you can expect fruit harvest. The ideal time for harvest is when the color of the lime fruit transitions from dark to light green. At this point, the surface skin of a lime fruit become smooth. 

Care for lime trees for fruit growth

Lime tree care is vital for its proper growth to produce blooms and fruits;Here is what you should consider;

1. Site

If you want a healthy lime tree and have a full production of lime fruits, you need to choose a place with the tree’s protection from winds.

Because lime trees are delicate and cannot stand cold and frost areas, you have to take good care if you are in such weather conditions.

Plant a lime tree away from fences, walls, and buildings to keep it from leaning and have it stand by itself and get enough sunlight.

2. Favorable soils

You can achieve remarkable growth of lime trees when you plant them with good loamy soils and add organic matter.

Where there are fertile soils, development and fruit production will be at full capacity.

It would help if you gave regular care to the lime tree because it will help produce yields.

The more fertilizers you add to the soil yearly, the more nutrients the ground will get hence good results and more fruit production.

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