I Have A Citrus Fruit Salad Tree. I Can’t Tell Lemons From Limes. All Seem To Be Lemons. Both Turn Yellow. How Do I Know If Any O

Question

f them are limes? I do have oranges and mandarins on the tree. Most of the tree consists of lemons.

Answer 1

The limes will stay green. If they progress to yellow, they are too mature and will taste bitter. The links below should help:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/fegen/what-is-a-fruit-salad-tree.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/lime/lime-tree-harvest-time-when-to-pick-a-lime-from-a-tree.htm

Answer 2

Starting when the tree is newly planted, compare the growth of each fruit’s branches monthly and take action accordingly. If one of the branches is growing much faster compared to the other branches, cut it to return its growth to a level more in line with the other fruits. You want to develop an 'evenly balanced' growth rate amongst all fruits.

If this is not done starting when the tree is young then the faster growing fruit(s) become more dominant and may deprive the other fruits of nutrients and growth. It is unclear if you even still have the original lime branches (or not?) but at least it sounds like you have too much dominant lemon fruit growth. Identify the fruits being produces amongst the main tree branches and mark the branches or mark their location with a unique rock per fruit at ground level. Then evaluate if you have any lime branches left at all. I suppose lime producing branches m-i-g-h-t be the ones that cannot be identified because they produce no fruit. Once you balance the growth rate, you may have to wait one more season to get limes (again, I am assuming the lime branches are still alive, not getting enough sunlight and nutrients). If the tree produces any suckers, cut them off quickly too. Ensure that the tree gets full sun or at least around 8 hours (or more) of direct sun. Check the nutrient information on the tree label (if you still have it) to see what fertilizer and how many applications are recommended for this tree.