I have a pink lemon tree and a lime planted outside in Naples, FL. They have been in the ground for three years and are approximately 8-10 feet tall. Neither have bloomed or bore fruit. They were fertilized in fall and spring. I sprayed with soapy dishwater only to get webby bugs in November. Any help?
Are they getting enough sunlight? That would be the next thing to look at. Another thing to look at would be the water. Are they getting enough water? Both of these issues can affect their ability to bloom. Just to be on the safe side, I would also recommend having the soil tested. Even though you fertilize, there may be something lacking or over abundant in the soil.
I get wonderful fragrant blooms, but the fruit doesn't set. Can the tree be self-pollinated by hand?
If you feel the tree is not setting fruit due to pollination, it can be hand pollinated. Simply take a small paint brush and swirl it around in the blossoms and move from blossom to blossom.
which is now producing a number of flowers, Do these flowers require fertilisation ?
If you would like fruit, then yes they will need to be pollinated. If the lemon tree is small, you may want to hold off until the lemon tree is larger. But if it is large enough that you feel it can support fruit, you can pollinate the flowers by using a small paintbrush to swirl inside the flowers and this will pollinate them.
I have been given a Eureka Lemon Tree as gift. It is currently 2 metres tall and in a pot. Flowers are blooming, it is tall and slim. Can I plant next to a wall? Will the tree bush out? Or should I put it in a very large pot free of the wall?
As long as you live in a climate where it can survive outdoors, it can be planted next to a wall. Walls are great for citrus because they bounce back heat, which the plants love. You will need to prune it to keep its branches from rubbing against the wall or you can choose to espalier it (https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/projects/espalier-instructions.htm). Lemon trees are not aggressive and will not harm your wall, but you just have to take steps to make sure the wall does not harm the tree.
My lemon (unknown type) has started to sprout the seeds while still in the fruit and on the tree. It's about 12 years old and was neglected by our tenants for nine of those years. Is this a cultivation, feeding, or a position problem?
This is referred to as vivipary or a viviparous mutant. It happens because Abscisic acid (which keeps the seeds from germinating) in the fruit either break down or are not produced in high enough quantities.
Lack of Abscisic acid can have a few causes. One would be unusual exposure to cold. Another is that the fruit produced or the plant itself has a mutation. It can also be caused by nutrient deficiencies, which would happen after neglect like you describe.
Since the tree has not done this before during its fruiting life, this is likely that this is a one time issue. Resume proper care and it will correct itself.
I have a dwarf lemon tree in a container (18 years old), and a Bearss lime in a container. My luck with the lemon tree had been spotty until I read a few years ago somewhere that flowering lemon/lime trees need a lot of water; and when it gets to fruit bearing stage, it needs less (twice a week vs. once a week/approx). I didn't write it down and now I'm worried it may be vice-versa! I don't want to mess it up, and I'm starting to wonder if I have it backwards. My lime tree started with 14 baby limes and now just has 8. My lemon tree has a ton of blooms on it and I don't want to loose whatever babies I get.
When growing fruit, citrus trees do need quite a bit of water. I would not cut back water for them when they are fruiting, especially when they are in containers. In the ground, they can access water from deeper depths, but in containers, you are their only water supply and it is just best to keep them well supplied for best growth. I would suggest regular water while flowering and more water while fruiting, especially early on when fruiting.
My well established lemon tree has leaf curl and the fruits have spotted skins.
It sounds like the tree has a pest, maybe scale or aphids. It is hard to say as there are several pests that cause this kind of damage. We recommend treating these kinds pest with neem oil. It is safe for humans and animals but is very effective against most destructive plant pests.