Author Topic: Should I Remove First Year Immature Fruit?  (Read 2116 times)

MarkoS

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Should I Remove First Year Immature Fruit?
« on: April 24, 2014, 02:33:02 PM »
I once read an article in the local paper that talked about removing the first year's immature fruits from a citrus plant.  The idea being that removing those first fruits allows the plant's energy to go into new branches, leaves, and root system rather than the energy hungry fruit.  I did that with the one fruit that formed the first year and last year I have four and a much larger tree.  Not the impressive growth I expected but "something."

Does this make sense?
Should I do it with others?
Any difference between fruit and berry trees?

I've got a finger lime that "may" fruit this year (just flowered) but the idea of all that time for one fruit rather than growth is leaving me questioning my logic.

bradflorida

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Re: Should I Remove First Year Immature Fruit?
« Reply #1 on: April 24, 2014, 02:46:44 PM »
Has anyone done a sort of experiment with two similar sized trees of the same cultivar and removed the flowers/young fruit from one tree and left another tree alone?

If so, how much of a difference was there?

Brad
Brad

Tropheus76

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Re: Should I Remove First Year Immature Fruit?
« Reply #2 on: April 24, 2014, 03:46:00 PM »
My nursery guy who is a fruit tree collector himself would answer that with an incredulous look and "Now, why would you go and do that?" Keep the fruit, you wont get much anyway so whatever you end up with is a bonus and tease for later on. I have two citrus trees of the same type and age I planted early last year. One I have pulled the buds that spring, the other I didn't. I ended up with only a couple fruit and both trees are almost the same size, the one that kept the fruit is actually taller and bushier.

JeffDM

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Re: Should I Remove First Year Immature Fruit?
« Reply #3 on: April 26, 2014, 09:50:44 PM »
Can I keep 'em if they don't fall off on their own?

Only three left on the Little Cado

One of several on the Bacon

Several on the Keitt


« Last Edit: April 27, 2014, 01:49:26 PM by JeffDM »