Fruit trees need to be outdoors as much as possible
Updated 8:06 am, Sunday, August 26, 2012
Q: Is it possible to get a mandarin orange and a lime tree to bear fruit if I have them in patio pots indoors during the winter and outside in summer? They are about 5 feet tall. The Mandarin orange had 14 fruit last year but none this year.
A: It's possible, but you'll need to be diligent. They need to be outdoors in the sun as much of the year as possible. Of course, they must not be exposed to freezing weather. If they try to bloom indoors, or if they flower when you have little bee activity outdoors, fruit won't form. Keep them somewhat root-bound to foster reproductive growth. If they're growing rapidly vegetatively, that can come at the expense of flowers and fruit.
Q: I have several live oaks that are continuing to shed leaves. Our county extension agent said he thought it was the aftermath of last summer's drought. I have watered faithfully. What could the problem be?
A: Falling or yellowed leaves don't give good direction to a diagnosis. They tell you that the trees aren't completely happy, but they don't say much more. Look for other symptoms, including any type of trunk or root damage, galls on the fallen leaves, etc. Was any type of weed-and-feed fertilizer used on the lawn around these trees? Some amount of leaf drop is to be expected with any tree by midsummer, although if it's more than 5 percent of the total leaf canopy, there must be something else involved. I'd suggest you take photos and perhaps some branch samples to a Texas Master Certified Nursery Professional for specific guidance.
Q: I bought a potted 'Wonderful' pomegranate plant that is about 4 feet tall a couple of weeks ago. It soon dropped the bottom half of its leaves. There are still green leaves at the top. What might have caused that?
A: The plant likely got too dry at some point right before or after you bought it. I've never seen an insect or disease bother pomegranates, and even if there were, they wouldn't attack only the lower, older leaves.
Trim and reshape the plant, and let it fill back in by keeping its moisture needs met carefully the balance of this year.
Q: I have a 'Sweet 100' tomato plant that produces some of the most outstanding round cherry tomatoes. They never make it into the house, because we eat them out in the garden. However, it also is producing several times more fruit that are teardrop-shaped. They never seem to ripen to red. They taste good but nothing to compare with the round fruit. How can one plant have such different fruit?
A: You might have two plants within the same cage, grown from seeds of two different varieties. The pear tomatoes typically do not have the super-sweet genes, and it's not uncommon for them to have more of a pink color. Trace the stems back to see if they come from two separate stalks.
Mail questions to Neil Sperry, c/o Features, San Antonio Express-News, P.O. Box 2171, San Antonio, TX 78297-2171, or email him at SAENgardenQA@sperrygardens.com. For more of his advice, go to his Facebook page.