Lemon trees make attractive, ornamental specimens in containers or in the garden landscape. Like all citrus fruit trees, they require a bit of maintenance to produce ripe, flavorful fruit and without care can develop unsightly, bitter, juiceless fruit. So what happens if the lemon tree fruit does not turn yellow, and is there a “cure” for lemons that stay green?
Try placing an under-ripe lemon in a bright location in your kitchen. The ideal place would be on your kitchen counter, away from direct sunlight. After a few days, the lemon will turn more yellow.
Why Do My Lemons Stay Green?
Lemon trees need plenty of sunlight in a protected area with adequate moisture. The tree, like all citrus, should be pruned to allow the sunlight to penetrate and allow for adequate air circulation as well as to maintain the shape and make it easier to harvest lemons.
A regular feeding schedule of an all-purpose soluble food (18-18-18) should be applied to the tree. If you are doing all of this and still wonder, “Why do my lemons stay green?”, read on.
Citrus trees do not ripen the way rock fruits or apples and pears do. They gradually mature and gain sweetness; in fact, the fruit may take as long as nine months to ripen. Once the fruit is mature, it can be left on the tree for a few weeks, but it does not ripen more.
So first off, the lemons may not be turning yellow because they have not been ripening on the tree long enough. If this is the case, then patience is in order. If, however, you have knocked this factor off your list, cultural conditions such as inadequate light or adverse weather conditions could be the reason that lemons stay green.
In fact, the most common cause for citrus fruit, in general, to fail to ripen is lack of sunlight. The tree may be too shaded, or trees may be planted too close together. Weather conditions affect the fruiting of lemon trees and contribute to slow ripening. Irregular amounts of irrigation will affect how the lemon tree fruits and matures.
Drought conditions stress the tree, producing juiceless fruit or that which splits or fails to ripen. All citrus trees need consistent, even watering. This may depend on how hot the weather gets, the season, the soil, and whether the tree is container-grown or in the garden.
How Lemons are Ripened
FAQ
How do you ripen unripe lemons?
Will lemons ripen on the counter?
Will lemons ripen if picked early?
How to ripen lemons quickly?
The ethylene gas released by the banana will help speed up the ripening process of the lemons. Keep the bag in a warm and dark place for a few days, checking the lemons periodically to ensure they are ripening evenly. If you need to ripen lemons quickly, you can use a warm water bath method. Fill a bowl or sink with warm water, around 100°F (38°C).
How can one get all the lemon juice out of a lemon?
To get all the lemon juice out of the lemon, you need to squeeze it using a good juicer. Then you can remove a little of the pulp with a spoon and add it to the previously squeezed juice.
How long does it take a lemon tree to ripen?
Some lemons may take up to nine months to ripen. Once a lemon is ripe, however, it can stay on the tree for several weeks. Lemon trees need to mature before they can bear ripe fruit. Some lemon trees may bear fruit sooner, but the fruit won’t be ripe. In general, lemon trees produce ripe fruit after they are three years old.
When do lemons ripen?
Did this article help you? Lemons and other citrus plants ripen on the tree; once you pick a lemon, it will no longer ripen. If you purchase lemons from a supermarket, they should already be ripe and they may even last several weeks before going bad.