Them Poor Lemon Trees
14Tuesday 10 February, 2015 by Uncle Spike
As I posted recently, we had a short sharp cold cold snap where temperatures dropped to -5C (23F) on a few nights, which is almost unheard of. I also mentioned the damage caused to various trees, but the lemon trees in particular seemed the most affected.
A couple of weeks on, and it is now very clear to see. The orange, tangerine and clementine trees have some leaf damage, with young leaves more extensively burned, but nothing like the lemon trees, which went into total panic by the looks of things.
This 2 metre (6′ 6″) winter lemon lost all its fruit and all its leaves in 48 hours.
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Likewise, just look at this older, larger and therefore hardier lemon tree…
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The big old lemon tree closest to the house was afforded some minimal protection, and whilst damaged, may fair better longer term; but the leaf loss through ice-burn was still extensive.
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Thankfully, much of the fruit was used, and the freezers stocked with lemon juice. However, the most disheartening is that the summer lemon trees, which harvest in July and August were just as affected, so bang went that crop too.
This summer lemon tree should be in full leaf and have small hard lemons that would normally start to grow and ripen over spring and early summer. Compare that to the clementine trees nearby.
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Uncle Spike's Adventures 
[…] some 250 trees, there are always the odd casualty or two each season; the lemon trees for example. Olive trees are also prone to the odd spot of bother too, but more from disease […]
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[…] course, this was BEFORE the big storms and the freeze that devastated the lemon trees […]
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Frost is a mean thing on lemons. Last year CA had a similar bout of icy nights and the croppers were so concerned about their fruit recolt. Good luck to you.
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So sorry to hear this news Spike.
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We are Heading for a freeze again tonight. I’ve got my Frangepane tree well wrapped up and I’m keeping my fingers crossed
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I need a nuclear shelter sized tent for the farm me thinks 🙂
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lemon trees very pretty those lemon trees are sweet .. I think there is a song about lemon trees I would bark it out for you if I knew the words
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Oh, goodness! That is terrible! I hope the trees didn’t die. I’m so sorry.
Linda ❤⊱彡
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
https://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/sherlock-boomer
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İf they do, I can graft on to a few of the clementine trees – they’ll be producing lemons within 3 years then.
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Oh. That is interesting!
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So disheartening. When things like this happen, I often think of what it must have been like for farmers in the old days (and doubtless in some parts of the world even now), who would literally starve to death with the failure of crops. Our tomatoes all rotted last year and the crows ate all of our cabbages, but at least our livelihood didn’t depend upon it, which yours does to a certain extent.
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Hobby really and for some degree, self-sufficiency, so no big problem at all, just a bummer.
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Bummer! This winter in Arizona, we had some frost as well. Most of my backyard plants were touched with frost-burned leaves. Strangely enough, our single orange tree appears to be completely spared, even though the bougainvillea plant next to it was all but destroyed. Go figure!
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Oranges are hardy trees, ours were not affected either.
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