How Many Years Until Fingered Citron Bears Fruit? A Detailed Explanation of the Fruiting Timeline

Fingered citron is an interesting potted plant; when grown at home, you can enjoy its fruit, which is very fun. Of course, it would be even more perfect if the tree bore more fruit. So how many years until fingered citron bears fruit?

How many years until fingered citron bears fruit?

Generally, it bears fruit in 2-3 years. Fingered citron cuttings bloom for the first time from Chunfen (Spring Equinox) to Qingming (Pure Brightness), two years after cuttings are taken; the flowering period is April-May, and the fruiting period is October-November. The first bloom from Chunfen to Qingming often produces many male flowers, and the fruit set is relatively small; another bloom occurs around Lixia (Start of Summer), with fruit ripening in September-October. These fruits are large and used for medicinal purposes; the rind is bright yellow, wrinkled and glossy, and the tip is divided, often opening like fingers, hence the name fingered citron. The flesh is white, with no seeds.

How can fingered citron bear more fruit?

If you want fingered citron to bear more fruit, care during the flowering period is essential, because only with good flowering is there a chance for more fruit.

During the flowering period of fingered citron, the main care tasks are flower thinning and fertilizing. Flower thinning means removing excess flowers and early male flowers when the plant blooms, keeping only 1 to 2 flowers on each branch.

Fingered citron generally begins to bloom in March each year, and flower thinning should be done during the flowering period, because it is generally better to keep 1-2 fruits per branch, so when keeping flowers, retain only 2——3 flowers and remove the rest.

Fertilizing mainly involves spraying phosphorus and potassium fertilizers on the leaves; during the full bloom period, borax should be sprayed, which can support the leaves' photosynthesis, promote nutrient accumulation, and increase yield.