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Lemon not blooming for years

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Hello people,

I just would like someone's guidance on what I should do with this lemon which has not bloomed for at least 4 yrs.
No idea what kind as it has been sitting a timber pot when I moved into this property, I have transplanted to garden soil and it has been there for the last 3 yrs.It is bigger than a dwarf kind and has spikes all over about 5cm in length. Leaves are growing quite well and look healthy. Are the 2 things I pointed out in the picture called water shoots and should they be removed to resolve my issue? The spot gets enough sun, plenty of rain water although in the dry season, I have neglected it to water but like I said, the foliage looks good enough to me.

Thanks,
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Belgrave, VIC
4th May 2017 8:33am
#UserID: 16077
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Manfred says...
Yes, they are watershoots, but watershoots on a healthy tree in good conditions will grow well over a metre in a season, so that plant is seriously under stress.
Why do you think it is a lemon tree? If it has lots of thorns, and at that size, it is unlikely to ever have borne fruit.
Growing citrus from seeds and citrus rootstocks is lots of fun, but if you want fruit it might be worthwhile to rip that one out and plant something with a label.
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Manfred
Wamboin
4th May 2017 7:23pm
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Hide says...
Thank you for your comment Manfred.
What makes you think it is seriously under stress? Please excuse my ignorance.
To answer your question, I think it is a lemon because of its look and the smell of its crushed leaves.
Recently, it has grown quicker than before and it is about 2 meters now so I was hoping it might be rewarding us soon.
I realise it might be much easier to start with a seedling or a seed but I have developed some affection for this guy over the years by looking after more closely than others and I'd really like to save it if at all possible.
Do you think I can start off by removing those shoots? Also I can't tell if this has been grafted or can't locate its graft union. Is that obvious to you in this picture? The two thick trunks from the bottom seem like rootstock growth to me. Am I making sense?
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Belgrave, VIC
5th May 2017 8:33am
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mic1 says...
The shoots look like they might be growing below a graft and so are from the root stock. If so, you don't want them, so cut them off. It won't solve your problem, but they will just waste the trees energy and eventually take over if left alone.
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mic1
STRATHFIELD,2135,NSW
6th May 2017 10:07pm
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Hide says...
Thanks mic1 for your confirmation. I have indeed removed the ones I pointed in red in the picture over the weekend but it will take quite a while I think to realise the impact this will make..
Though, assuming you agree that the grafting line is just behind the left red arrow line, would the right think trunk need to be also removed ultimately?

Thanks again.
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Belgrave, VIC
8th May 2017 12:41pm
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Manfred says...
It's really hard to tell about the graft location. With a budded plant there often isn't much of a step.

The plant reminds me very much of one I produced during my TAFE days when a fellow student and I took some failed grafts home to practice on, and grafted Meyer lemons onto failed mandarines on trifoliata. I planted one successful Meyer lemon out at a friend's place and shortly afterwards the mandarine bud sprouted and now there is a beautiful double graft producing fruit as a feature in a courtyard garden. (Very much in need of annual attack to keep the Meyer from overwhelming the mandarine.)

I put the Meyer bud on the top of a level section of branch because it was easier than doing it properly on the stem, so it's quite obvious who did it, where and how.

Yours obviously isn't a trifoliata rootstock, so there is very little downside in leaving it to produce fruit, even if it does turn out to be a rough lemon or a citrange of some sort.

Give it heaps of fertiliser and it will be a good-looking bush anyway, and someday it will reward and might surprise you.
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Manfred
Wamboin
9th May 2017 6:27pm
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Hide says...
Thank you you again Manfred and sorry for my belated reply. I will give it another few years to see how it evolves.
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Belgrave, VIC
15th May 2017 8:59pm
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