Subject: Re: Pollinating Fruit Trees in the Greenhouse

From: [email-masked] (Pollinator)
Date: 30 Mar 1996 12:27:13 -0500

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Jeanne L.
Keane) writes:

>Subject:	Pollinating Fruit Trees in the Greenhouse
>From:	[email-masked] (Jeanne L. Keane)
>Date:	Sun, 24 Mar 1996 03:27:00 GMT
>
>	
>
>Does anyone have any advice on pollinating fruit trees in the
>greenhouse?  I have an orange tree, a lime tree, a lemon tree,and a
>grapefruit tree.   Any advice would be helpful.  I need to make sure
>I'm doing it right. 
>Jeanne L. Keane

   There is a general perception that citrus does not need cross
pollination, being self-fertile, or even not needing any pollination at
all.  This is a relative condition.  They certainly are more self-fertile
than, say, apples.

   In other words, you probably will get a crop without any efforts on
your part.  However, depending on the varieties, you may be able to get
more fruit, larger fruit, or sweeter fruit, by cross pollination. The
citrus industry is a little cautious about pollination, as consumers don't
generally want seedy fruit.  Myself -- I am always pleased to cut a
grapefruit and find it is well seeded.  Then I know it will be sweet.

   For an in depth discussion of this, visit the Practical Pollination
Home Page, and try the link on Citrus Pollination by Dr. Sanford.  Also,
you might want to look at the hand pollination links and other general
pollination info.

[email-masked]    Dave Green,  PO Box 1200, Hemingway, SC   29554
Practical Pollination Home Page    
http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html

[email-masked]                                   Dave Green
Pollination Home Page     http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html  
PO Box 1200, Hemingway, SC    29554

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 28 Mar 1996 22:23:54 -0700

Unless you want viable seeds in your fruit, you don't need to pollinate 
oranges, lemons, limes, or grapefruit.  All have perfect flowers (both 
male and female parts) and all are either self fertile, or they will 
produce fruit independantly of pollination.

So relax, you just need to water and fertilize them.

Matthew F.

On Sun, 24 Mar 1996, Jeanne L. Keane wrote:

> [email-masked]
> O, Wind,
> If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?
> 
> Percy Bysshe Shelley 
> 
> 
> A good farmer is nothing more nor less than a handy man 
> with a good sense of humus.
> 
> E.B. White 
> 
> 
> A woman is like a teabag--only in hot water do you realize how 
> strong she is.
> 
> Nancy Reagan 
> 
> 
>