Things are growing fast here at Big Leaves. Right on cue, the Meyer lemon has been blooming and filling the sunroom with it’s sickly sweet smells.
Last year was the first time that I was able to get any lemons ripe enough to pick. Unlike some of the other tree-fruits, citrus must fully ripen on the plant. Once you pick it, the only change to the flavor and consistancy is when it eventually rots. The hard part, for me at least, is getting the lemons to turn yellow. I get lots of blooms, and lots of tiny green lemons. Eventually I end up with a few big, green lemons.
I think it probably has something to do with my fertilization regimen (or lack thereof). What I probably need to do is get some low nitrogen liquid fertilizer to dose as soon as I see buds appearing. At any rate, I’m happy that I’ve been able to keep this lemon tree alive and producing fruit for a few years.
I think the Opuntia humifusa is going flower for the first time very soon. Right now I can see 6 buds on the pads. I’m not quite sure which ones will be flowers and which will be new pads, but there are a few that are awfully yellow to be new pads.
I have another opuntia next to this one. Another spineless variety, it is a small Opuntia ellisiana. I haven’t noticed anything happening with it, new growth or otherwise.
Remember the Moringa oleifera seeds I planted 11 days ago? After a few days they started to germinate. Now, after a few more days, they are between 4 and 5 inches tall.
Big Leaves 