Anyone familiar with Limes?

[Emm P]

For a month, I have been looking after a lime in a big tub, for a friend.
It has got a lot of fruit coming on it.
But this morning, I found three of the smaller ones - about the size of peas - had fallen off.
Could the heavy rain which we had yesterday be to blame - or something else?
:-\

When my friend came back for a visit last week, she said she had never seen the Lime looking so well and healthy.

[Emm P]

[Mrs Ava]

It could have been the wet, blustery weather, or, as I guess it is outside, it could be the fall in night time temperatures.  I have just started to bring in all of my more tender plants as it doesn't take much to make them look quite sickly.

Very jealous, I have never had any success with citrus at all, they always, and I mean always become infested with scale insect and red spider mite.

[Emm P]

Thanks EJ.

Crumbs, you should see all of the stuff she has left with me - to paint or spray on in case of mites.
::)

She told me not to bring it indoors until there was the first sign of frost.
It was rather windy, along with all of that rain, yesterday.

[calendula]

I would see it as a sign of natural 'thinning' - if all else is well, it the natural habit of fruit to partially thin their fruits - what a responsibility though  :o

[Emm P]

I have it for another 17 months, calendula.
::)

Yes, that thought did cross my mind.
Our pear tree does that - so I did wonder.

[Barnowl]

You probably know this anyway (and I doubt if it's relevant to the little fruits dropping off) but we had a long talk with a the very nice woman who looks after exotic plants at the Chessington Garden Centre and she said that if you live in a hard water area it is very important not to use tapwater on citrus plants.

Just thought it might be worth passing on.

[STHLMgreen]

I have a very small sour citrus tree that also drops some of its fruit sometimes when they are still very tiny and bright green. Like those sewing pins with the coloured balls at the ends.

I figure it's normal because it is otherwise pretty healthy.

[Emm P]

Ah, that has eased my mind - that is what these are like at the moment.

Oops - Barnowl - Fortunately, I have not had to water it much - only when feeding it.
But when it comes indoors - thankfully, my plants get rain water.
Luckily, we are not in a hard water area.
;)