The lemon blossoms can be single or in pairs and the petals, when the buds are young, are whitish internally and violet externally.
The lemon is a remontant species: in a mild climate it reproduces all the year round, even though the main blossomings are concentrated in spring, with the production of the winter lemons (primifiori), and in September, with the production of the so-called verdelli, which ripen in June. Anyway, the first buds are already visible in winter.
The flowers are hermaphrodite, with a corolla made mainly of 5 petals. The masculine system consists of two verticils of 4/5 stamens, the feminine system consists of 5 carpels gathered in a superior ovary, divided in 5-10 loculi.
The main blossomings
First blossoming from March to June: it produces lemons primofiore, cropped from September to October, and the autumn or the winter lemons (“scion-lemons”, lemons and biacuzzati), cropped from November to May.
Second blossoming from June to the end of July: it produces bianchetti (or biancuzzi or maiolini), cropped from February to May.
Third blossoming, forced if necessary, from August to October: at the end of April it produces the maggiolini and from May o September the verdelli, the agostani and the bastardi.
The autumn and the winter lemons (primofiore) have the best quality. Anyway, the two main productions are the bianchetti and the verdelli.
Farmer’s advice
To the pluck the fruit off the tree use the scissors provided for this purpose and cut the peduncle close to the skin.
What is the kumquat?
The Kumquat, that a botanist would call Fortunella japonica and Fortunella margarita, is an oval and oblong “miniature” of the orange that comes from the East.
