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Citrus and bees
Hi everyone,
ive got numerous citrus indoor plants that are growing just fine. I took one outside and noticed that a lot of bees came and staring doing their business with the flowers.
question is, and excuse my ignorance in biology, do I need bees to pollinate the flowers (if this is even considered pollinattion) ? Am I doing good to the plant by allowing this process to happen?
Feedback is is most welcome.
p.s second pic taken a week back, most flowers have bloomed
Last edited: 11 April 2017 15:02:01
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You need pollination to generate seeds (fruit). Bees can aid pollination, but plants can also self-pollinate or pollinate by wind/convection currents etc.
Different plants rely on the different factors to differing extents. Given that your plant generated fruit when it was indoors, I guess bees aren't necessary in this case. But you might as well let the bees have a go at - it'll do them good and doesn't do the plant any harm. Our bees need all the help they can get!
Or at least, this is my understanding... I'm not 100% sure I'm right.
My Calamondin (titchy little oranges) - indoors all the time - produces fruit with seeds in. In fact when making marmalade with the fruits I found one seed had germinated inside the fruit so I planted that one rather than using it in the marmalade and I now have another Calamondin so Garden noob got it right about self pollination
Thanks for the info