Lemon tree will not flower

[butterfly02]

My Lemon Tree was grown from a pip and is 22 years old. I put it outside in the summer and bring it during winter time. It has never flowered or had any fruit on it to date. Is there any hope for it?

[andyjevs]

I would say almost certainly not...especially if it's not flowered for 22 years. The science behind growing plants from seed is very complex. Many "offspring" from seed do not resemble their parents. The only proper way of guaranteeing that it flowers is to propergate it "vegetively"...ie by cuttings or grafting. By doing this, you can be sure that the parents genetics have been 100% carried forward into the cutting. I'm pretty sure that all citrus trees that are offered for sale are grafted. This is done by growing a plant from a pip like you have, cutting the top off the plant when big enough, then attaching a small branch or two from the "chosen variety" onto the cut off stem...thus grafting a variety onto a seedling rootstock. Sorry if that's a bit complicated and long winded.