Does fruit ripen at a slower rate when unpicked?

Question

I have lemons ready to harvest and I'm debating whether to pick them all or harvest them when I need them. My question is if keeping lemons on the tree will let them last longer than them being harvested from the tree.

Answer 1

Favourite answer

They will last better when left on the tree. However, there are some trade-offs:

The skins will continue to develop, getting thicker and thicker. The inside flesh will remain wholesome for a long time, be eventually will begin to dry out.

Maintaining the ripe fruit on the tree diverts the plant strength away from the newly set fruit, potentially making the new fruit smaller and less desirable.

If it's a young tree, I'd remove the ripe fruit in a timely fashion, meaning you don't have to pick it all at once, but don't let the ripe fruit linger on the tree for months. This will encourage root and branch growth on the tree.

If it's an older, established tree, and you're not raising the fruit for sale, you can let the ripe fruit linger on the tree with the new fruit and pick a ripe lemo whenever you like. The thicker skins don't harm the quality of the flesh inside.

Answer 2

They will last much longer on the tree, I suggest picking as you need them.

Answer 3

My unc had orange and grapefruit trees. The fruit stayed on for over 2 years & I would pull off one and bite into it on a hot day, if it was an older fruit, it was fermenting inside the peel and it was like orange liquor.  So they picked some when they went to town to sell them to a store.

Rate would be about the same, but the fruit on the tree HAS MORE FLAVOR than green picked fruit.