That's a little early, Clint. Mine is just now coming up to ripe fruit, but no blossoms quite yet. Probably just chalk it up to youth. It's not super early - you can expect blooms usually in a month or two.

Patty S.

Patty, what do you make of the little black spots on the leaves? Deficiency? I did have spider mite troubles in other parts of the garden, but this doesn't present with silvery hue or webs like other plants. The tree didn't bear this season, so I know something is going on. The fruit from this tree has been excellent in recent years.

Nice mine has begun its growth flush

Don't think it's a deficiency. Looks more like residue of some sort. Did you spray with Neem oil or any other hort oil? This was a bad year for spider mites due to our increasing drought. Doesn't really look like sooty mold, but if you can wipe or scrape it off, that is a possibility (although I think a long shot, as it doesn't really look like it to me, but always a possibility if spider mites or aphids are around.) Otherwise it looks very healthy to me. Bearss are just so extremely reliable for us here in S. California, I just love mine. Again, one of those outstanding cultivars that has earned a second spot in my garden. I have one in a large 1/2 whisky container and one in the ground.

Patty S.

Ha! It's black paint over spray. My metal gate was spray painted a while back.

Zebras!! One of my mentor's favorite analogies. When you hear hoofbeats, your mind thinks horses; but it COULD be Zebras. My favorite case in point... your light goes out in your lamp, so you buy a new bulb and put it in... still no light, so you think something is wrong with the lamp and spend time dismantling it to see what is wrong.... the final diagnosis (Zebras, not horses) is that the new bulb is no better than the old bulb... just because you just bought it, does not make it good. Note: in my 3rd world marketplace, if you buy a light bulb, they connect it to show you it works. A few things are okay in the 3rd world.

HAH! Mystery solved. Good sleuthing, Clint. John, small price to pay for living in paradise.

Patty S.

Yeah, for whatever reason the tree just didn't set fruit this year. As a result, I'm on observational high alert. And this is the time of year when citrus is king and gets more of my attention.