Hi Tabithawc! It almost sounds as if your leaves may have sunburn. I would maybe move it indoors to a sunny window for a bit- East if you can, and then as it heals, perhaps acclimate it to the sun by putting it out in the morning sun (East) and then gradually getting it used to stronger sun- Western. Once it heals it should be able to handle full sun. It sounds like the plant needs a little coddling. I wish you luck! Jen

Hey gardengal, What makes you believe it is a dwarf Eureka lemon? What does the label say? Do you know what nursery produced the tree? Eureka Lemons usually have an incompatabilty with dwarfing rootstocks. Here in the central valley of California citrus ranchers usually plant lisbon lemons rather than eureka. They seem to be better producers. Lisbon's also are more adaptable to other than lemon rootstocks.The fruit of both are fairly similar.

I hope it is not too late. I just saw your message. It appears to me to be a watering issue. I really do not think light would cause the wilting that I see. First I would check for insects on the trunk, branches and leaves - even underneath the leaves. The pests most likely to be on citrus are aphids and scale. Next, if you can, put it in the shower and spray it off well which will help control insects and soak through the soil well. If you did see any pests I would first spray thoroughly with insecticidal soap (aphids) or horticultural oil (scale or aphids). Be sure you get the underneath the leaves. Then follow up with water - just barely warm water. After the leaves dry off then put it back where it was. Do not water again until the soil seems slightly dry when you stick your finger in up to the first knuckle. When watering, water enough so the soil soaks in and a little comes out the bottom of the pot. I have never misted my citrus and do not see any reason to do so. I have two lemon trees, one navel orange, one key lime, and two grapefruit. One lemon tree I have had for years and moved with me to Alaska and back. Here is a link that might be useful: Edible Landscaping - lemons

So sorry to hear about the loss of your father. And I understand about wanting to keep his little tree going. Some things to help: First, if you're seeing teeny black flies crawling on the soil, and flying around, they most likely are fungus gnats, as Dave has mentioned. Fungus gnats thrive in too moist soil. So, the very first thing I would recommend is to re-pot your little tree in better draining soil. If you search this forum for "511" or "gritty mix", you'll come up with some good potting soil recipes. Or, if you can find bagged Farfard Professional Potting soils in your area, they also will work. Again, search this forum for "farfard" for the best choices. Citrus do not tolerate soggy soils well at all, and will suffer from root rot, besides promoting pests such as fungus gnats, which can damage tender feeder roots. Next, moisture meters (of this caliber) can be pretty inaccurate. You can try using one, but you're better off just using a stick inserted down to the bottom of your pot. Checking the soil moisture down to the bottom, to make sure you're not retaining a puddle of water at the bottom of the pot. As far as fertilizers, most folks on this list use DynaGro Foliage Pro, and you can supplement with Osmocote Plus, which is a time release fertilizer with a good NPK ratio plus all the micros. The Dynamite Select All Purpose will also work. Use the Foliage Pro with every watering. Skip the Tanglewood - your tree is much too small for that, and really, this product is used in citrus culture to keep ants off of outdoor trees. This will not prevent the types of indoor pests that plaque indoor citrus, including fungus gnats. Put your tree outside as much as you can during the year. Most folks will acclimate their trees to the outside slowly, over a couple of weeks as soon as temps allow. Don't do it too early, as you don't want to end up with the tree exposed to temps below freezing, but citrus are outdoor plants, so as much total outdoor time, the better for the tree. Lastly, to treat the fungus gnats. Use Gnatrol. Works extremely well. You might need a few applications as a soil soak, but that will take care of them. Be sure to treat all your indoor plants, as they will spread from plant to plant. Patty S.