Hi everyone. Thanks for the replies and advice. I spoke with the owner (John) today and he has promised to reship me new plants in 3-4 weeks. He offered to do so sooner but I want to wait and make sure we don't repeat the problem. I didn't press for a refund because he seems so nice on the phone. I'm fine waiting the 3-4 weeks and sticking with Clifton's so long as I get the nice plants that I paid for. He did ask to see some photographs of what they look like now so I took a bunch more today. Here are a few of them - I'm wondering if anyone knows what the white stuff is on these branches? It was hard to photograph well since I have to get pretty close for it to be clear (which makes them blurry since I can't keep my hand perfectly still) but there are a few good ones that illustrate the problem. From Citrus Trees - 2011-02-14 From Citrus Trees - 2011-02-14 From Citrus Trees - 2011-02-14 You can see the white on the Early Washington Navel in this wide angle shot in the upper left, upper right, and other places if you look closely. This stuff is on all the new (I'd say under 1 year) growth on most of the plants. The Valencia seems to have escaped most of the white stuff. Also the clementine doesn't have nearly as much as the others. All of the new growth on these is brittle and will snap right off if I brush against it and any remaining leaves are dead except for 4-5 on the Valencia. When I scratch into any of the branches there is no moisture though it is still white inside. The plants haven't been watered since the initial watering to get the soil back around the roots and the soil is still uniformly moist on all of them (ie: no moisture uptake from roots). From Citrus Trees - 2011-02-14 Clementine From Citrus Trees - 2011-02-14 Bearss Lime: From Citrus Trees - 2011-02-14 Improved Meyer From Citrus Trees - 2011-02-14 Valencia From Citrus Trees - 2011-02-14 There are more pics in the linked album. A primrose to keep things happy and because it's Valentine's Day: From Citrus Trees - 2011-02-14 Here is a link that might be useful: Web album of frozen citrus 10 days later

Z You don't describe the fate of your previous Meyer lemons, so forgive me if my advice is too basic. First, I don't think you've allowed enough time to reach any conclusions about the grafted tree other than when purchased it was in its dormant phase, and two months ago it emerged out of that phase. If all goes well, you'll probably see another flush of growth later this spring. The cutting-derived tree sounds like it may have experienced some relocation shock or some kind of cultivation-related problem (overly dry air, too much fertilizer, a poor root-to-leaf ratio, dry pockets in the soil, etc.). However, that said, my Meyer Lemon, which may be a grafted tree, though I'm not at all certain, which I've had for 25 years, drops many of its older leaves every fall like clockwork as soon as I bring it inside for the winter (my other trees drop their older leaves too, but the Meyer is more extreme in its behavior). The Meyer lemon also always looks more bedraggled than the other citrus trees: it has a sparser canopy of leaves, and its coarse growth pattern is unsightly compared to the relatively petite branching patterns of my Key Lime, Calamondin, and seed grown orange. The Meyer Lemon is closest to my Ponderosa lemon in its appearance, which I suppose makes sense! You may also want to cut back on the fertilization schedule when the trees are not actively growing. I've grown containerized citrus for over 30 years, and I don't usually fertilize them when they are dormant. When they are flowering and actively growing, I fertilize every two or three weeks at most, and I cut the recommended amount of fertilizer in half (I've used Peters' blend for acid-loving plants, though it is now marketed under the Jack's Classic label). If a tree is struggling, giving it a sizable dose of nitrogen every other watering is probably causing it more stress than less. This is possibly even more so in the case of a rooted cutting, which may not have a root system that is completely up to the task of supporting new growth and flowers.

Well, that's because I don't think anyone in the commercial citrus growing industry has actually conducted those experiments, or if they have, they're still in the works (as alluded to in that document). A good sugar/acid ratio is important in the citrus industry, but it's not just brix. There's the dance between sugar and acid. And, it is really different from country to country. We tend to like our citrus a bit more sprightly that Japan, but not as much as some countries in Eurpoe. Yield obviously is critical as is the size of each fruit. And they can adjust to a point, but need a LOT of water, Steve. I water my citrus A LOT compared to my drought tolerant California and Australian natives I have growing on the same slope. They have to be on different drip stations because of that. Folks in Phoenix on sand will water even more than I do. They will die if they get too thirsty. Younger trees are much more sensitive than older trees. Citrus are tough, but require much more water than my stone fruits do. Same with my avos. Check with your Texas Coop Extension folks. They are really super, you have great citrus ag resources in your state. And, I would say, as a Master Gardener, and dealing with home citrus questions, I would actually say the majority of issues with citrus are due to over watering and "too much love", than under watering. Both issues pop up, but mostly folks tend to overdo it, and citrus don't like waterlogged situations (clay soil, poor drainage). Avocados even less so. Patty S.

Very nice Meiwa Steve! I tried - - - i had a Meiwa for 2 years in the store bought black pot - - - awaiting just the right location to plant it. So i did. Unfortunately that was 2 weeks before the freeze of last December. It was killed complete. During the 2 years it was awaiting planting, i found that it did not like extreme heat (south side of building) but it did push a few fruits... not too bad. I still think the location fits real well for it... but my timing stunk. Maybe i will try again soon. - George!