what kind of light does it get?

i dont think small pockets of air would hurt, in fact it would help provide some air flow in the mix.

Jessica, using a gentle stream of water is one of the best ways to settle potting mix in around a root system. It's the proper way to accomplish the same thing when planting anything outside, too. Water does the job without compaction, something that too much poking and prodding might result in. If a newly potted plant is flooded, the medium is forced to shift around and settle in properly. that should be the last step in a re-potting project.

Yes, it is important that roots aren't hanging 'out to dry' in large pockets, as they can die. Air accessibility and gas exchange occurs within the pores of a soil mix, not pockets. If your routine watering has included drenching, I'd think that the mix should have settled in properly.

Hmmmm, I don't think I'd re-pot so soon.

Also, you re-potted early in the season, and so recovery won't be nearly as fast as
if you'd re-potted this month or next, between flushes of growth. I'll ask the same
question as Houston - How much light is it receiving?

How often, and how much, are you fertilizing? At this point, I'm fertilizing full strength
or stronger Foliage Pro once a week.

Josh

The photos, to me, say it all; your problem is light!

The container people here can tell you how to deal with it; most important for Meyers is to make light changes gradual..

I am the LAST person to tell you what to do with the Lemon Meyer Jess since none of mine except the one in the clay pot is happy no matter what I do.

They only get happy when the temps consistently warm up and provided plenty of sunlight.

I think that Josh, Rhizo, Houston and John are right on the money with light, and might I add consistently warm weather.
I have found to be that Meyer can take MONTHS to recover from anything they may have caused harm and I can prove that with one I have had for almost a year that has yet to push new growth now that I provided lots of sunlight and a plastic pot, not clay.

Once you give it good sunlight, and I mean more than 8 hours of it and warmth, it should be just fine. The branches are not turning black just yet which is a good sign.

Josh has it right about the timing of your repot too:-)

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I almost called you but have been under the weather.

Mike:-)

Hi Everyone-

Thanks for the input. The tree usually sits in the best window I can offer it. I think that the lighting there is adequate once it adjusts, because the Meyer that sits right next to it is doing just fine. (But the lighting situation is not ideal by any means! I live in Seattle after all. I moved it to the bathroom counter for a photo. Due to back lighting you could not even see the tree when I tried to take photos of it where is normally sits).

Lighting is a solid 8 to 9 hours and that will only improve as we get more into summer. The light it is receiving is overcast with sun breaks these days, but the days are getting better and better with more sun than not. We are moving out of our solid-thick clouded rain season. We are just now coming into spring here so longer days of sun are on the way. Hopefully that will help.

It must be as you suggested. It is just taking its sweet time to heal up. I will just give it more time to come around and possibly do a transplant it in a few months. I am curious now about possibly moving it into a plastic pot due to what I have been reading lately about the clay pot keeping the roots too cool. Cooler temps are defiantly something I have to deal with here, so if moving to plastic will help a bit maybe I should be doing that?

Josh- to answer yours and Huston's question regarding feeding and watering. I am using the proper dilution of FB (1 cap to 1 gallon) once a week. Should it be stronger than that? I am watering less than once a week these days out of fear that I was over-watering. (I was averaging once a week easily) I am trying to use my other tree as a gauge as to when I actually need to water. This one is so distressed I can't tell by looking at it, but I can tell when my other tree is about ready. I will continue to try to use the dowel just in case. We are not getting allot of heat yet. Just a few days in a row where the window reached 70/75 per the thermometer I keep there. So I know it is not drying out. We have really good windows so even when it was snowing the temperature in the window is a steady 65.

I know my conditions are not perfect, but seeing how I have one tree that did just as I asked- given those conditions last year I figured I should try again with another. I think it will pull through knowing now that it may just be a very slow recovery.

I will keep my eye on it and hopefully it will start to improve over the next few months. I guess I should have realize that it would take at least that long to recover given the less-than-favorable conditions I am offering it. We learn as we go right!

Thank you everyone for your input, I really appreciate it! Hopefully the next photos I post will be of a happy tree on its way to recovery!

~Jessica

Jessica,
do you water and fertilize with warm water?
That's something that I do during the cooler months to protect the root-zone from the cold shock
of the water.

When you say 1 cap of fertilizer, I assume you've measured the cap as 1 Teaspoon?

Josh

Josh, I THINK, is hinting that you should follow the directions on your container of FE. If it says one cap per week then that's good. I suspect, however, that the directions call for teaspoons or tablespoons. Please tell me if I am mistaken. Even with fish emulsion, I believe that it's a good idea to follow the guidelines on the label.

It's better to use less than what is prescribed than more, as a general rule. Plants don't like to be pushed beyond what might be called 'normal' growth, if that makes any sense. Accelerated growth can be a problem in the long run, though it might make US happy to see all kinds of new growth!

Hi Josh & Rhizo-

Yes, one little capful is one teaspoon. (I measured it against a measuring spoon when I first got it) I mix that into my 1 gallon jug and hte water sits so it is always room temprature when I am watering so the roots don't get shocked.

I have never used vinegar in the water because I am not sure the PH of my water yet and I don't want to risk upsetting anything.

I usually give the plants a good shower once a month to rinse off any possible salt build up in the soil and wash off the leaves.

~Jessica