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New Meyer Lemon Struggling

17 years ago

A few weeks ago I received a three-year-old Meyer lemon tree. It was shipped to me bare-root as a birthday gift. The instructions said that I should select a 3-5 gallon pot (I selected a glazed ceramic with a drainage hole and attached drainage plate) and plant the tree in a bag of Miracle-Gro potting soil after soaking the roots for about three hours.

I did so, and after planting it I gave the tree just a bit of water (perhaps two cups). I watered again about a week later when the soil was dry about three inches deep.

I realize that it's likely normal to lose a few leaves and buds due to the shock of being shipped and re-potted, but I'm losing quite a bit of leaves and it seems that after nearly three weeks the tree should begin showing signs of adapting to its new home. I have the plant sitting in the light of a north-west facing glass door in my kitchen and our home temperatures fluctuate between 65-75.

I have not yet offered the plant any fertilizer as I've seen no signs of new growth.

Is there anything I could/should do to help my tree acclimate? Is there anything that I may have done wrong?

Comment (1)

mielemiele
17 years ago
There are some very good citrus experts on this forum who can give better advice, so here are the basics:

First thing that comes to mind, is that 5 gal pot would be fine for a 2-3 yr old tree if you had drilled as many holes in the bottom as possible for best drainage.

The second is the potting mix. Miracle -Gro has slow release fertilizer in it, so you were wise not to add more. Don't fertilize again until new growth starts to sprout. Most potting mix is too heavy for citrus, you'll want to mix in some sand, vermiculite, or some redwood or cedar shavings to lighten it up and get more oxygen to the roots.

When you repotted, you should have really soaked the soil with several GALLONS of water, waited for it to drain out the bottom and then added more. When you water, wait for the top 2-3 inches to be on the dry side of moist, then give the pot a good soaking. That's about a gallon of water for a 5 gal pot. When the tree is in the house, mist it twice a day to be sure it's getting enough humidity.

Normally citrus like as much direct sun as possible; for as many hours as you can give it. After repotting, a few weeks in a shady area is good for the plant while the tree acclimates to its new surroundings. However, your North-West window may not provide enough direct sun for the tree to thrive.

I got a Meyer lemon, bare root last fall, so I understand your fears. Mine arrived, bare root, early last September and just sat in it's new 5 gal. pot for 2 months and did nothing. I misted it every morning before taking it outside in the sun and misted again very night before bring it inside. Then suddenly in November, without warning, it burst into dozens of blooms like an Azalea. It's normal for 98% of the fruit to drop off and I now have over a dozen, golf-ball sized lemons ripening for spring.

Hope this helps. Good Luck!
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