worth saving this dying or dead kaffir lime tree?

12 years ago

Dear Citrus Forum,

For nearly two years I had a very healthy kaffir lime tree in a pot on my balcony, at an apartment in Jakarta, Indonesia. Despite the air pollution here, I think it was in its tropical element, and it thrived for awhile. We used the leaves routinely for cooking. Yum.

Two months ago all the leaves started to fall off and now it's totally bare. After studying this forum, I now know with some certainty that the small tree had two major problems: scale and overwatering. (silly me, I thought the sticky residue from scale was productive tree sap!)

My question: if all the leaves are gone, is it worth trying to save? I'm willing to go through the effort of treating for root rot, and repotting, and taking better care in the future if it's possible to rescue it. Or, if you all think it's a lost cause, I'll toss it and get another one. I'm posting two pictures of this sad bare tree on flickr, but the lighting is less than ideal (too bright in the background).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/soekarno72/6194256768

http://www.flickr.com/photos/soekarno72/6194254830

Wish I had a pic from when it was healthy... it was so beautiful and green! Appreciate your honest advice!

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Comments (10)

johnmerr
12 years ago
Start over with a new healthy tree; and watch/search this site for advice.... My philosophy of trees, it is a lifetime investment... don't start with a bad one...it is like buttoning your shirt... if you get the first button wrong, it doesn't matter how careful you are after that
Mad Ferret
12 years ago
I suppose it's not that difficult to find a new tree there?

Regards
Nick
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I'm with gleb and citrange on this one, Dreaming. I, like MeyerMike, try to save just about any plant, but I can almost guarantee you, based on the splitting and peeling bark that your tree is verily and truly dead. The way to find out is to make some pretty severe pruning cuts on the main branches. Leave about 2-3" length from the main trunk. If you cut into live wood, your tree MAY come back. If you cut into dead wood, it's a goner. Based on what I'm seeing in your photos it most likely due to being within a sprinkling system, getting way too much water. That, in combination with a clay soil is fatal to citrus. They need once a week deep watering in our area, and hopefully not planted in an area with alot of clay. Another possibility is the roots were damaged by gopher activity. Look around the tree, behind your fence line in the other lots around you near the tree to see if you've got signs of gopher activity. If you dig out the tree, check for tunneling. The do love to snack on fruit tree roots. I've managed to save my beloved Meyer Lemon from the lone gopher I've seen in our yard since we moved in, in the fall of 2009. We rarely have gopher activity, but I am very quick to to trap them with Black Boxes at the first sign (where there is one, there will be a gazillion.) If you want to replace your orange tree, see if you can find a better spot, with good drainage, and not in the sprinkling system. Put it on a drip where you can do a slow drip for about 30 minutes once or twice a week (depending upon the temperature.) Patty S.
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8 years old? in 5 gallon pot? My first thought is you have no more soil left in that pot thus, no nutrients, no fertilizer no nothing gets going to the leaves. No wonder it is dying on you. If that is my tree I will do some drastic change to invigorate that tree. Otherwise you will lose it completely. I only started buying and taking care of citrus in 2002 and most of them outgrew wine barrel pots so I transferred them to the ground. One of them is over 12 feet in height. With me a 5 gallon only last a year or less. Then I planted them into 7 1/2 10 15 and 25 gallon all in 4 year time. How big is your tree anyway and what is the diameter of the trunk? I need to know because I usually go from 5 to 7 1/2 gallon. Then 10 gallon. If that is my tree I would start from the scratch. I would prune it drastically and leave 2 or 3 main branches. Then I would get me a very free draining soil 1/3 sand 1/3 peat 1/3 pine bark a little bit of steer manure and perlite and vermiculite and some top soil. I would also if I see that the roots are all tied up together, hack the roots longitudally at 3 equal space to encourage new root growth. Then put it in the shade after soaking it with water preferably with osmosis filtered water beause the pH is slightly acidic. Don't fertilize at this time until you see new growth comes up. then use the miracle grow 30 10 10 azealia rodo fertilizer at 1/2 strength. That is if that is my tree. Lots of people will tell you different.
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At this point, I would not move it anymore but wait out the rest of the winter. Lay off the watering and keep the soil on the dry side. If in doubt about watering now--DON't. DO NOT FERTILIZE! Mist the remaining leaves and stems frequently if you can. When the weather warms and settles, place it outside into a protected, deeply shaded spot until it acclimates (a couple of weeks), then move it into full sun. Once it is shows signs of new growth, you can start watering more and start fertilizing. (I move most of my citrus out by early April to the south side of the house--but, being near the coast, excessively wet or chilly conditions may still force me to drag some back into the garage until late April.) Citrus really have a problem with indoor heating during our winter season. This is why I keep almost all my citrus in a garage where the winter temp is maintained in the 40-60 degree range. Under these conditions I never experience any leaf drop with the citrus (lemons, oranges, kumquats, limequats, etc.) Limes tend to like it a bit warmer than other citrus but they still suffer in our homes in the winter. The only citrus I currently have in the house is a Kaffir lime as they are more tropical; it's on a radiator and is actually doing very well (something must citrus would HATE). Having said all this, I suspect that your tree should make it (still having green stems is a good sign.) Good luck!
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Silica, I figured you would say the opposite or make my advice seem invaluable. Let the members see for for themselves..What a joke,........I hope this person chooses wisely since I have never had to spray anything on my foliage, ever, not since I discovered the right mixes and fertilizer after years of doing this previously before coming here. Listening to the advice of what you and other so called professionals say lead me to dead ends before spending years at the container forums with the right people. I have been growing problem free Citrus Trees for years, and have proved that here and yet I have yet to see yours over the years. You fought with me over bark saying that Coconut Chips was far better than bark and yet you stopped using them after you failed in them while encouraging others to grow in that instead of the 5.1.1 mix. You never like me for encouraging I tlothers to use it. You say you used the these mixes for years when you never did You never documented it or have proof you did.If you want people to run out and try this or that to correct issues when it can all be done with one good fertilizer, the right regimen and in the right mix,that's fine. I've tried to reach out to you and work with you and yet you still refuse. That's fine too You are probably getting a kick out of it since most new ones here have not got a clue that you have been doing this to me for years, staying in a different page than I here. I can promise you that I will not give up helping others while I presume that it would satisfy you if I did. . When was the last time you agreed with anything I had to say or complimented my years didicated or consistent efforts here? Your only purpose to me has been to quash my credibly here lately, and I'm not the only one who sees that now you move in and look like the good guy deliberatly being xtra nice to the ones that I've gotten to know or help to rally them on to your agenda? Please, let it be known, that I too can copy and paste many articles that you have been putting together here from Google and the tropical forums to pretend you know it all. At times word for word on what Millet says......I've known you for years and you have never had a fondness of me or my ability or desire to help others with the methods I've learned here for years. Thanks., L.N . Everything grows just right, perfectly well, as long as the roots are running correctly, their needs are met, and the nutrients are able to be utilized..I would rather help others address the root of their problems, than waste their time or money to bandaid them just to have them keep reoccurring. As the pot shows it is salt issues, and the soil of choice causes that if no proper flushing of them is done, and the clay pot if exposed to cold temps as John says are most likely the cause. But I assume most of the time your climate is warm which would not be an issue with clay. L.N If you would like to e-mail me, please do so. Since I have helped dozens of members here for years with success, I would be willing to help you. My e-mail is milerno_1@yahoo.com If you choose to do it Silica's way, you have that choice and I wish you all the luck)))) It was great to meet you.
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mksmth zone 7a Tulsa Oklahoma
12 years ago
If you want to try and save it first determine if it has any hope. To do that scrap a bit of the bark and if the cambium layer is still green you may have a chance. Rinse off the roots and re-pot into a well draining mix and see what happens.

mike
houstontexas123
12 years ago
it doesnt look too good from the pics.
Jesse H G
Original Author
12 years ago
thank you Johnmerr, Nick, Mike, and Houston for the honest advice. yes it would be easy to just get another (and I'll probably pick one up soon as insurance), but in the interest of just giving it a shot, I cut back the totally dead (brown) branches, cleaned the roots, and re-potted. Most of the tree still has a green cambium layer, and the kaffir lime smell where I checked under the bark is still pungent. so we'll see!

Any other advice is most welcome. We just got two small nagami kumquat bushes, so I'll be lurking around the citrus forum more often from now on. Thanks again!
meyermike_1micha
12 years ago
What Mike suggest is exactly what I would do.lol

Of course I have a weak spot when it comes to sparing sick plants of their demise. For some reason, it makes me feel good that I can handle such a feat.
It's funny about me, but when I see a plant for sale that looks like h*ll, I tend to grab it and find myself having a good time bringing it back from such an aweful state. call me crazy if you would like.

You certainly have to have the patience to accomplish such a feat and the know how. The know how will come from being a part of this forum along with persistence in learning.
The patience, well, not everyone is up to that.

The fact that you have green cambium tells me there is hope, that is if you are willing to look at such an ugly/ oops,cute tree if so that is what you choose to think of it.:-)

Please make sure that mix is coarse enough to allow proper drainage and encourage much new root growth.
Provide LOTS of sunlight and NO fertilizer until you see its first sign of growth.
Make sure the mix you choose dries out evenly and rapidly.

Mike:-)
johnmerr
12 years ago
No fertilizer... therein lies the secret to new plantings. The lack of ample food in the new soil encourages the roots to grow in search of nutrients. Once the roots grow, the branches will follow and that is the time to start with a complete fertilizer with essential minerals.
cath41
12 years ago
And don't forget to get rid of the scale. That alone can denude a tree of leaves. Not to mention that it can infect your new tree as well if not addressed.

Cath
tmc2009
12 years ago
How much sun does that terrace get? I didn't think I was afraid of heights but that photo had me sweating a little bit. I would scrape the bark too to see if its still green underneath and cut back on watering do to lack of leaves. It seems small enough to move around so maybe find a different spot in a window that gets as much sun as possible.
luvrhome
10 years ago
I know that this is an old posting but I have the same problem with my kaffir lime tree and was wondering what happen to your tree. Do you have updated picture of the sad tree?

worth saving this dying or dead kaffir lime tree?

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johnmerr

Mad Ferret

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worth saving this dying or dead kaffir lime tree?

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