thanks guys. I think I may water it 2x a week, or like every 4 days. Since I ignored all the common wisdom of not planting right before summer, I think it may need more water, more often because its so young. I just visited my orange and grapefruit trees, and they're displaying similar symptoms, although not as bad yet and I planted them later. They're doing better, but probably because they get afternoon shade. I think my lemon is looking better than when I posted this already, so hopefully the deep deep soak helped. OH and I put Superthrive on it before Sunday! I also took of the worst of the burned/dead leaves I don't know if that' the right thing to do or not. I'd hate to kill it by over-watering it or ignore a problem that's there because I don't know what it is. Any other tips would be great! I'll be watching them closely

I think John is right.....It looks like past disasters that i have had......leaf drop from the ground up and then twig die back......Too much water......In fact i would go as far as saying poor drainage. what happens is the mix compresses and stays wet and the roots suffocate due to lack off oxygen......It is often caused by over watering and the compacting of the soil. I found adding inorganic particles to the mix helped provide air spaces and excellent drainage.....Perlite was my choice.......I once read an article from Israel where they grew citrus in large pots with different grades of perlite and thats all....it was at a shopping centre. The question now is.....can your tree be saved? If you get some fresh mix(this mix will be going stale)....some of the roots will be brown and smell......prune any yukky roots off.Still should be some good ones...prune the dead twigs off in relation to your root prune and mix some fresh potting mix with perlite.....repot.....water once(see how quick it drains) and leave it alone.....do not add fert to new mix.......keep out of direct sun for a couple of weeks and do not feed until you see some new growth and then only with a weak solution....always water first....then liquid feed after that....keep pot up off a tray with pot feet to aid drainage. If this fails....buy a fresh plant and learn from the experience....i killed so many citrus trees like this.....too big pots and soggy soils......the inorganics help prevent compaction when first transplanted and give the roots the channels they desire to fill out into the pot.....once compacted....there is very little air spaces left...another option is terracotta as the breathe but they also dry out very quick in the heat......Give it a go...hope this works for you..... Little tip....make sure the pot is 2 to 3 inches bigger all around than your rootball.....once you have completed the pot and before you water...lift the pot to feel its weight.......then water and feel its weight then. Dont water again until it feels light, like when you first lifted it up.This,plus the perlite in your mix will keep you out of trouble.

Hello, I have a 20 yr old lemon tree that seems to be dying. It used to have healthy dark green leaves and produce a lot of big beautiful fruit. Now there is half the amount of leaves there used to be, all pale yellow and shriveled up, and the lemons are the size of key limes. An arborist believed it was getting too much water, though it was getting the same amount it always had, and suggested we stop the sprinklers and pull up the bricks around it (which we did) to let the soil air out. A gardener thought it was protesting against dirt having been buried too far up its trunk, which we removed. Another gardener thought it wasn't getting enough water, but when he watered it, the leaves did not unfold. None of this has made a difference - in fact it's worse than ever - and there don't seem to be pests or mites. It looks more horrible with each passing month, and we have no idea what else to do! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you... Heather Collins

gpgruver, citrus and clay soils don't mix...unless you work at it. In locations where such soils are the norm, citrus are usually planted VERY high, or raised beds are built. Drainage systems can certainly be constructed prior to planting, as houston mentions. Even a very small change of grade (you mentioned that his plant is down-hill) can result in a heck of a lot of extra water moving through the soil system. Many people add lots of extra soil amendments when planting. This can result in lots of problems, especially in clayey soils! It is one of the reasons why the practice of amending the planting hole and backfill hasn't been recommended for many years. I don't want anyone to think that all clay soil situations can cause problems for citrus. Not true. I have very heavy clay but it drains well. We plant directly into the clay, making sure that holes are dug in the shape of a wide basin. Plants should be seated so that the top of the root ball is higher than the surrounding soil. The backfill is the same clay that was dug out of the hole. If I lived in an area where I could grow citrus, I wouldn't hesitate for one second.