I think I'm having the same problem. Do your black things look like the ones in my close-up picture? I am trying to identify these, too. They are on my milkweed plants and green beans. (This is my first post. Hope I linked the pic correctly.) Here is a link that might be useful: bug photo

Sounds like you're getting sprouts from the rootstock. If you can take some photos of the sprouts and post them in your message, that would be helpful. If the sprouts are coming from the roots, this might mean the top of the tree - the scion - which is the variety that has been grafted to the rootstock may be suffering, so take some photos of the whole tree as well. And, if you can snap some pics of the orange, and include the underside if there's a navel, that is also helpful. Navels are in season now, so if you have ripe oranges with a navel, you have one of the navel varieties, most likely Parent Washington navel. You can upload your photos to Photobucket, then copy the HTML code of each photo (NOT the url, but the HTML code string), then paste that directly into your message body, and when you click "Preview", you should then see your photos embedded directly into your message. Much easier for us to answer you on the forum that way :-) Patty S.

Thanks, Mike. I am doing quite well now. I didn't have much of a garden this year because I had both my hip replacement surgeries done. Now that they are both done & over with, and I have no more pain, I plan on making up for the mediocre garden I've had the past two years with a vengence! =) Anyway, back to the dwarf lime. I brought it in thinking it would go dormant again until early Spring like it has done the past few years, when put into a somewhat controlled basement environment. I'm glad to see that it looks like you don't think it growing over this Winter (instead of being dormant) is a bad thing. Houston's point is a good one. Despite the temperature difference, it is getting light where normally in its Winter dormancy it would get almost none, therefore probably spurring the Winter growth somewhat. I am not using grow lights on it, as like I said, I was expecting it to be dormant. Should I be using some? The mix I have it in is a good fast drainable soilless mix. Mainly pine bark fine based, with some perlite, a little peat, etc.. (I can get the exact composition, if needed). The temps it's in are typical indoor temps, around 70 (+/- 2-3 degrees at times). It has lighting, but it's almost all indoor lights (I have it in a corner in my kitchen). It doesn't really get any sunlight in there. CFL bulbs I believe. I will get my fertilizer out, as I had put it away for the Winter & make sure to give it a light application on a monthly basis (or whatever you think it might need). I imagine the answer may be no to this, but better safe than sorry, so I'll ask. I have been using my typical veggie 9-3-6 with it (Foliage Pro) when I do fertilize it during normal growing months, Spring through early Fall. Is that the right NPK to use for a lime tree? If not, please let me know what ratio fertilizer you would use. It seems to have been playing well with the lime tree, as a fertilizer. She's getting pretty big, so if I see buds this year, I'll probably supplement with a 0-0-3. I will also make sure I water it like I would during a normal growing season, not barely watering it if any at all, like I have been doing in its Winter dormancy. Hope all is going well with you & thanks again for the help! :) - Steve

Those are leaf galls. Very common on Lindens. Here's some info. (Don't be put off by the name 'Lime' that's just what we call Lindens over here.) Linden leaf gall