Need help with indoor lime tree/bush
Kevin D
8 years ago
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Comments (7)
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New Meyer Lemon and Mexican Lime Tree. Need Help!!
Comments (10)jkom has given you great advice. The Meyer looks great, well planted, no grass to compete, etc. I would recommend placing them on a drip system, since citrus do need a fair amount of water, especially in the hotter areas of the country. They also need well draining soil, which you probably have based on where you are. If planted in clay soils, they should be elevated, and the water well provided at the drip line lower than the tree crown. You may need to expand the wells as your trees grow, as you really want the water to pool in a circle around your tree at the drip line (edge of the canopy), as that's where your tree's feeder roots reside. Use a good fertilizer formulated for citrus, which will be higher in nitrogen and will contain micronutrients. You'll want to fertilize at regular intervals, and for you that should be February, May, and early October, but you can check with your local Master Gardeners for any additional timing for your specific area. It also would be beneficial for you to mulch your wells with compost or composted manure. That will do two things for your citrus: provide some water retention in your very arid climate, and also provide additional slow release nitrogen, both very helpful for growing citrus in arid climates on sandy or DG soils. I mulch my citrus at least once or twice a year with a small amount of chicken manure (very hot, so use sparingly), and then top with compost and wood chips as I'm on nearly pure DG, so very little organic material in my soil. For us here in S. California for the most part, iron deficiency is actually rarely an issue, as our soils have plenty of iron (but possibly jkom is in an area that is deficient - California is a gigantic state with some fairly wide differences in soil makeup). It is usually a manganese deficiency we see here, and that tends to be the same for AZ. I would check with your local Master Gardeners, again, though, to find out what your soil issues are, and fertilize accordingly. You can also use a micronutrient foliar spray too, which works very well if you notice your leaves getting pale or yellowish. Grow More Citrus Grower's Blend is a good micronutrient product. And do support your branches on your young trees, especially the Meyer, as Meyer's tend to be very prolific producers (my Meyer has no less than 50 to 100 fruit on it at any given time, I have Meyer lemons coming out my ears). Lastly, you are very fortunate to have quite a bit of online support for citrus in your state. I've included a link below, which also has additional links for you. Definitely check out Arizona Cooperative Extension's web site, it is a great resource for those growing citrus in AZ: http://extension.arizona.edu/maricopa/citrus-publications Your Master Gardeners are part of the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, and are a great, great resource for home gardeners. Here's a link to your AZ Master Gardener manual: http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/mg/ Good luck, looks like you're off to a good start! Patty S. Here is a link that might be useful: AZ Citrus...See MoreWhen to put indoor a Tahiti/Persian/Bearss Lime tree outside?
Comments (16)don't just water and water . the plastic bag creates the terrarium and misting very hi humidity - the soil should be just slightly moist, not drenched. usually when bagged the plant needs to be watered slightly may be once a week. if large pot, even less. you need to stick a dowel/long skewer/wooden chopstick,smth long inside deep and then check : if wood is damp most of the way, don't water. even if half way damp - dont' need to water. the roots closer to surface will need some moisture though, so if it's 3/4 dry, you can dribble a little water for the top. otherwise could be fine for like 10 days. just keep misting, but not to dripping point. usually even misting is required may be once in 4-5 days. the bagging and hi humidity raises the temp inside. so if at you have 15C in the room the temp in bag will be a few degrees higher. don't worry about them not getting enough light. you'll need to wait another 2 weeks proly. the roots can take anywhere from 4-8 weeks to form. every 5-6 days remove the bag and let it dry for 30 min. when you see new leaf growth - that means the roots are growing. then remove the bag for half a day each day - for like a week to acclimate the plant to lower humidity. and after that you need another week to slowly start giving it more dappled sunlight. and only after that move it in normal light. same slow acclimation will apply when you move plants outside into sunlight. the first week they need to be in shade, totally out of the sun. if it means just half a day - that's fine too. better to start moving them out when it's overcast for sev days - less hassle....See MoreIndoor Lime Tree?
Comments (7)I have a lemon tree that I started from a SEED... well over 30 years ago. Since I'm in NJ, it goes out on my deck in late-April & gets hauled back inside in late-October most years. It gets a trim to keep it around 6' tall... so it'll come thru sliding door... and seems happy getting decent amount of light there. I'm sure the ORIGINAL lemon came from some grafted tree, but would LOVED to hear any tips on getting it to flower/fruit?!? It has only gotten blossoms TWO times in all these years?? First time, only got the benefits of that wonderful aroma before blossoms all dropped. Second time, one blossom developed to about the size of a caper befor falling off....See MoreIndoor lime tree not growing
Comments (2)Hi Tova, My lime tree was the same way for the first year, despite repotting in the best soil mix (5-1-1 recommended here on the forum) and regular citrus fertilizer. I moved mine outside in March, and it seems mine was spending the summer making wonderful new roots! It also gave me four limes that are nearly ripe! But in over 11 months, it has had no new leaves --until just a few weeks ago! So as long as it is healthy and you've tended it with good watering, light and soil, perhaps it is just taking care of business getting settled into a new home. I could be wrong, but I believe lime trees are annual bloomers and so would not bloom until spring, even with grow lights. I would be careful not to overwater during fall/winter and be warry of putting the grow light too close. Maybe someone like Steve or Mike here will give you better advice on what to expect for indoor growth, but I would say your tree growth may slow down even more now that days are growing shorter, especially in the northern zones. Good luck with your new tree! Suzanne...See MoreKevin D
8 years agoBarbJP 15-16/9B CA Bay Area
8 years agoKevin D
8 years ago
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