Citrus Newbie - Dwarf Improved Meyer Lemon questions
So I've been looking for a dwarf citrus tree to add to my plant collection for over 5 years now; coming from the east coast of Nova Scotia (zone 5a), they are hard to come by! I finally found one at a semi-local farmer's market (3 hour drive, but who's counting?). It is a grafted tree, I'm assuming a yearling from the tag. So far I've been watering when the top 3in or so are dry, haven't fertilized it yet.
First question: Does the tree look healthy overall? Any problems you can spot? (pic of whole tree attached to this post, the rest will follow in the comments)
Second question: A few of the leaves have some brown/dry areas, I *think* they're from transport injuries, but I'd love a second opinion. (pic #2)
Third question: I feel that it may be outgrowing its pot, there are roots poking through the bottom so I'd like to re-pot it (or "pot-up") before winter. Is this a wise idea, or would it be better to wait until spring?
Fourth question: It is showing some new growth that has appeared since I brought it home, does that mean I should fertilize it? If yes, what NPK would you recommend? If I need to repot it, how long should I wait after re-potting to fertilize it? (pic 3)
Fifth question: I *think* I have identified the graft line, but I'm not sure if one of the branches is above or below it (pics 4-7, the side shoot in question is to the right in pic 4).
Sixth question: What type of potting mix should I use if it needs to be repotted? I don't have access to many raw materials at this time of year (nobody gardens in the winter time around here! LOL), but I can get a premade orchid mix if that would be suitable.
Seventh question: I hear it is best that the branches do not cross. Two of the branches cross (pic 8), should I try to uncross them, or will pruning be necessary? If pruning is necessary, should I do it now or in the spring?
Eighth question: I have read that it is wise to use a root stimulator when repotting young citrus trees, is this true? If so, I have Fertilome root stimulator and plant starter solution on hand, is this sufficient or should I use a different type/brand?
Ninth (and final question, I promise): Are there any other sprays/lotions/potions/supplements that I should know about? I'd like to spray it with something to protect from bugs (aphids are a big problem here), I use a homemade insecticidal soap on my veggies but I'm worried it will burn my young tree! Is Neem Oil safe? Can you recommend a product that you've had success with (preferably something non-toxic or minimally toxic, I have 2 kids, two dogs, two dozen chickens, two cats, and 4 horses...all of which seem to have death wishes, haha, I don't like to keep anything poisonous or toxic in the house if I can possibly avoid it).
Comments (10)
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Are all Improved Meyer Lemon dwarf trees?
Comments (23)Hello Witchywoman, I would not plant them in ground where you are. Citrus can't handle temps below freezing for very long and I am in zone 5 with a microclimate zone6. Lake Erie keeps us a little warmer but even still not warm enough for me to keep citrus outdoors year round. Much better to bring them out when warm enough and cart them back in when temps drop below 32. I don't like to keep mine out below 40! Where did you get your trees? I am concerned that at three years old you have not even had any blooms yet. That isn't a good sign. Are they grafted trees? I am guessing no since I recently got a 2-3 year old Oro Blanco grapefruit tree that is loaded with flowers. Matter of fact, I just went out side and removed 3 immature fruits that just formed after the flower petals fell. I do this hoping that the energy will go back to the tree and encourage it to grow larger. Can you post any pics of your trees? Where did you buy them? Kev, I wanted to let you know that a lot of people grow these trees from rooted cuttings and wheather it is grafted or not, you will still get a lot of pleasure from your tree. I love South Carolina. I have made many trips to Myrtle Beach and alsways wanted to experience Charleston but never have. As a teenager, I bought many of my first tropical trees there. Over the years I got a ponderosa lemon, 1 or 2 banana trees, and a huge gardenia tree that actually looked more like a large bush. I didn't have much luck with most of them. I left the ponderosa outdoors and a stupid rabbit turned it into dinner! Thorns and all. I lost the gardenia tree but now I am succesfull with growing them. I wanted to let you know that I recently bought a "dwarf" improved meyer lemon tree. My tree is a little over 6 feet but from what I hear they respond well to pruning. Unfortunetly for me, I can only let it grow maybe a foot taller, but this summer I am going to work on getting it to grow wider. Also, when the tree is full of fruits you can get a weeping affect due to the weight of the fruit. Good luck with your tree and if you have any questions fire away! You should check out my Calling all Imroved Meyer lemon tree post. I asked tons of questions and as a result, my tree is as beutifull as it was the day I got and actually i think it looks greener. Mike recommended a dose of white vinegar and Foliage Pro at every watering. My trees leaves are a nice healthy green! Andrew...See MoreDwarf Improved Meyer Lemon....
Comments (4)The fruit can take several months to grow and ripen. You think your tree is just sitting there but it is really at work thriving and growing. If you see fruit, let them be and they will ripen nicely. Meyer lemons do ideally well in SF as well as here in the Sac Valley. I planted mine three years ago and right now it is 6 ft tall with about 20 green unripe lemons on it. They are gorgeous trees and very rewarding. They bloom several times a year and produce fantastic fruit. Just give it a little citrus fertilizer, Ironite if you see a pattern of yellow leaves, water as reccommended, and a pruning once in a while if the tree's growth is out of control. Other than that they stay green year round....See MoreImproved Semi-dwarf Meyer Lemon Care
Comments (4)Divine, I know that you think it is not dense, but it is. And adding potting mix, which is basically just peat, will make this mix even more dense. It will compact and will eventually cause water to accumulate in the bottom half of your pot, suffocating (drowning) your roots. Trust me, been doing this for a while, now :-) Silica is correct, so am I, so are the other several very successful container citrus growers on this forum. I wouldn't bother mixing my custom potting mix this way, if I didn't need to. And, it is quite warm where I live (Vista, N. San Diego county, about 7 miles inland), with little to no rain, and I still need to do this to prevent root rot. If I could have it easy, and just dump a bag of potting mix into my pot, I would. But, this eventually spells disaster in compacted and collapsed mix, and the death of my precious citrus tree. Since I grow a lot of rarer cultivars in containers, I consider it cheap insurance. You're welcome to do what you want, and ignore the advice of experienced container growers (and Silica is being very modest, he has the most fantastic greenhouse, and grows some of the most amazing things in a very inhospitable climate). I wish you luck, but I expect in a while, you'll see issues, so you can save this thread for future use, when you see your tree starting to do poorly. It will manifest itself in appearing to be under-fertilizing, then drooping, dropping leaves and overall failure. Those will be your signs of root rot. That, and a very wet bottom half of the pot with very stinky rotten roots. Patty S....See MoreMeyer Lemon and Dwarf Orange Questions
Comments (8)I would say its almost 90% the lemon is a rooted cutting. My lime, which I know was a rooted cutting, looks exactly the same. To me that just looks like a typical node (branching point), from which a cutting has previously been taken. It seems to me a graftline would be closer to the soil, and it would be straight across-- as it is on the oranges. But at any rate if it were a sucker, the foliage would look different than the rest of the tree. If it all looks the same, its not a sucker....See More
citrange2
8 years ago
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