My key lime is absolutely my favorite! I would think it will be fine where you want to put it and it may be helped by the block fence when it gets cold. Mine survived several years just fine until we had this unusual frost last winter. It's still alive but has many dead branches that I still need to remove. You do get some fruit drop on occasion that might wind up in the pool, but that could happen with any fruit tree. My tree is about the same size as my lemon tree,close to 15 feet and nearly as wide.

Humm...I think you may be right, I was at the garden center a few weeks ago and my citruses actually looked better than theirs. Since then I've brought them inside and they've lost some leaves due to the adjustment. Plus my existing citruses have buggie issues (scale, aphids, and mites) which I treat with cotton swab treated with alcohol as well as occasional Neem sprays. When they came indoors the bugs went nuts so I've done a major cleaning but there has been some leaf drop. They are covered with blossoms though. They are also kept away from the plant for my brother. Your comments about the different feeding probably explains the Key Lime being smaller than the Meyer. I figure I'll do the transplant and hold onto it until it's ready to move. My brother's place will have a nice sun room, no bug infected neighbors, and he's local so I can/will provide any major care. I just wish I could get rid of the bugs once and for all. They came with an ornamental tree I took over from a friend who moved over 8 years ago. Alcohol is my friend...

You've got your Key Lime in a good spot, nice and warm. I would maybe consider painting the trunk the 1/2 strength flat white latex paint (1/2 paint 1/2 water) to prevent sunburn. Or use white trunk wrap. And, if your young tree is getting full afternoon sun, you'll probably want to provide some shade. A bit "too much of a good thing" in your area for young citrus. And, I would definitely consider mulching your tree wells to help preserve soil moisture. If your leaves are cupping, and the soil is dried out, then water more. I use one of those inexpensive cheap green plastic colored plant stakes you can get at Home Depot/Lowes to check my citrus trees. If I can push it into the ground easily about 18" down, I know the soil is moist enough. And you can certainly try a cup of fertilizer to help green things up in the spring. How frequently are you fertilizing? You should be fertilizing every 2 to 3 months through the growing season (Feb/March through Sept/Oct depending on when things start to get cold there - you don't want flush occurring if you're going to have threats of frost). Your product is a good one, frequently recommended and used in your area, and formulated specifically for your area. Patty S. Here is a link that might be useful: U of AZ Coop Extention: Citrus Supplment

Hi everyone! (Disclaimer: I am extremely new to growing citrus.) I purchased a key lime tree from my local Lowes a few months back and it has done well up until the last few weeks (I repotted using the wrong mix - retained moisture and leaves started falling off). I repotted in a mix of peat, vermiculite, and perlite (more P & V than peat) and it seems to be doing better. I also removed all of the fruit to promote focus on healthy plant growth My problem: the tree is heavy on one side, causing the tree to almost uproot. The tree has been repotted for 1 week now - should I prune back to make even, and if so, how long should I wait before I do it? Last question: I watered with epsom salt after the transplant: is there a thread that discusses proper fertilization for container trees? Thank you so much for your time! I have researched some, but have found varying recommendations until I found these forums. Have a great weekend!