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Citrus Container Gardening

help with dwarf Meyer lemon tree - indoors

6 years ago

Hello, I'm hoping someone can help me me better understand my dwarf Meyer lemon tree so that I can provide it with a better life.

I purchased this tree from a local nursery about three weeks ago. Attached you will see it in the original pot when first purchased.
I then repotted the tree with the recommended well draining citrus specific soil in a pot with proper drainage. The tree seems to be happy- it has grown significantly over the past few weeks and a ton of little clusters have formed.

Here are some specific things I'm curious about-
1) As you can see in the pictures, my tree has two main branches coming from the base. One shoots out diagonally from the base and has only a few clusters growing. The other is bushier and growing many clusters. The texture and color of the branches is also different. Is this diagonal branch a sucker branch? Any thoughts on the trunk in general? It just seems different than images I see online. My tree doesn't really have a defined tree trunk.
2)Are the clusters that are forming lemons? If yes, there seems to be so many! Should I prune any?

Any thoughts you share are appreciated!

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Comments (3)

johnmerr
6 years ago
Your big new branch appears to be a water sprout; I would prune it back to the general canopy level; it is a sign you are being too kind to your tree. Maybe next year the new branch will produce. Do not cut any of the flowers; if they make fruit, you can cut most at the size of BB or pea to give the tree more energy to put into growth.
Kim Weaves
Original Author
6 years ago
Thanks so much @johnmerr! This is very helpful info.
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Mark, I suggest you delve deeper. The fact that you say they drain water out of the bottom almost immediately makes me wonder if the water is just going around the root ball and not really penetrating. The leaves turning yellow could even be a sign of overwatering. With your original method, you say the soil got a little dry between waterings, but this is just what is recommended for citrus. They don't like to be continuously wet. I think it would be helpful to remove the trees from the pots briefly, trying not to disturb the roots too much, and try to see what the soil is like in there. Is it dry as a bone in the center? Is it soggy wet? Are the roots white and healthy or brown and dead? Sniff it for rotten smells. Then you'll have more data to go on. Let us know what you find!
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Thank you! I did fertilize it with an slow release organic all-purpose fertilizer (10% nitrogen, 2% phosphate, 8% potash, 1.8% calcium, 3% sulfur) when I first repotted it so, so maybe it's hitting the tree now? I was worried that the cause was fungal, overwatering (although I've been very good about not "overloving" my tree) or even some nutrient deficiency/imbalance. Would it be better to leave it be (let the existing fertilizer leach out) or should I "treat" with a citrus fertilizer? Thanks, again, for your advice!
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That is the very reason I feel so confined to my home until it's time to put all mine outside and hire someone or use a family member to hose them down when ever they want....I don't trust anyone watering mine for that long...I am sorry you lost it and then again you could always start a new) God, just don't let any of the workers from 4Winds see that poor thing, they might have a cry over it..I am sure it once looked spectacular!
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sunshine (zone 6a, Ontario,Canada)
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Kim, you got advice from the expert of Meyer lemon growing, do exactly what he said, for my Meyer lemon I have also followed Johnmerr's advice, so far so good :)

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