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Transporting a small lemon tree cross country

2 years ago

I'm a snowbird, spending summers in northeastern PA and winters in southern CA. I've had this meyer lemon tree in PA for about 5 years. It's done well on my deck during the summers and I've had various friends overwinter it for me in their homes. It always looks worse for wear when I return in May. This past spring, it was half dead. I pruned it back(including roots), refreshed it's potting mix and gave it a healthy dose of fertilizer. It's done quite well this summer, sporting new leaves and a good amount of tiny fruit.

I'd like to bring it to CA with me in a few weeks. I have someone there who could keep it outdoors for the summer and I know it would be in good hands. She takes care of my potted Valencia orange tree and it's done very well.

There are a few challenges. We do drive cross-country. The tree will be in the car for approximately 8-9 days. We don't have room in the car for the tree in the pot. There may be days when the tree will be in a hot car parked in the sun. There may be nights when the tree will be in the car with near freezing temps.

My idea is to remove the tree from the pot and wrap the roots with some soil(maybe peat would be better?) in plastic with wet paper towels to provide moisture. Should I wrap the whole thing in burlap or some such material?

Any suggestions?

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Comments (4)

Silica
2 years ago
It is illegal too bring an out of state citrus tree, or any part of a citrus tree into California (leaves bark fruit).
CA Kate z9
2 years ago
'Tis true. Unless...... it's govt. inspected and has all the proper permits.
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czarinalex
Original Author
2 years ago
You're right! I don't know how I forgot that. Each year we pass through the agriculture check point where they ask us about any fruits or plants. Bummer... my poor lemon tree is doomed!
socalnolympia
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
You can keep it in your garage, so long as the temperatures are very cool but not freezing. You can wrap the top with plastic to prevent the soil from drying out too much. I'd also wrap the rest of the tree in plastic, with just a few holes. The tree should be able to survive in such a state for 5 months. When the tree goes into dormancy, it will not need light. The main thing is preventing the soil from completely drying out. Maybe you can set up some sort of drip system to a gallon water container and have a friend refill it every 2 months. Possibly cover the top with special moisture-retaining soil.

There's a way to do it but it will take a lot of thought and is not completely simple.

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