Citrus health in winter

Discussion in 'Citrus' started by WA Adam, Jan 23, 2018.

  1. WA Adam

    WA Adam Member

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    Location:
    Puget Sound, Washington, US USDA Zone 9a
    Hello all,

    First post here. I live in southwest WA state currently have three citrus trees (all potted) and I'm trying my best to get them through the winter. I want to make sure I'm doing everything right and was hoping to ask for some advice for my three trees. This is my first serious attempt to grow citrus, so I've still got a lot to learn.

    Tree # 1 - a Meyer lemon - is doing the best. I had it in my greenhouse through the summer and brought it inside in September. It grew quite a bit vegetatively along with seven green lemons that I was determined to ripen, so I brought it inside (was worried the fruit would drop with the cold). It dropped quite a few leaves, but starting in December, I got a 300 watt LED growlight for it and my lemons are rapidly ripening.

    My only concern is the leaf drop. That has mostly stopped with the new light, and I've heard that some leaf drop is normal. Here's a photo of it now:

    39832792972_e33f5616cf_o_d.jpg

    My goal is to move it outside to the greenhouse this spring so it gets some chill hours for flowering, but make the change gradual, so it's not temperature shocked. Does that sound like a good plan?



    Tree #2 is a much taller Meyer lemon (approximately 1.2 m/4 ft) I bought on sale in fall. It looks like it's at least a couple years old? Does that sound about right?

    25991666328_1cec043c44_o_d.jpg

    No room for it inside, and this winter I've kept it outside in an unheated greenhouse, and later on my deck (the restricted air flow in greenhouse has caused the flowers to mold) where there's better air flow. I've brought it inside an outdoor garage during frosts. It doesn't drop below freezing there and it's only slightly warmer than outside, so it's not experiencing temperature shock.

    I think it's doing okay. It's only lost a few leaves. The flowers from autumn have mostly molded off, because it is constantly wet and humid outside. I also had it on the edge of my deck, where I thought it'd get the most light, but I realized the soil is staying soaked since enough rain is reaching it. The leaves have turned a bit yellow, but I've heard that's normal with the cold (correct?). The wet soil is bad though, right? And I've gathered they don't really use light in the winter, so I'm thinking it'd be best to bring it well under cover on my deck, right next to my house.

    I'm also thinking of repotting it. Is that something I can do during the winter?


    Tree #3 is a key lime that has rapidly defoliated in the last week. I'm a bit worried about it. Can I expect it to simply go dormant and grow new leaves once temperatures rise again? It's been in the greenhouse for the first part of winter and on the edge of my deck more lately. The soil in the small pot it's in has also got quite wet.

    25991666648_4535b31ce8_o_d.jpg

    My current plan is to repot it into a bigger pot soon and move it well under cover in my deck.

    Thanks for reading through my post!

    -Adam
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 28, 2018
  2. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    Location:
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    Welcome to the forums.

    I would consider moving all the trees into the greenhouse where, apparently, a lack of light is not a problem. There the trees will benefit from lower temperatures in the form of improved flower bud development. Meyer lemons are fairly cold hardy but if you think more heat is required, some low wattage light bulbs can be used to provide a bit of extra heat; a string of incandescent Christmas lights can be used for that purpose. It may be sufficient to go without any extra heat by simply raising the containers off the ground with some pieces of lumber. A small fan can be placed in one corner to circulate the air but that may not be necessary if the temperature is raised even if only by a bit. Also, irrigation concerns can be put to rest as the trees will be under cover; moisture level will no longer be dictated by rainfall.

    I would put off repotting until spring.
     
  3. thanrose

    thanrose Active Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Jacksonville, FL USA USDA Zone 9
    The lime will be the most cold sensitive, no doubt. I think the pronounced leaf drop is due to lower temps. It's probably not going to die yet, but cold tolerance for limes is somewhere just above freezing. Leaf drop will occur before that. That is, even in Florida, without hard freezes in the peninsula, people can't grow limes easily except for southern most Florida. Tangerines can take a tot below freezing for reference.
     

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