Hello folks, Im new to this site and was hoping to get some feedback regarding my recently purchased and planted lemon tree. About three weeks ago i bought a lemon tree and planted it in myh garden. I live in Jerusalem Israel and the soil is reddish. dug a big hole put a little fertilizer and water in it and put the plant and put the dirt back being careful not to compress the dirt back into place. over the next couple of days i noticed leaves starting to shrivel. I thought i wasnt watering enough. So i gave him a nice dose, being careful not to overwater (i hope). Anyhoo the tree isnt looking good at all Please look at the pics Thanks Ronen
The trees do look wilted from lack of water. The soil there looks very dry. When you water try to water thoroughly--if you have a ring around the plant flood the ring 2 or 3 times. Then let the soil dry until there is no moisture at least an inch down and repeat the deep watering. Until your plant gets established you may need to water anytime you see signs of wilting.
I thought it may be from too much watering or are the sign of too much watering different? btw thanks for the reply Ronen
Ronen, when planting citrus,the hole should always be dug NO LARGER then the size of rootball of the tree being planted. Some people think they are doing the tree a favor by digging a nice wide and deep hole for the tree roots to grow into, but this is the worst thing that you can do. Dig the planting hole JUST WIDE AND DEEP ENOUGH to accommodate the root ball. Set the tree higher than it grew in the field nursery or container. KEEP THE BUD UNION ABOVE SOIL LEVEL TO AVOID INFECTION. Form a water ring around the tree that will hold 7 to 10 gallons of water. By digging a wide and deep hole you actually formed a "lake" in which the roots of your new tree was sitting directly in the pool of water each time you watered the tree, or in overly wet soil. You can pull your tree from the soil and check the roots. I believe you will find dead or highly damaged roots from root rot, from your tree being overwatered. A general leaf wilt is also the sign of over watering. I have been to Jerusalem, and I know the kind of "soil" in the area. - Millet
Now youve got me scared!! Recently i have witnessed the leaves turning green and healthy again i have been watering very well Are you saying i can just pull the tree out of the ground and it will survive to be replanted? I aill post some new pictures of the tree when i get home today I also have a olive tree that has been growing in a totally unruly manner and would like some advice on how to staighten him out. Do you know about olive trees? Ronen
No, I am not saying to pull the tree. What I was trying to convey, was if you did and looked at the roots you would see root rot from being planted in the manner that the tree was planted. What I wrote in my above thread, was my best guess of why your tree is having trouble. There also is always the possibility that the roots were damaged in the process of transplanting, or indeed you did not give the roots enough water. However, citrus trees planted in large holes commonly show the exact stress as your tree is showing, and have a high mortality rate. I know nothing about olives. - MIllet
Well i indeed did plant the lemon tree in a whole double the size of the pot the tree came in i was just following the advice i found on web sites your telling me that with citrus tree the hole should be the same at the pot or burlap bag the tree comes in now i know thans for your help Ronen
