Well, maybe “Emergency†is a bit of an exaggeration. I don’t know. First let me say hello to everyone. I just signed up for the board. From what I have read so far, it seems like the community here is kind and well informed. A breath of fresh air in the world of forums, I may say. As for the “Emergencyâ€, I bought a semi-dwarf Clementine tree in a #5 pot from GrowQuest for my Clementine obsessed friend for Christmas. So, needless to say, I don’t know anything about growing citrus, or growing anything for that matter! I just received it in the mail yesterday morning (better late than never!). The problem is, it is looking pretty sickly (figure of speech, I don’t really know if it’s sick). The leaves look pretty dry and dull, and some are curling up like a scroll. It seems like the leaves toward the center o the plan are looking a bit better than the ones toward the top and edges. And when I got it there was a tiny bit of frost/snow on the top of the soil (I live in Chicago so the shipping was rather cold coming from California I assume). That’s about the best description I can give. I gave it a little water and let it warm up in my house all day yesterday and today I put it by the window to get some natural light. I know I shouldn’t overwater it (I’ve been reading) so I watered it and let it drain pretty thoroughly. So what should I do to make sure I am giving a good and lively (and alive!) Clementine tree to my friend? I imagine giving a tree to a friend for Christmas, three week late and half dead, would be a pretty sad sight. Any advice for me (or my friend) is much appreciated. Heat? Water? Cry? Fertilizer? Light? None of the above? Leave it alone? CPR? Thanks, Jim
The problem sounds familiar. Have a look at the thread How long does it take for a sick citrus tree to get better? | UBC Botanical Garden Forums and the one I referenced in it to see if you're dealing with the same issue.
