So I bought a lemon tree late last year and it was doing great for the longest time. Now admittedly I've only started getting back into gardening/planting so am not always sure of what I'm doing but find these types of forums and similar on FB to really help. So here is my lemon tree now. Looks pretty bad. Leaves and flowers fall off almost right away after new ones come up. Maybe it's time to admit defeat??? I've been told I could save it - but at this point not sure what or how. Really could use specifics in terms of fertilizers etc., where I can buy them or if there is a nursery that I can go to that knows their stuff and get more help from them. I'm in New West, the lemon tree has been in a container since I bought it and is indoors. I water it once per week and it sits in a bright, sunny area in my home. Any tips you can offer are appreciated!
Your potting mix looks like it is mostly consisting of sphagnum peat. I have found, that citruses like sandy soil. As your lemon has lost many leaves, its transpiration can't be very big. Maybe watering once a week is too often for the plant? I water my citruses according to the soil humidity. I let the soil nearly fully dry before I water it.
Thanks - I only topped off the soil with one of those ProMix soils for vegetable plants, the soil it was in is what it came with. When you say sandy soil -- what would I be looking for if I have to transplant it?
I can't recommend you ready soil mixes, because probably there is different assortment available in stores in your country, than here. I have sandy ground in my garden and I use my own garden soil for my citruses. I mix into the soil some home made compost and some aged (well done) horse manure. And that's it!
Meanwhile back at the ranch... Get rid of the fruit. Having fruit for plants is as taxing as a woman having a baby. All the resources available are applied to ripening the fruit. Right now, you are concerned with establishing a growth cycle in your environment. These are mixed metaphors. Citrus plant cycles are approximately: quiet period; begin growth of extending twig/branches and clusters of new leaves; flower and set fruit; ripen fruit; quiet period. (each citrus species has slight differences) You need to let the plant adjust to your light conditions which may be greatly different from where it has been. It will not enter the quiet period unless and until all fruit on the tree are ripened or fall off. You want the plant to go from the ripen fruit part of the cycle to the next natural step which is the quiet period. This is September and you are in BC so that's best for you because this is the season of diminishing sunlight anyway. You need to short-cut the "ripen fruit" cycle and get the plant into the quiet period so it can be ready to enter the growth period when sunlight begins to increase next spring. It should be as close to the south/west window as possible. Not just bright; direct sunlight. You are in for a long winter with very little happening until buds begin to swell and expand new growth at the tips of branches next ~Feb. or March. Don't feed it until it begins to grow again. Only feed indoor plants when you see growth or it is in outdoor sun conditions. After a period of green growth it will open flowers, probably March or April. Depending on variety, they may be easy or difficult to pollinate by hand, sometimes impossible in which case it will just grow leaves until ~August. Have a small camel hair paint bush handy and try to figure out what the flower-ready-to-pollinate cycle is. The stigma which is the longest thing sticking out of the center of the flower needs to be wet or sticky. The pollen is on the anthers. They are the nodding, longer-than-wide second longest things sticky out of the flowers arranged in a circle surrounding the stigma. You can try pollinating two ways: use the brush to pick up pollen from the anthers and dab it on the stigma, or break off an anther and touch it to the stigma (and others). In either case, if the pollen grains are not "loose", or if the stigma is not sticky, the pollen won't stick to the stigma. It's either too early and the parts are not mature, or it's too late and they are past usefulness. You need to figure out what the time range for pollination is for your plant: how long does the flower need to be open before it's ready, and how long before it's too late. Insects fool around all day outdoors. Once you find that window it's easy. Often, citrus flowers and sets fruit in August and ripens fruits through late January, February, March and April, and rests until ~June, flowering again in August, ad infinitum, but it varies widely. Any time it can spend outdoors in full sun is a bonus and growth will be much better than indoors. Bon appétit! If you can
From the photos the location looks too dark. Citrus like it very bright, even full sun is good. Definitely get rid of the fruit. Trim any dead branches. Give it a soluble fertilizer high in nitrogen and micro-nutrients. Something like Miracle Grow works ok and is available nearly everywhere: Walmart, Canadian Tire, etc. A while back I put together some pages on growing citrus in our area and made them available here: Growing Citrus on Vancouver Island | Aprici
Thanks - that window is North x North East ish... during the summer months, there is a lot of sun coming onto that part of the house until about 5pm or thereabouts. Honestly this year, I did not put it outside (actually this is the first year I've had the plant). I've been told to replant it thereby adding new soil and fertilizer to it; others have suggested a root wash. Will try the suggestions you've made first, then see how it goes. Thanks! Mo
I would recommend avoiding a root wash. It is highly disruptive to a citrus. The only time I can think of that it would be a good thing is if you suspect there is root rot.
