I've noticed smaller roots on the surface why is this? I was told 2 things by different friends one said that means the tree is asking for more water and the other friend said it sounds like it could use a bigger home for me to replant it in a bigger pot? how can I fix this to protect the tree
those roots look normal and healthy to me. It appears some soil may have been removed or washed off the surface, or leaf detritus removed, or perhaps it was recently transplanted? In any case I don't think it is anything to worry about. If it was my plant I would add a very thin layer of soil, maybe 1/8th to 1/4 inch to cover the roots. Don't add too much or it may cause fungal problems on the trunk.
Thanks I transplanted it last year. and recently I removed smaller branches because they were dead . I was going to replant it into a bigger pot could I do that still?
You certainly could, but do keep in mind citrus seem to like a rather cramped root space. The plant does not seem to be too out of proportion to the size pot. If it was my plant I would probably wait until next year to transplant.
Thanks I was concerned over the smaller roots the picture up there doesn't fully show there was a longer root under the dirt I was trying to cover it up lightly till I do my planting tomorrow. Which is why I was questioning on transplanting it. But if all it needs is watering and a fresh top of dirt I could do that. I think the pot I have it in now is 14 in across the top and I think 12 in deep I'm not sure how to correctly measure the pot
The smaller roots are a good sign, not a bad one. Citrus use larger roots for anchoring and smaller roots for feeding. Feeder roots are normal and good. They are healthy when they are a light tan colour, like in the photo. I would not worry about being too precise on the pot size. I have 3'+ citrus growing happily in 6" pots. They have quite a bit of tolerance for crowded pots and seem to prefer being somewhat crowded.
Thanks, there were a few longer ones it's ok for me to just wait to transplant them next year? or do it this year?
If they are healthy, the sooner the better. Being tolerant of crowed roots is one thing, but maximizing growth is done by providing more room to grow ahead of them running short of space to grow freely. If they are smaller than you want, maximize conditions. If you want to keep them smaller, that's different.
I did all my herbs today and transplanted the orange tree from a 14" to an 18" pot hopefully it likes it
