North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Ginda Fisher <ginda@concentric.net>]

Thanks Gianni,

> you may want to see if your soil is coolish,
> if so, possibly put it over a register or a heating pad to warm the pot.

I have baseboard heating, right next to the pot.  Maybe that's another
reason it does better in the winter?

> Water is OK to really give
> it a good soaking all the way down to the pan and let it sit with the water 
> for
> a couple of hours and then dump the excess. But it cannot stand to be wet 
> for
> any length of duration. If you have a really dry environment indoors maybe
> the once a week water is OK, but while your into the later months and the
> tree is now primarily indoors I would try to stretch the water to every 2
> weeks or until you know when the pot is really, Really dry. The leaves will
> curl and droop when it's asking to be watered.

Okay, I lied.  I intend to water all the houseplants weekly, but I often
miss a week.  I will stop worrying about this for the lemon.  Thanks!

> Citrus also hates re-potting and you wanna try to choose a pot that is only
> 1/3 larger than the root mass, they actually respond well to some bounding.

It's been in the same pot since I got it (3 years ago) and seems happy. 
I didn't intend to repot it any time soon.  (So I'm ignoring your advice
about soil for now.)  I have been wondering when/if it ought to be
repotted.  From your comments, I think, not too soon.  

> I would hold back on the weekly feedings as this may be a problem since you
> dropped leaves and may not be able to process the nutrients.

It hasn't dropped any leaves since last fall, when I brought it
indoors.  Once it started to grow again, it grew nicely over the winter,
and while it stopped growing, it didn't lose any leaves this summer.  It
seems to be stirring again (warm roots and sunlight, you know).  Does
this advice still hold?

> I strongly suggest using an endomycorrhizal fungus especially with potting 
> as
> this process nearly always seems to thrive with potted plants/trees and just
> about everything else too. The "Myco" takes stress of the tree as it works 
> in
> unison with the root ball and helps deliver microscopic nutrients to the
> plant allowing it to get to the business of growing and producing. I have 
> found
> immeasurable benefit from using this in all my potted trees/plants. And once
> the myco has become well established, any amendments or fertilizers you use
> seem to be readily absorbed.

I bought some endomycorrhizal fungus starter two years ago, and have
used it on my outdoor plantings.  I didn't notice any difference from
what I would have expected - in either direction.  I think I put a bit
of it in the pot last spring (or maybe last fall) and scratched it in a
bit, but I wouldn't swear to it.  Would you try again?  Would you
recommend a particular source?

Thanks.  A friend who used to have a full sized Meyers lemon outside
says that they seem to hjold their quality well long after they are
ripe, which argues for holding out a bit longer.  When the second one
turns completely yellow, I'm going to try it.  I think it's very
exciting that I might be able to grow my own citrus in Massachusetts!! 
(Being poorly situated to shoot the squirrels, I plant to keep it
indoors from now on.)

Ginda Fisher
Eastern Mass.  Zone 6

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