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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Potted citrus

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  • From: kathryn stout <kathrynwrites@yahoo.com>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Potted citrus
  • Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 15:17:19 -0800 (PST)


My potted Meyer lemon lost all its leaves last winter
indoors (MA, Zone 5). I would not say it was due to
disease. Both my potted citrus trees (Meyer lemon and
Valencia orange) drop a lot of leaves whenever they
are moved, especially when I bring them indoors in the
fall. Drastic shifts in "climate" (temperature,
humidity, light) cause leaves to fall. Last winter I
also neglected (didn't water) the trees, to the point
they got very dry. (Try watering more and see if that
"leaf disease" doesn't clear up). Potted trees that
are potbound are hard to get to take up enough water.

Anyway, by April when I usually move the trees
outdoors (under protection of an overhanging roof) the
lemon had lost all its leaves. I repotted both trees,
both very potbound since I had not repotted or
root-pruned in several years. I pruned back enough
roots to put them back in the same pots with several
inches to spare for fresh soil and compost. I
repotted them, watered them thoroughly, and left them
under the overhanging roof. By May they were growing
new shoots and leaves and were ready to place in the
sun. After that they grew back beautifully.

Moral: unless the branches are shriveled dry and dead
(no green cambium under the bark) assume that they are
still alive, and will regrow new leaves if given the
chance. Citrus doesn't normally go dormant and drop
all its leaves in a favorable climate (e.g. Southern
California, where I grew up, surrounded by orange
trees). But if you are growing it in a pot, in an
unfavorable climate, subject to extreme shifts of
temperature, humidity, and light (such as outdoors in
October, nights 30-degrees F to indoors with electric
heat and dry air) you have to expect some dropping of
leaves. (Not usually all of them at once though. It is
actually normal for outdoor citrus to drop some leaves
too--just not all at once.)

(I keep the trees outdoors as much as possible, down
to 30-degrees F. Those temperatures are "winter" for a
citrus (a So. Calif. winter). I've noticed the trees
bloom about two months later after a month with
30-degree nights (in Calif. they bloom in late March).
Here my potted citrus bloom twice a year, once indoors
(between Dec-Feb) after their October chilling, and
once in June (after the April chilling).
I'm not sure but I wonder if greenhouse citrus, kept
at a constant 60-70 degrees, blooms at all.
My trees are so much happier and healthier outdoors,
the only reason I bring them in is to keep them from
freezing solid. They've survived snow once or twice.

I used to think the relatively low indoor light caused
leaf dropping. But I've given up trying to rig up
growlights, which only stimulate strange-distorted
growth that has to be pruned off later. Surprise, they
seem fine on just window light (I have a lot of
windows). But they do need a lot of watering. Also if
they get chilled sometimes they curl or stiffen up
their leaves--turn the heat up and they look fine.
(Rhododendrons do it why not citrus).

Yes both my potted citrus bear fruit. I seem to recall
that the lemon did not fruit this year--though the
orange did. It may take a season for a citrus tree to
recover to the point of fruiting again after losing
all its leaves--but with root pruning and fresh soil
and compost and lots of water, the recovery is faster.
In fact both trees are growing stronger
than before. The lemon is blooming this winter
indoors.
I expect it will fruit next year.

Kathryn Stout
Zone 5






--- Richard O'Barr <aatopgunaa@mindspring.com> wrote:
> Has anyone had the experience with a potted lemon
> losing its leaves in the late Fall from leaf disease
> and then producing a crop in the spring? My Lisbon
> lost its leaves but the Meyer did not.
> Topgun
> Zone 7
>
>


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