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LemonCitrusTree | Citrus Blog

Citrus & Fruit Trees, Plants, Ideas & More

  • STOP BUYING JUNK LIGHTS FOR CITRUS TREES

    I wrote the title of this article in caps due to my winter frustration.
    Every winter customers complain about green leaf drop. I brace myself for it by gulping down a strong coffee and wonder why the ugly light I recommend is ignored for a much more attractive option.
    Citrus trees are not houseplants that can adjust to low-light environments.
    When choosing lighting you need to know what you are purchasing.
    Buying lighting based on reviews is not a guarantee that the lighting is going to be adequate because that depends on what you are growing.

    Think: Florida and southern California.
    Be critical of lighting with advertisements with photos of houseplants.
    If you see houseplants in an advertisement for lighting, please move on.
    I don't have to read the specs of lighting to know it is incorrect lighting when the advertiser shows a photo with spider plants. Peace lilies, African violets, Snake plants, Alocasia, Aloe vera, Arrowhead Vine, Corn Plant, Dragon Tree, Dumb Cane, Emerald Gem, Fiddle Leaf Fig, Palms, etc.
    If you see houseplants in the advertisement you need to keep looking. Many houseplants do not need additional lighting as long as you have a sunny room.

    Sunny rooms are not acceptable for Citrus trees, they need full "direct" sunshine for at least 6 hours every day. Citrus trees thrive in lighting and get their energy from the sun, the more (correct) lighting you can give to the tree,  the better the tree will do!
    When choosing lighting the question you need to ask yourself is do you want an attractive tree with an ugly light or an attractive light and ugly tree begging you to give it more light?

    Correct lighting is NOT an adjustable stand on a tripod with multiple pretty wand heads in purple, blue, and red LED lights. Correct lighting is WHITE LIGHT which has all the spectrum of light.
    Daylight starts at 5000K The "K" is for kelvin and tells you the color temperature of light and many false advertisers claim their lights are full spectrum but are listed below the daylight spectrum. If your lighting is not 5000K you're not even giving your tree daylight.
    The higher the spectrum the better the tree will do.
    5000K is your morning sun, 6500K is your afternoon sun.
    The light we recommend is the bare minimum the tree needs.
    Anything below 5000K is not daylight.

    Lumens are also important. The Lumens listed will tell you the brightness of a bulb, so the spectrum of 5000K has all the colors in the prism and you see it as white light. The lumens are the brightness of the lighting, and just like the spectrum the higher the lumens the better the tree will do but the minimum of lumens is 2600. Many advertisements do not even list the lumens.
    The wonderful thing about lumens is you can easily add more lumens by just adding another bulb.

    When adding lighting make sure the light is above the tree about 1 ft and left on 10-12 hours.
    You can upgrade to a nicer light such as a gooseneck floor lamp with multiple heads just make sure you use the white light 5000K bulbs and use all the heads on the floor lamp.

    Our Lighting Recommendations

    We recommend a compact fluorescent light (CFL) 5000k grow bulb, which is a full spectrum bulb that promotes overall plant growth. This should be screwed into a reflector, so the light is directed above the tree about 1-1.5 ft. Without the reflector, the light will be too dissipated to be of much use. The lights can be purchased as a full set, bulb with the reflector at :
    https://www.acfgreenhouses.com/green-thumb-clamp-on-grow-light.aspx

    Green Thumb Clamp-on Grow Light
    ITEM #: 5605160

    The AFC greenhouses have the drop-down menu tab in the link. Make sure the 5000K is chosen before ordering.

    The grow lights should be left on for a minimum of 10-12 hours. The light should be placed DIRECTLY above the tree about 1-1.5 ft above it.
    If the tree gets good sunshine and the sunshine is shining directly on the tree for a few hours every day, then you may be able to turn the lights off after 8 hours.
    When lighting is supplemented, turn lights off at night. Plants require day and night.

    There are also other options like a gooseneck floor lamp with daylight bulbs-  Recommended only as a set -bulbs with the gooseneck floor lamp.
    One of these bulbs is not appropriate lighting, you'll need to use at least two of the bulbs that give 3000 lumens
    5 bulbs with the floor lamp is 7500 lumens.

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08VDXDXSC

    Bulbs
    https://www.amazon.com/Great-Eagle-Equivalent-Daylight-Dimmable

    Sunblaze
    https://www.acfgreenhouses.com/sun-blaze-fluorescent-t5-grow-light.aspx

    Many people disregard the ugly option with the reflector and bulb.
    We do not benefit financially in any way by recommending it, or any of these lights.
    I know the reflector is an ugly option. I have a few of them myself.
    You might wonder why I would have those ugly lights since I live in the south.
    Years ago I had the brilliant idea to haul all my trees indoors in the winter because I had to experience what our customers experience so I could educate myself and give customers good tree care that works.

    I experienced the frustration of buying junk lighting for myself on my journey of indoor winter growing. Many lights simply did not work. They were sparkly and interesting with purple, blue, yellow, and red lights and I went through a few options and that can be an expensive endeavor.
    Eventually, I ended up with two of the ugly lights, because I had 10 trees hauled indoors that winter. I was pleasantly surprised and had happy trees all winter.

    -Nancy

  • Planting Trees In Pots

    Trees are not to be repotted or planted in the ground until they have acclimated for 2 weeks.
    Trees can arrive in shock due to transport and it can take at least 2 weeks or longer for the tree to recover from shipping.

    For trees in zones 9 and above you can plant or keep the trees in a pot.
    Planting instructions in the ground are located here: https://lemoncitrustree.com/store/growing-citrus-ground

    TREES IN POTS
    When transplanting, You can double the size of the pot but don’t plant in pots above 10 gallons.
    The larger the pot the faster the tree will grow so if you get a small tree you can plant it in a 10-gallon pot as long as you water according to the pot size.
    A pot that is too large can be heavy and hard to manage if you need to take the tree indoors for the winter so do not go beyond the 10-gallon size.  All trees are to be taken indoors in the winter in zones below 9 while they are under our warranty.

    Use a soil mix that is lightweight and drains well. Avoid soils that contain wetting agents or fertilizers. Start with a good rich organic soil -rose garden soil mixes formulated for outside garden use will work well or MiracleGrow Palm Cactus/Citrus soil is well draining.

    When selecting a container, be sure there are sufficient drainage holes in the pot.
    You can drill more holes in a plastic container if you need to.
    Be mindful of the pot you choose. Do not plant a tree in a shallow pot, the root system of the tree needs room to grow.
    Never plant a tree in a pot with the reservoir attached at the bottom of a pot, this will cause root rot.
    Never plant a tree in a pot with a plug, plugging the drainage hole.
    Never use cloth planting bags for trees.
    Planting a tree in a planter bag can be detrimental to the tree due to watering and shifting soil which causes the bag to warp, and bulge out, into odd distorted shapes because there are no solid sides to the pot preventing it. After a while, the continual watering and shifting soil can loosen the root ball from the soil and cause the tree to fall out, ripping the roots in the process.

    Do not place rocks in the bottom of the pot when transplanting or pile decorative rocks on top of the soil after planting. Locate the root crown of the tree and never cover it with soil or mulch. To see a photo of the root crown visit us at: https://lemoncitrustree.com/store/citrus-tree-care-containers
    It is completely normal to see fine roots on the top of the soil. DO NOT dig around the root crown removing soil. There are fine roots on the top that you could easily break.

    TRANSPLANTING

    Add soil to the new pot. Before removing the tree from the old container inspect the top of the soil in the old pot. The soil you can see on top is your soil line.
    Never break up the soil line and never add soil above the soil line.
    Carefully remove the tree from the pot and set the tree in the new pot on top of the new soil, if the tree's soil line is not an inch below the rim of the pot then remove the tree and add or remove soil.
    Never add soil to the top, the soil must always be added from the bottom and the sides.
    Once the tree is in the pot add soil to the sides of the pot until the soil is built up to meet the topsoil of the tree.
    Over the course of time, you may notice that the tree's soil line has slowly settled down into the pot, this happens after watering over time as some soil will get washed out and an empty space is created between the rim of the pot and the soil line.
    You do not want to ignore a large space between the rim and the soil line, this space can be utilized for the root system of the tree so all the space in the pot is being used for the root system. In this event, you would remove the tree add more soil, and then re-pot.

     

  • Fuyu Persimmons

    The Fuyu Persimmon is by far our best-selling persimmon tree.
    Are persimmons citrus? No, persimmon trees are considered fruit trees and will start their dormant period in the fall.
    Persimmons are Japan's national fruit and widely grown and cultivated for over a millennium in Asian countries.
    Japanese ripe persimmons make delicious bread, bagels, and muffins, along with stuffing, jams, jellies, curry, pies, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisin cookies along with other baked goods. They can also be served in salads with watercress, tomatoes, basil, red pepper, onion, and almonds along with homemade salsa and marinades or roasted even added to breakfast cereal.

    Japanese Persimmons
    We offer 4 varieties of persimmons Fuyu, Hachiya, Suruga, and Tanenashi.
    We offer two types of trees, the Hachiya and Tanenashi which will produce astringent persimmons (not as sweet), and the sweeter non-astringent persimmons of Fuyu and Suruga.
    Persimmons are a tree fruit related to the date plum.

    The Fuyu Persimmon is a non-astringent like an apple and squat shape variety, the fruit is eaten fresh off the tree. The Fuyu is the most popular compared to other varieties and has no seeds and is great for cooking and eating. The fruits tend to ripen in November and are as sweet taste and crisp like apples making them a favorite and special treat. The Fuyu persimmon is sometimes called the Sharon fruit, and they make for a perfect food to be eaten raw.
    How to ripen Fuyu persimmons. Place the fruit on a plate in the sun and they will ripen.

    The Hachiya Persimmon is an astringent variety, the fruit is picked when firm and bright orange and stored until soft. The Hachiya is often used in baking and is also a favorite for eating as fresh fruit. The Hachiya Persimmons' ripe fruit is wonderfully sweet that can be added to your favorite recipes.

    The Suruga Persimmon is a non-astringent variety, the fruit is a small round, deep orange with a sweet maple syrup flavor, vibrant, and delicious fruit.

    The Tanenashi Persimmon is an astringent variety, a seedless prolific producer of medium-sized round to cone-shaped orange-red fruits.

    Whatever your preferred Japan national fruit types of astringent varieties or non-astringent varieties Fuyu and Hachiya or, Suruga or Tanenashi, all the trees can produce fruit for many years and can be container grown in colder zones.

    The astringent persimmons are a variety that is inedible when firm. To consume them, the flesh needs to become extremely ripe, like an over-ripe tomato. The persimmon's nutritional value is like a tomato with a slippery texture and produces softer skin during the ripening process. The fruit is ready to eat when fully ripe and you can store persimmons at room temperature to ripen and they will keep in the refrigerator for several weeks. The fruit is picked in the fall and can be taken to the persimmon market or the fruit can be dried, frozen, or use the fruit for jams and jellies.

    Dormant trees still need to be protected (winterized) to remain healthy and free from diseases and insects. Prune dead branches in the later part of the fall. Foliage and branches that are in contact with soil invite undesirable pests. Therefore it is best to keep the winterized potted dormant tree clean of debris. Set it in an unheated garage or basement and allow it to go dormant for the winter months. Water the tree as you would typically through dormancy. It helps to have a moisture meter because in colder climates (even indoors) the tree will not need to be watered as often.
    Water the dormant tree when the meter reads 40%. Fertilize dormant trees in February with a 5-5-5 fertilizer.

  • Best Lime Tree for You to Buy

    Lime trees love lots of sunshine and, well-draining soil. They give your indoor and outdoor garden an elegant style and a heavenly scent of citrus year-round. Growers in regions below zone 9 can choose to grow in a container. Deciding which lime to grow will depend on the fruit you would prefer since all citrus have the same basic requirements.

    The Persian Lime

    Is the most sought-after lime tree and is a heavy bearer of juicy, lemon-sized fruit from winter to early spring. This lime variety needs very little heat to ripen, making it an excellent choice for backyard plantings or as a container-grown plant. The fruits turn to a pale yellow at full maturity and have a thin, smooth rind.
    The Persian lime is also known as the Tahiti lime tree or Bearss lime. This citrus fruit is grown commercially in the U.S. and sold in the grocery section. and is good for juicing and has a more tart taste and is less sour than key lime juice.
    Persian Lime Tree: https://lemoncitrustree.com/store/persian-lime-trees/persian-lime-small.html

    Key Lime
    Also called Mexican lime and popular with growers, this lime produces beautiful blossoms that give off a very sweet, welcoming scent that will fill your home.
    The key limes are great for cooking, garnishing drinks, or making the famous key lime pie.
    Key Lime: https://lemoncitrustree.com/store/key-lime-trees/keylime-small.html

    The Kaffir Lime
    The Kaffir is a thorny tree with an aromatic pungent scent of all citrus fruit with distinctively "double" leaves.
    The kaffir limes produce a rough, green fruit. The green lime fruit is distinguished by its bumpy exterior and its small size. The rind of the Kaffir lime fruit is commonly used in Lao and Thai curry paste, adding an aromatic, astringent flavor.
    Its hourglass-shaped Kaffir lime leaves are widely used in Asian cuisine.
    Kaffir Lime: https://lemoncitrustree.com/store/kaffir-lime-trees/lct-kaffir-lime-big.html

    Sweet Lime
    The flesh of the sweet lime is tender, very juicy, and non-acidic fruit. The sweet flavor of the limes can be peeled and eaten as a snack.
    Sweet lime is popular in Indian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American cuisines. Can be used in a variety of recipes or sweet dishes such as marinades, sauces, desserts, garnish, cocktails, meat, and poultry.
    Sweet Lime: https://lemoncitrustree.com/store/sweet-lime-tree-tallest.html

    Finger Lime
    Hailed as the "Caviar of Fruit". The finger lime has a refreshing taste that is very different from other citrus fruit, somewhat resembling a gherkin, elongated in shape, and up to 3 inches in length which are far from the usual lime shape which is round or spherical.
    When the caviar lime is cut in half, the light green juice vesicles ooze out giving the appearance of caviar erupting from the fruit. The translucent, pale green or pinkish vesicles in finger limes are round and firm, and pop on the tongue like caviar, releasing a flavor that combines lemon and lime.
    Australian finger lime: https://lemoncitrustree.com/stores/finger-lime-2citrapot.html

    Limequats
    Limequats are a hybrid of a lime and a kumquat. The round fruits are about 2 inches long. They have a thin yellow-greenish rind and light yellow skin. Limequats are a great fruit for Garnishing Drinks or adding flavor to meats and fish. The entire fruit is edible, including the skin, just like the kumquat. Many gardeners choose to grow limequats ornamentally.
    Limequat Tree: https://lemoncitrustree.com/store/lime-trees/limequat-trees/lct-limequat-tall.html


    You can grow many types of limes from Key lime, Persian, Finger, or Kaffir, care of lime trees and growing lime trees is no different than most citrus trees.
    In containers, they need well-draining soil and lots of full sunshine. In northern regions of the country, they can be taken indoors during cold temperatures. With supplemental lighting, the trees can continue to ripen and produce fruit. Whether your favorite is the Tahiti lime or known as the Thai lime or the Bearss lime, Mexican limes, Sweet limes, Lime green caviar of the finger lime, acidic flavor, refreshing taste, or acidic taste, many types of lime fruits can be available to grow with all the lime tree varieties we offer which can help you start your own personal orchard of citrus fruits.

  • The Potted Olive Tree

    Growing olive trees are a popular favorite with interior decorators such as the
    This long-living evergreen tree was first cultivated in ancient Israel. Arbequina olive trees are self-fruiting trees that have an enchanting gnarly appearance. The tree’s beauty has been extolled for thousands of years.

    Arbequinas olive tree is typically small with weeping branches and is best grown in loamy soils in a well-draining pot.
    Choose pots for olive trees that are well-draining with drainage holes, never allow trees to sit in standing water as this will cause root rot.
    We do not recommend pots larger than 10 gallons when planting olive trees. Pots can become very heavy and watering could become hard to manage in larger pots.

    Add soil to the new pot. Before removing the tree from the old container inspect the top of the soil in the old pot. The soil you can see on top is your soil line.
    Never break up the soil line and never add soil above the soil line.
    Carefully remove the tree from the pot and set the tree in the new pot on top of the new soil, if the tree's soil line is not an inch below the rim of the pot then remove the tree and add or remove soil.
    Never add soil from the top, the soil must always be added from the bottom.
    Once the tree is in the pot add soil to the sides of the pot until the soil is built up to meet the topsoil of the tree.

    Over the course of time you may notice that the tree's soil line has slowly settled down into the pot, this happens after watering over time as some soil will get washed out and an empty space is created between the rim and the soil line.
    You do not want to ignore a large space between the rim and the soil line, this space can be utilized for the root system of the tree so all the space in the pot is being used for the root system. In this event, you would remove the tree and add more soil, and then re-pot.

    We recommend using a moisture meter to avoid over-watering.
    The Arbequina is semi-deciduous, meaning they can experience some leaf drop in the winter indoors. It is best to place them near a sunny window away from heat vents.
    The tree needs full sun for at least 6 hours daily, or it will drop foliage.

    We hope you enjoy your potted olive tree for many years.

  • What Are The Best Citrus Varieties For Growing Indoors?

    By far, the Meyer Lemon is the most popular. Like all the lemons, it is easy to grow, prolific and does not need a lot of heat to ripen the fruit. The Meyer is slightly sweeter than the classic commercial varieties (Eureka). Its soft skin develops an orange hue when the fruit is fully ripe, and its distinctive, mystical flavor combines lemon with a hint of tangerine. The Meyer lemon can be very productive, even indoors.
     
    Kaffir Lime leaves are used extensively in Thai and Cambodian cooking, and zest of the fruit is an ingredient in some curry paste recipes. Keep your Kaffir lime tree close at hand in a sunny window and you'll be able to create authentic recipes year-round. Calamondin (Kalamansi) is a diminutive tree originating in the Philippines. It's ornamental form, fragrant blooms and small tart orange-colored fruits have made it a favorite for centuries. The sour juice of ripe fruits can be used in salad dressings and other recipes.
     
    How To Grow Dwarf Citrus Indoors & Outdoors?
    Container-grown citrus trees can be kept on patios and decks in warm weather, then moved inside to avoid frost damage in winter. To avoid shocking your tree with a sudden change of environment, move it gradually. Place the tree in partial shade for a week or so, to make the transition from full sun outdoors to partial sun indoors. For an indoor Citrus, you'll need to supplement lighting. If your tree will receive less than 6 hours of full sun per day indoors, it is best to supplement with grow lights. Adequate sun exposure is essential for fruit production. We recommend a 5000K full spectrum bulb (with reflector) which promotes overall plant growth. We recommend that you use the light 10 hours per day
  • How Do I Treat Damage Caused By Frost & Freezing?

    Water the tree immediately as freezing temperatures pull the moisture out of the tree's roots.
    Wait and determine the extent of damage before pruning in the spring or when the possibility of frost has passed.
    Identify the graft or bud union, and make sure the fruiting wood above the graft is still green and healthy.
    Photo of the graft can be found here:
    https://lemoncitrustree.com/store/pest-disease

    If it is viable it should produce new buds in the spring. If all the leaves are brown
    and curled, remove them in the spring and water the tree with a quarter cup of bone meal mixed in a gallon of water for a potted tree.
    It will take a few weeks for the appearance of new buds. After bud break, you can prune the branches if desired.
    Preconditioning helps; trees exposed slowly to cold will fare better than those subjected to a sudden frost. Also, prolonged exposure to cold is more damaging than a brief plunge in temperature. Here are some methods we have used to help protect plants when freezing temperatures may pose a threat.

    Listen for news of cold fronts, and be prepared to take action!
    Water all garden plants thoroughly before a freeze since freezing soil will pull sustaining moisture from the roots.
    Use antitranspirant sprays. Common brands: Anti Stress and Cloud Cover.
    Put old fashioned, heat-producing Christmas lights in the trees or in landscape lighting under the trees. This method often yields excellent results for cold-sensitive lemons and limes.
    Hot bulbs can scorch leaves, so take care to angle them so that they directly touch foliage as little as possible.
    Use frost cover blankets, also known as floating row cover or Remay. This is a spun polyester material designed to cover trees and plants. It can be draped directly on the plants and secured at the ground to trap daytime heat. Unlike plastic covers, it can be left on during the day without fear of overheating the plants. Used in combination with lighting, it is a great way to protect cold-sensitive plants.

  • Why Should I Prune My Citrus Tree?

    Citrus may be pruned to any desired shape. Pruning is fine any time of year, except in the winter for outdoor trees. Pinching back tips of new growth is the best way to round out the trees without impacting future fruit.

    Citrus will look fuller with occasional pruning to shape leggy branches. Very leggy branches indicate the need for more light. Some trees may develop erratic juvenile growth above the graft. If so, prune for shape and balance. Any growth above the graft can eventually bear fruit.

    Pruning to Optimize Fullness & Fruit Production

    Any branch with fruit is putting its energy into fruit production. Prune the other branches now, make the pruning cut just above a leaf without leaving a stub. If you take off more than 1/3 of the length, the tree will make multiple branches at the pruning cut, thereby making the tree more full.

     

  • What Is The Productivity & Ripening Time For Citrus?

    All of our Citrus are fruit producing ages. But like all fruiting trees,  the citrus also go through stages of fruit drop. The tree is dictated by mother nature in determining whether it has enough energy to fully take its young fruit to maturation. Sometimes it will drop its fruit to ensure it has enough energy to maintain the primary life systems such as its canopy and roots. As the tree matures, gets stronger and becomes more established, its fruiting capacity will increase.

    Once the trees are about 3 years old, they are mature enough to handle fruit production without impacting branch and foliage growth.
    For lemons and limes, the time from bloom to edible fruit is generally 6-9 months. For winter
    oranges and other citrus, it is generally 12 months. Keep in mind that all citrus fruits only ripen
    on the tree. The best way to determine ripeness is to pick a fruit and sample it, since rind color
    can be an unreliable indicator.
    Average Crop Yield
    In appropriate climates, a mature Dwarf Citrus tree planted in the ground can produce about 2/3 as much fruit as a full-sized standard citrus tree in the ground. Some varieties "hold" fruit well on the tree for extended periods, while others need to be picked promptly because fruit quality will deteriorate quickly after ripening.

    Can I Determine Ripeness By The Color Of The Fruit?

    Cooling nighttime temperatures trigger the appearance of orange and yellow hues in the rinds of citrus fruits. In temperate climates that have gradually cooling nighttime temperatures toward winter, fruit coloration is generally a good indicator of ripeness.

    In tropical climates and also in many indoor growing situations, fruit coloration may not be the best indicator of ripeness because the tree is not receiving the necessary climactic cues for fruit coloring. This is why the Key lime is harvested green in the more tropical areas of Mexico and Florida where it is grown commercially. These limes are ripe when picked, even though they are still green. Limes in California and other areas that receive cooler temperatures during the ripening season will turn yellow when ready to pick. Like most citrus, lemons are green as they develop, then turn gradually to yellow when ripe. (Extremely ripe Meyer lemons take on a lovely orange hue.) Once mature, most lemon varieties will hang on the tree for several months, slowly growing larger and developing thicker skins.

    When coloration is not a reliable indicator, ripeness can be determined with other methods. Look for the development of a dusky appearance on the rind of ripe fruits. The final determinant of ripeness will be how the fruit tastes. Sampling is often the most reliable indicator of when to harvest. Remember that citrus will not ripen further once picked.

    More information on green fruit and fruit drop here:  https://lemoncitrustree.com/store/citrus-blog/2017/08/23/did-i-get-a-lime-tree-why-is-my-citrus-fruit-still-green

  • Killing My Citrus With Love

    Friday Afternoon:

    Oh, that beautiful lemon tree you sent me. I am so excited about this tree
    I can hardly contain myself.
    It’s the dead of winter and the weekend is here.
    I pull you out of your packaging and you make me smile.
    You are blooming like it's a warm spring day.
    This grower's pot is not worthy of you!
    This weekend I will find you a new pot.
    Here you go, have a drink of water.

    Saturday:

    Let me pull you right out of that black grower's pot my little darling, and place you in some beautiful container. Oh, I know you traveled a long way to get to me and you had a rough journey.
    I know you cannot wait, a beautiful tree deserves a beautiful pot.
    I’ll pay no attention to the long journey you traveled or be critical of the pot I have planned for you, or the soil I plant you in.
    Who needs to bother with the small things like drainage?
    This pot is just too nice to pass up and it will make you look incredibly beautiful.
    Let me fill the pot with rocks at the bottom so I can impede your drainage over time.
    For added beauty, I’ll place rocks on the top of the soil to keep the soil from drying out correctly, or maybe I'll add some more plants!!!
    You look lovely, let me set your pot inside this catch tray in a corner as you become part of my decor, you are so beautiful and you smell heavenly.
    I think you need a cup of water.

    Sunday:
    Oh beautiful Citrus, let me get you a cup of water.
    Where oh where did I put those tree care directions?

    Monday- Wednesday:
    I think maybe I should have read those tree care directions, I wish I knew what I did with them?
    Oh beautiful Citrus, let me get you a cup of water.

    Thursday:
    Oh, my citrus tree you’re looking a little depressed today!
    I think I’ll go to my local nursery and ask someone what to do about it.
    Here, let me water you with just a little water, just enough so I don’t have to worry about water messing up my wood flooring.

    Friday:
    It’s been a week and some of your leaves have yellowed and green ones are on the floor.
    Why are you misbehaving? I have done everything for you.
    I think I’ll call the company this week.
    You poor thing. This should fix the problem, have a cup of water.

    Saturday & Sunday:

    :(

    We agree at Lemon Citrus Tree that dwarf Lemons, Limes, and Orange trees can beautify your decor but they cannot beautify your space if their needs are not met.
    Trees are living plants and they have special needs.

    The photo above of the lemon tree would look fantastic in any corner of a living or dining room if it were just a fake tree with silk flowers, but it’s not and it can’t be treated like a fake tree or plant.

    Let's go through each of the mistakes in this story:

    First of all, let’s not transplant. The tree has traveled some distance so it's best to give it a bit of a reprieve from the journey and just set it in a bright sunny area so it can get direct sunshine and leave it alone.
    Before transplanting, make sure to check the potting instructions, located on our website.

    If it is in shock it needs some time to adjust to the new environment.
    Do not place the tree near a heat vent or against a wall or in a corner of a room with no lighting.
    Wait at least 2 weeks before attempting to transplant the tree into a new pot.

    When shopping for a new pot, look for one that is double in size, and don't go beyond a 10-gallon pot. Flip the pot over and look at the drainage holes, if you see no holes, it's the wrong pot for the tree.
    Make sure the pot has good drainage and purchase a well-draining soil without moisture retention additives.

    A moisture meter is a simple tool to let you know when to water and it also lets you know if the tree, once the water drains, whether it needs more water than what you have given it. So, always recheck the soil after water drains.

    A cup here and a cup there for a large tree is not going to work out well.
    If you have to take a tree indoors for the winter a drainage tray is not a splurge. Lifting heavy pots can be a chore and when the soil is wet the tree is pretty tough to pick up.
    Choose a tray for the long term that can hold at least a gallon of water.
    A small plant stand would be great (It will save you a lot of work) so the pot won’t be sitting in standing water.

    PERFECT!

    If you have the tree sitting in a drainage tray, then you are not watering it correctly.
    Citrus trees need DEEP infrequent watering, not a few cups every few days but more like a gallon (if your pot is large) normally you should be watering indoors every other week.
    Check the moisture level with a meter BEFORE and AFTER watering, this will ensure you’re correctly watering it. NEVER leave the meter in the pot when not in use.

    When you grab for the water jug BE LIBERAL with the water, drench the soil.
    Correctly watering your tree will be a mess if you don’t have the correct set up to start with.
    Citrus hate wet feet, so the pot sitting in standing water is not good for the tree. If you water correctly then water will pour out of the holes into the catch tray.
    It is definitely worth the time and effort to get the tree set up correctly.
    NEVER ever plant other plants with the tree, plants will rob a Citrus of water and nutrients.

    Think Florida - Citrus trees love the Florida weather, it’s sunny & humid.
    Sitting the tree near a heat vent will turn a happy tree into a sad tree.
    If you live in an area where the tree needs to be taken indoors in the winter, please keep in mind the light requirements and supplement lighting.

    For indoor lighting, use full spectrum high lumen lighting ONLY

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