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