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| Newly planted citrus. If a good soil mix or compost was mixed with the soil at planting time it might be good for a couple of years. But eventually the tree will grow better if it is growing with a woodchip mulch on the soil surface. I think the wire mesh is for protection from rabbits. |
Q. Last year we wanted a couple of citrus trees, so I
bought a lemon and lime, both dwarf trees. I put them in large pots and wheeled
them into the house as the weather turned cold. They didn’t get any extra light
other than light from the windows. Maybe that was a mistake. Over the last
couple of months one of them lost all its leaves. Should I have given them
extra light?
including inconsistent watering and going from cold temperatures to warm
temperatures, not just a lack of light. A better place to put them would have
been the garage where it’s cold even though there is less light. These trees
need to be outside as much as possible for their best health.
When there is a slight freeze they will drop leaves. When the temperature is lower than this or lasts for a long time then small limbs will die.
move them back outside as quickly as possible after the threat of freezing
temperatures are over. At low temperatures fruit trees need less light. Inside the house the trees will need more light because it is warm.
threshold for freezing damage to begin with true lemons and limes is at 32° F
or just slightly under it. If there is wind, freezing damage is more extensive.
The garage environment keeps temperatures warmer and keeps them out of the
wind.
temperatures just above freezing their need for light, water and fertilizer is quite
small. As air temperatures get warmer, their need for light fertilizer and
water increases. As air temperatures become colder, plants require less and
less light, water and fertilizer. This is true for all plants including
seedlings.
Inside the garage the temperatures will be cool to cold but usually
more than freezing. If you need to you can always put a space heater inside the
garage to keep it from freezing. But remember, warm temperatures speed up all
the plant processes. If you put
these trees inside the garage then water them only when they need water. This
is easy to judge because the containers are lighter and so they are easier to
lift or push around. You can use a soil moisture meter stuck to about four inches deep also. Don’t fertilize.
house temperatures are too warm for “outdoor plants”. They dropped their leaves,
but they will most likely put on new leaves once they are moved outside and get
some warmth