Looks pretty stressed. What kind of fertilizer were you using prior to potting up? Also, if you can, take the drip tray off the new pot. Citrus do not like wet feet and they need to drain well. Im not an expert on citrus as I just started recently, and am just passing along what I have learned so far but someone here will be able to give you more thorough advice.

Kristopher

Thanks. I put a bit of broken pottery in the bottom, but I can try taking off the drip tray. Before I'd been using Vigoro Citrus and Avocado. I'm just not sure whether I should fertilize it or not and I'm hoping someone with much more citrus experience than me can tell me the best course of action to save this little guy and get it back to producing those delicious lemons!

From my vantage point, it looks as if the mix is too heavy and causing root issues, if not root rot.
Is it very heavy? How long does it take to dry out? Are you letting the mix dry out between waterings?

If the watering is the issue, I would lay off on that and let the tree correct itself in full sun.
If it is the mix that may be holding to much water for too long a period of time, or if the mix stays wet too long, I would get it out of that mix before the whole plant goes as soon as possible.

Lets' start here. If the mix is fine and your watering practices up to standards for this type of tree, then next we can look at your fertilizing and how often you do it. Salt residues and so on.

Mike:-O)

It's regular potting soil. When I first got it I potted it in the standard Miracle Grow stuff and I just repotted it in Vigoro organic. Would that be considered too heavy? I live very near the coast so my yard is basically sand under that grass. Should I mix some in? It's positioned so that it gets sun all day - nothing casts a shadow on it.

Beyond rain, I'm pretty lazy about watering it. It's been raining anywhere from every other day to once every two weeks lately, and today is the first time I've watered it in a few weeks. I've wondered if sometimes I didn't water enough. When I repotted it I broke up the outside half inch or so of the soil/roots and beyond being very compact, they didn't look sickly or rotted. It could be a different story at the center, I don't know.

Thanks for your help

Are any of those branches dead?

Soemtime taking a few simple steps can hasten the likeliness that your tree will do much better.

A few simple steps especially since you are living in Florida:-)

Make sure your tree is in a very porous mix to allow good drainage, especially since you tend to get copious amounts of rain and humidity.

Make sure not to leave a tree in a 'black' pot in the direct line of the hot noon day sun since it can slow root process down causing your leaves to yellow, thr roots to shut down from being over heated.

Watering is a sinch if your mix is very porous. If it is very organic and compact easily, then watch your watering practices doing so only when needed and watch your weather so that your pot doesn't constantly stay wet.

Fertilize in small amounts every time you water if your mix is very porous, but less frequently when using a very heavy mix.

Flush your mix out every moth with fresh water to avoid salt deposits which can harm your roots causing the leaves and branched to yellow and die back.
If in a porous mix, no need to worry.

So, simply put, considering the mix you are using.....

I would water more only when the mix dries out, but not to the point your plant would wilt. I would then put your tree in an area protected from day time solar heat, and fertilize only as needed.
It should come back if you are sure the roots look fine.
Once the plant regenerates itself, I would then change it out into a much better more porous mix making sure to wash all the old stuff off.

Hope this gives you some ideas.

Mike

Thanks for all your help. I'll give it a few weeks.

Some of the outer portions of the branches are dead. Would it be okay to remove them, or just leave the poor thing be for a while?

If it were my tree, I would clean them off.

I hope it does well. Hey, take a look at the ones that I have worked hard on saving. Your tree has much hope. I started a new thread at the top of the forums page.

Mike

Thanks! I hope it does, too. And I looked at your post... inspiring!

Mike,

You mention a porous potting mix. Could you please tell me what that is? Is it something one can buy, or does one need to mix it from other ingredients?

I've got a little Satsuma tree you would love to get your hands on to save it. I'm very new to citrus and my little tree is suffering because of it. I come to this forum and go round and round and get confused. I know--I'm not the brightest bulb on the string. Still, I don't want to kill my tree.

Thanks,

Vivian

Hello Vivian, nice to meet you.

A porous mix can be made or bought. I use a specific one for my needs, but one can make one with just about anything, as long as the roots get plenty or air to the root zone, the mix maintains proper moisture, and the roots have something stable to hold on to.

Many use a combination of perlite and potting mix, where the perlite is the majority of the mix. Like let's say, 5 parts perlite and one part potting mix.

For some that require moisture longer, they use 4 5 parts perlite and 2 parts mix.
Some use one part bark, one part peat, one part perlite.
Some use 5 parts bark, one part perlite, and one part peat and that would be me:-)
Some use screened, one part fir bark, or pine bark, one part screened turface, and one part crushed granite,. That would be me.

Would you believe they make a good couple of mixes from the' Fafard' company that is called a 'Nursery mix and a 51B mix? Yes, very porous.

You get my drift? You can basically use a ready made mix if the ingredients have a good particle size. The larger the particle size, the less water retention, the smaller the size, more water retention.

The key with my citrus is to use mixes that DO NOT allow perched water in my pots, but that dry out evenly from top to bottom, and allows good oxygen exchange every time I water. For me, the more often I have to water, the healthier my trees are. I can fertilize and water more often without the fear of root rot,

I hope this helps. There is a great article that discusses this that can give you a good foundation in the knowledge of growing in containers that I can assure you will help. From there, there are so many possibilities for you. I will link it for you.

Mike:-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Container soils-Water movement and Retention

Vivian, I was thinking.........Yes..lol

You live in the one of the best ares in the world for growing citrus in containers! It usually always goes back to the mix you use..Once you use a very porous mix, especially there, well, many good things will happen.

I can tell that once you give your citrus feet a comfortable pair of shoes that will allow their feet to breath, whalla, you will have some of the nicest trees in containers around...

Mike:-0)

Shell. How often do you spray Chelated Iron? Of what I read, and use for plants that require additional iron, three times a year is adequate.

BTW, your Canna? is so nice and red. Beautiful.

I woudn't use sand from your yard. It might be too fine/heavy for your potted tree. Besides, mediums from the garden can be loaded w/insects/bacteria, etc.

Some people who use garden soils bake before using. Believe me, you're talking to someone who, in the past, baked soil. The house stinks during and after baking..It's been years since I've baked soil, and unless all mediums become extinct, they'll be purchased from a store. lol.

You say you're pretty lazy watering.
During winter months, my energy level drops, so I tend to do the same. Often leaves yellow and drop. Over-watering is worse, but under-watering is second runner up to leaf loss and other problems.

I agree well-draining soil is best, but since you're in Fl, more often than not depend on rain in place of hand-watering, a heavier soil shouldn't cause much of a problem.

Before you repotted in a new pot, did the old container have drainage holes?

Hey Mike, how you doing?

About black pots. Not sure I understand. Are you saying, black pots keep roots warmer/hotter in a sunny area?
If this is the case, does the same apply when days are sunny but cold? Do roots stayer warmer?

My little gh can get awfully cold during winter. All my citrus are in black tree pots.
So, my question to you is, since my citrus are in black pots, when days are sunny, and temps drop at night is it possible roots stay a little warmer? Or does it not make a difference?

You also suggested leaching soil once a month or so. Although a good soaking perks up plants, despite soils, wouldn't leaching be more important if a plant is fertilized a lot/too much? Toni

Awww, Toni, it's so good to see you!:-)

I have to protect my pots from the hot sun at the hottest part of it because the roots almost cook in them. They actually over heat and my trees will wilt despite having water in the mix. The pots get very hot! My Aunt can't keep anything in dark pots exposed in her yard in Florida. She has killed several and now uses clay or light colored ones.

Not sure about the greenhouse thing. It does seem that my plants in plastic pots, whether black or light are much warmer at night in a room with cool temps than those of clay.

So good to see you

Mike

Thanks so much, Mike, for your thoughtful reply to my questions.

I've got to pot my tree up and also get a more porous medium. I do know Al and his gritty mix. I don't think that the gritty mix would work for here because of the brutal heat from the glaring sun beating mercilessly down onto the pots. I'd have to water all day long and that's not an option for me. I like Fafard mixes, but I can't get any of them around here and that kills me. One nursery carried the Professional Potting Mix, but never got it again and I had raved about it to them.

I just got quite a lot of pine bark mulch because all my fig trees need to be repotted for the same reason and I will put them into a more porous mix, as well.

I have my tree in a light pot, but what I realized is the pots do not block out the light!!! Ouch!

I got some silver bubblwrap insulation to put on the outside of the pots to see if that will help. I may rig up a little fence to go around the pots for the citrus trees, like that fencing that they use to keep sand from drifting too muc on the beaches.

I need to get some of that Foliage Pro food. Is that the chelated mineral foliar food that was mentioned, I think it was in another thread about Meyer Lemons?

My poor baby tree! It's baking in the sun. That will be remedied soon.

I really like your enthusiasm for citrus and the kind way you talk to people, as well as your positive attitude. You surely love citrus trees. I was feeling a bit down about the trees, but you have managed to lift me back up and I am thankful for that.

Thanks,

Vivian