Hey dsieber,
Are these new leaves on old branches?

Yes the new large leave are on old branches with smaller older leaves.

This is happening to me too, that's why I'm on the forum right now. I've had my plant a couple of years, it all sounds very similar.

any chance of posting some pics?? I use Photobucket to upload to...then copy the html choice and paste here.

All of my citrus that undergo a flush of growth indoors while overwintering put out oversized leaves. 4winds says it is a result of low light.

It could also be a sucker but you said you see this on an old branch and I assume you know where the graft line is.

The leaves will darken with time and start to look a little more like the normal leaves. I have several high powered grow lights and a sunroom and I still get oversized leaves indoors.

If you don't like the look you can try not fertilizing at all, keeping the watering at a minimum, and keeping it as cool as possible. Or you can just pinch back or snap off the new growth.

i believe lemon leaves can get fairly large, 4-5" long.

could be because of low light, larger leaves mean larger surface area to photosynthesize light.

could also mean that your plant is healthy and is sending out larger leaves to photosynthesize more light so it can grow bigger.

redshirtcat, with grow lights and a sunroom, i dont believe your plants are suffering from low light.

Was this after you pruned the crossing branches? If so then it is normal. Those leaves are benefiting from the extra water/nutrients that the missing limbs are no longer receiving. If you prune right before a growth flush then the new limbs will take off in much the same manner.

I went out on the deck to inspect the tree, there are over 10 new clumps of new leaves so I will be able to confirm whether low light level is the reason for the big leaves during this spring. I also found the beginnings of at least 5 blossoms. Thank god I am in CO vs Az (Any blossoms in AZ would be toast in summer heat!!!). Based on past experience this outside flush of blossoms yields most of my lemons (I currently have 4 lemons that have been growing from inside pollination).

What a difference two days make!!!! There are now over 10 blossoms starting to form, and another 10 clumps of new leaves!!! Weather has been in 90's. One thing I did notice is the Large leaves appear to weaker at the attachment point. We had some high winds yesterday and I found one lying on the deck (this makes perfect sense due to the larger sail area). It also makes sense that they grow larger inside due to low light levels but this abnormal size is incompatible to their attachment strength. If I just kept it inside, I would have a bunch of large leaves, a few lemons, and I would almost defoliate the entire tree should I place it outside in real wind conditions. Nature is cool!!!!!

Tree doing great, lots of new leaves and blossums. The Huge Leaves are proving to be more stopgap feature, besides easy to break off due to high wind, they do not appear to be able to take the high light levels. For over a week I introduced them to the sun on the shady side of the house. They have been out in full sun for over 2 weeks. The huge leaves are turning yellow/brown and I can see they are not so healthy (the old leaves are doing fine). Since I am getting a lot of new growth I am not worried but the huge leaves appear to be an inside growth anomoly. My Meyer is doing great so they have done their purpose... Plant is happy and thriving!!!!!!!

HAIL HAIL HAIL!!! Slowly drove home in one G. Awful Hail storm (1/2-3/4") Ran into the house and on to the deck. Lemon tree was pounded!! Huge leaves gone, 4 lemons that formed inside during spring gone, 4 large branch ends gone, lots of the new growth since putting it out gone, blossoms that opened during the past week gone. I do see several blossoms that have not opened on the tree so hopefully I will have some lemons this year! If only I did not stay late at work I could have yanked it into the kitchen. However, in the grand scheme of things this could have/should have is trivial compared to life�s CH/SH.

Bummer, dsieber! We used to have dreadful hail storms in Indiana, denting cars, barns, destroying corn fields and our veggie gardens. Can't say I miss those, now that I'm back home in S. California. Hopefully, you'll get another little flush of grow, and maybe even a few more blossoms. Give it a nice fertilizing and lots of sun, and keep your fingers crossed!

Patty S.

Thanks Patty S I did an inspection and I count 5 minifruit forming must have been from the first flush of blosoms after putting it outside. (mini fruit must be extra tough). I have pruned the ragged branch breaks hopefully I will get a new burst of growth. The tree was going like gangbusters so it may continue. After seeing where the hail came from I will relocate it under the roof overhang which should protect it from any future direct strikes but still provide a great southern exposure... Live and learn!!!

Dsieber: That is terrible. I am so sorry to hear of this.

I have never experienced hail that big and never want to although we did get winds strong enough to class themselves into the Tornado category.
I can feel for you. I know it is still a huge bummer and I know with your care and smarts, that tree will be up and looking perfect once again.

So sorry:-(

Have a great day

Mike:-)

I did some more inspection on my HAIL(Must be in CAPS) damaged meyer. There are some long branches with leaves on the end and a lot of missing leaves going down. Will there ever be leaves forming down the branch? If not should I stagger the pruning of these branches to get some more leaves and a more conventional tree shape.

Hi Dsieber:

I would just prune it back while it is still growing season and encourage inner growth.

You can leave it alone too, but I get the feeling it will just continue to grow at the ends until something is done to encourage growth from to lower branches.
New growth will eventual grow back on the inside of the tree, but it may not happen as fast as you would like.

Good luck with them and pray for no more of them type storms.

Do make sure you are consistent with fertilizer as it will need all the nitrogen to help replace what was lost.

Mike

Thanks MeyerMIKE How much time should I separate each prune or does it not make any difference.How far down the branch should I go ( I have had it for 4 yearsand there is currently a 3.5 ft span)?

Hi Dsieber:

The way in which I prune would depend on what kine of shape/effect I am looking for.

If it were me, If had a tree that had 2 feet long side branches with growth left on the tips, I would prune it back a bout a foot and watch the new growth fill in leaving my tree full and bushy,
I would prune now and in fact the best time to do pruning would be between March and August although I have done so even in winter, just prior to blooming being best of course which happens through the season.

Here is some basic info on pruning you might be able to get ideas from although they are using huge trees as a reference.

http://www.agnet.org/library/bc/52007/

Your tree will look just fine no matter where you cut it, but even better if you prune it with a desired shape in mind. Look for the nodes and in what direction the next branch would emerge from just above it where the cut is made and go from there.

An after picture of your good work would be very nice to see.

Mike:-)

dsieber,
Extactly what Mike said :-) Perfectly explained.

Patty S.

I have done a prune per Meyer Mike's instructions go some Liguid 101010. I know not optimal. But I figured it needed somthing. I also went down to a Grocery Store that has a Starbuck francise and got some grounds.(I am sure it includes the discusting Pike place but it was free!!!)

Tree looks a shadow of its former self. I know it is worth it for the long term. I have had it for 4 years so I know lt is a survivor. Since my Iphone mk 1 has a dead camera I can not take before shots it looks lame!!!. When they anounce the iphone 5 I plan to get an Iphone 4 for $100 and you can hopefully see some new growth.

Patty: I have deciphered quite a bit of good and very helpful information from you although all my trees are in pots, and I am grateful for this. You would be amazed at how much you help out with those of us whom even grow in containers..Thank you:-)

Dsieber: That is awesome. I hope by the time you get a new Iphone 4, which I have, your plant is full of new growth. Don't be discouraged if it takes a while, but if your tree has a healthy root system, it might happen sooner than you think.:0)

What's the coffee grind for?

Mike

Meyer Mike... You are the Ace so I am concerned that you ask the question on coffee grounds!!! I saw some post that included coffee grounds in connection to fertilizing Lemons in this here forum. Supposedly it is a a good slow N release. Starbucks says the PH is 6.5 which I think is good for citrus. My Mom put the filter & grounds amongst her fine roses for years.(I guess filter littering was not one of her concerns) Organic Matter is Organic matter I guess. Upon seeing how fine the coffee grounds are I wonder if they will "clogup" the loose mixtures advocated by the Citrusheads!!

BTW I got home 15 min prior to another Rocky Mountain (unlike last week) hail storm. Although the tree was under the overhang I did not chance it. There are still Jets waiting to be repaired at DIA due to the storm. The airport is further East on the prarie so there was more time for the hail to form some baseball sized hail, my tree AND DECK would be history if it happened here!!!

Hey Dsieber:

First off thank you and I am so happy you escaped another disaster. Boy, I have yet to see a storm like that, although I did almost witness a tornado a few weeks back. My friend lost her house completely and all her citrus trees:-(
I am happy for you this time around:-)

As for coffee grounds,

They work short term, then after a short period of time can turn your mix into cement, clog it up,fill in all the porous spaces your roots are thriving from, throw off the perfect balance of your fertilizer, and then suffocate your roots, especially in winter. I have been there and done that along with many other friends. I have killed a many citrus tree and gardenias with this method.

That is the experience I have had with them since I had all the access to coffee grinds when my the girl I dated worked at Dunkin Donuts.
Now I use them for my compost pile and my garden, especially my roses as your Mom does, you mom is good and I bet her roses are beautiful.
The worms come along for sure and also help with great looking flowers:-)

If you should decide to use them, I hope they do well for your trees. Who knows, you may be an exception to the rule.:-)

Have a great night and we shall catch up soon. It's back to Americas Got Talent!

Mike

AGT!!!! Meyer you need to get a life!!!! That makes Dancing with the Stars looks like Hamlet!! :)

I have removed most of the top dressing of coffee grounds. I may have dodged a bee bee or a bazooko there. I am getting some tiny growth along the branches that were battered by the Hail(the reduced branch length of the pruning should encourage that). Nothing to say at the post prune ends which makes sense it would take time.. Tonight we had a big ass thunderstorm with rain coming in all directions but no hail. I now have the tree under an over hang am watching the moisture level more carefully.

It hss been over two weeks since the hail I am getting some good new growth after pruning, I have started a weekly 101010 liquid fert. an did a 1 tab'e per gallon epson salt dose. Some of the branches were dinged (they are light brown ) but there is new growth after them so it should not be an issue.

my mandarin orange's leaf grow this big..

Holy 9 year old post Batman!

I think she's about 4 years old now and had quite the rough winter last year... came back impressively but I'm worried for the upcoming 5 months indoors. Never had blossoms or fruit, patiently waiting. Right now she has lots of new growth since coming indoors... big 6" leaves. Has probably grown another 6 inches taller and wider in the last month. Any tips on wintering her inside so I don't go through the devastation like last year?