dorm room issues

14 years ago

hi, so i've had my lemon tree for about 4 months now and she has been doing quite well. i've had 2 lemons growing pretty well on it and i've had new sections of leaves growing which has been awesome. i did hit a road bump a few weeks ago when there were some sort of bugs on it, but after talking to the nursery where i got it, they suggested i spray it with a pesticide. after doing that it seems as though the bugs are gone so thats good, however, most of the leaves are now gone except for the new sections of growth. so my first question is whether the leaves that fell off will ever grow back. now heres the next problem. i was in a west facing window in my dorm this summer and a south facing window last semester and things worked well. i did supplement it with light from a 150w cfl bulb and things worked really well. but now i'm stuck in a north facing window room that gets no direct sunlight. so my 2nd question is whether or not i'm doomed now and should try to get a friend to raise it for the year. or should i just throw in the towel and go with a plant that doesnt require as much sunlight?

other important information: i'm in south dakota and it is starting to cool down a little bit after a long drought filled summer. i've been using fertilizer and can upload a picture if needed. my room does not have air conditioning so it can get pretty toasty but i do leave the window open with a fan in it.

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Comments (10)

houstontexas123
14 years ago
i grew orchids in a north facing dorm room for about 2 years. you'll probably want to get another cfl. how do the new leaves look? a pic would help us evaluate the condition of your tree.

also what type of potting mix are you using? make sure it is well draining, especially for indoors, cold climate areas.

how much and how often and what type of fertilizer do you use?
saz57
Original Author
14 years ago
Sorry it took so long to get back, classes just started and life has been pretty crazy. This is the tree as it stands now. I do have some new leave groups coming up now which is really great. more pictures in the following posts since I can't figure out how to get them all in 1.
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saz57
Original Author
14 years ago
as you can see, the leaves are pretty green. I dont remember the exact name of the soil, but it is the soil that was recommended to me by the people at the nursery. I put some rocks at the bottom to add drainage.
For fertilizer I use osmocote for flowers and vegetables once every other week and i pretty much gage it by sprinkling it in there. Its the relative amount to just scattering it along the bottom. there is a small measuring cup thing in the fertilizer that i used right away but i've pretty much been guessing as to the amount based on what it looked like that first time.
saz57
Original Author
14 years ago
This is what it looked like before the bugs attacked it. As you can see, i've lost a lot of the bulk in the middle, luckily I had those new sections that were untouched by those nasty buggers. Should i prune away the branches that have pretty much lost all their leaves?
saz57
Original Author
14 years ago
heres the other section of leaves just to show them because the other picture might not have the right lighting or whatever.
hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
14 years ago
I would not prune out any branches, as live branches will sprout new flush, saz57. Unless the branch is dead, I would leave it alone and allow it to re-flush.

Patty S.
houstontexas123
14 years ago
i agree with Patty, dont prune, they can sprout new leaves.

since your tree lost a lot of leaves due to the pests, i would suggest picking the fruits so your tree can focus its energy into leaf growth.
meyermike_1micha
14 years ago
I agree with Houstontexas and Patty.

That is what I would do.:-)

Good luck

Mike
saz57
Original Author
14 years ago
awesome! thanks for the advice. when i pick these lemons, how long do you think it will be before i get some more?
houstontexas123
14 years ago
it'll most likely bloom again in early spring.