Nice little tree. It should be ok if you are careful to not water too much. Fertilize at 1/4 to 1/2 the rate you do in summer to help it green up a bit.

Cory

Sounds like you know exactly what to do. I would do what Cory says to help with the green. With a little TLC, it will be healthy and lush in no time! Congrats on the rescue!

Ok, does that mean I should withhold fert for the rest of the winter?

and should I not be concerned about the white spots and damage to the leaves? I just want to make sure if it's a pest I properly take care of it beforehand it gets worse.

I really apreciate your guys advice. It helps me feel not as overwhelmed.

Cory, Sammers may not know which label dosage you mean. The maintenance dose?

How long does that mix stay wet? Would you like it to dry out even faster to loose the perched water that kills many trees in mixes too dense?

If it were my tree, I would do a real good flush the next time it dries out..I would fertilize lightly as Cory says if you are maintaining root temps above 55 in lots of sunlight....I/4 strength of Foliage Pro once a week would be just fine....Try using vinegar asap if you do in the same fertilizer solution each time..

As for re potting, the worst time of the year is now and during very hot weather. The optimal time is right as summer starts like as in Father's Day...The worst time of the year is fall, winter and especially spring....

Mike)

Cory,

My garage is unheated but usually stays about 50-60 degrees in the winter, I don't have a heater out there now but am willing to get one. It has no windows.

I am going to be using the same CFL set up as Laura, not sure if I should be adding any LED's or other lights as well and am happy for advice or suggestions.

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For the lights I assume that I should start with a shorter duration then move up to a longer duration over a period of time? I have started transitioning them a few days ago by moving them to a shadier spot in the yard before I decided to get lighting and was just going to put them in a window. Now I want to make sure the lights wont "burn" them once they come into the garage with the lights. What kind of transitioning do you recommend?

My goal is to keep the trees growing and ripening the existing fruit then flowering in the spring. The Meyer has 8-10 gumball-walnut sized fruits and the lime has 2 walnut sized fruits. They will be on trays with rocks and water to help with humidity. I know that they will require less water and I already make sure to get them pretty dry between watering. I will scale back the FP to 1/4-1/2 the dose which I believe is 1/4-1/2 tsp per watering. I also will be repotting at least the lime in late winter/early spring into a 5-1-1 the meyer is already in a fast draining bark mix.

Since this is my first experience with overwintering citrus and using supplemental lighting I want to make sure I'm giving them the best chance at living.

I know that everyone's growing experience is different but I wish there was a simple guide out there that said some detailed basics like:

Pot in a fast draining mix like a 5-1-1, Gritty, or similar, future repottings should be done x as to not shock the plant too much.

Fertilize w/ FP at full strength spring/summer tapering to 1/4-1/2 dosage in winter if keeping them growing or none if dormant. Flush pots every x to prevent salt build up.

Water only once the mix has dried out a few inches down then soak till water runs through the pot.

Spray with HO, Neem, Insecticidal soap as signs of pest or disease especially in the fall before bringing indoors.

If bringing indoors taper access to sunlight buy transitioning from full sun to part shade to shade before moving indoors.

Give supplemental lighting in winter with these kind of lights for x hours per day. To promote x type of growth/maintenance.

Tree will usually flower in fall/winter and spring and fruit thereafter. Thin fruits at marble size to lessen stress on plant and grow remaining fruits larger.

I don't know if any or all of this is correct because I've pieced it together after I have scoured the web and this forum consistently since May and have such a hard time tracking down detailed recommendations. That's why I am very thankful to get experienced gardeners help and advice. I have seen (some recently) people that ask for help and are very rude about it. I hope that I come across sincere and I know its not fun to answer the same questions over and over again and I appreciate that you all take the time to do so.

Thanks Mike, I had read so many people suggesting re-potting in feb-march but it makes sense that early summer would be better. I just want to make sure not to stress it out too much before flowering. What kind of recovery time is usually seen? I know it depends on the health of the plant/care taken. Will it likely still flower at the same time/shortly thereafter? or will this be done with flowers already on the tree?

Well, Sammers it looks like you have done a pretty good job at making the simple guide yourself!

I don't have experience using the lamps and fixtures you will be using. I grow my trees in a greenhouse and have 4 ft T5s in the ceiling in 3 rows lengthwise. I use the lights as supplemental lighting at night but mostly for myself to see by. But they go on for about 2 hours before dawn and then go on from dusk until about 10 pm. I use many t5 4 bulb fixtures in my cellar where I overwinter my tropical plants though. I run them 14-16 hours a day. It is very bright in that room. You must live in a pretty warm climate if your garage stays that warm and is unheated. The lights will create heat too so maybe you only will need a heater as a backup on extremely cold nights. Maybe you could get away with just covering them with a sheet on cold nights. My garage is unattached and stays below freezing for most of the winter. Watch the color of the leaves to figure out how much light they need and also feel them. If they are too close to the light they will feel warm and could burn. Just move them away a bit. If the leaves start to look bleached out looking and dry you will have to move the lights back a bit. Try to keep the roots above 55° F if you want the trees to grow all winter. Measure the temperature in the pot as it can be colder inside than the air outside the pot.

Cory

Thanks Cory, the garage is attached and it gets spillover heat from the house we have a gym setup out there and it isn't too bad. Usually in my area we're at a low of 40's with the occasional drop into the 30's in the dead of winter. it's not too cold here just rainy lol. I'll start them just with the CFLs and hopefully someone will comment on what else to use if anything.

Yes Sammers start with the CFL and you can add more light if needed. Try to keep the light focused on the tree. White walls will help reflect light back to the plant too. Steve grows his trees in a light box which contains the light and heat from the light and the box has white walls which reflects the light back to the tree. good luck with your trees over the winter. I am always experimenting too.

Cory

Sammers, I light my trees from 6:30am to about 9:30pm. You can start with a lower duration, but work yourself up to that. I think that is what Silica says he does. I would also start with the lights about a foot away, then gradually inch them closer. So far my trees seem fine - a few have even sprouted. The jury is still out for their long-term well being, although I figure some light is better than no artificial light. Let us know how it goes...oh and you did do a great job of digging up information. Keep in mind that everyone has slightly different growing conditions and you have to find what works best for yours. Night!

Sammers, I'm in Portland also and now I want visit Home Depot to see if there are any trees that I can rescue! You sound like you are doing a terrific job with your trees.

Cory, I have White walls in the garage so I will set them up near one to help reflect the light.

Laura, I will start with them further away and move them closer. I'll keep you guys updated on their progress.

Joy, you should! I mean half price is a great way to give it a try, at least that's what I tell myself. I hope I can learn and get it down how to care for these trees so I can add some more next year.

Thanks again for all of your advice!