Its hard to tell from your photo where the graft line is. Those branches coming out do look a little low and may be from the rootstock. Constantly transplanting it will most likely shock it each time, best to give it a couple of years at least in one spot.

Thanks Jason. I can't see a graft line which makes me think the graft branch dried out with the mealy bug infestation and I've cut below it. Maybe this pic might help.

I would get another tree. If room is available then keep this tree and plant the new tree elsewhere.

Ya I don't see a the graft union. I think it's mango time!

Looks like my tree shopping list is going to be one new lemon and one mango. It was my first tree and I bought before thought. Now I know to pre plan. Thanks for the responses everyone.

The common citrus root stock (trifoliate something) has pretty distinct leaves and a lot of thorns. I'm not knowledgeable enough to identify it by sight, but I do not believe those leaves are it.

Yeah the leaves look like the original ones to me but it's growing so low. Do all Lemon trees come from rootstock? I'm not sure of the variety of this one.

Yeah I think I will replace it. Thanks so much. In a zone 10b that has dry hot summers, is it better to plant spring or autumn?

very early spring and have shade party tent ready

just an example

6b Steve

Yes, very early spring, but if you are 10b the autumn will not hurt and will give the tree some more time to get established before the hot summers. How hot do you get during the peak heat? I'm in San Diego, so ~10b and our summer heat tops 100F (37C) for only about a week. I plan on putting a Pixie Mandarin I've had potted for several months, but have delayed putting it into the ground due to all the rain we've received and because i've been busy.

Last year was brutally hot. We had high 30's- 40's (centigrade) for days on end. I don't know what to expect this year but in the past the peak would probably be a few days in the 40's. I would like to find a spot that's partially shaded by other trees. There's one spot I have in mind that will get a couple of hours morning sun now in March and then a few more hours afternoon sun. As we head towards the summer solstice it will probably get more hours of sun so I'll have that shade tent on hand if we have another scorcher this year. It's good to know I can plant spring or autumn too thanks.

Hey Deb. Something occurs to me, are you sure that it was actually grafted in the first place? How did you come by this tree? I wouldn't want to tell you to pull it if it wasn't. After re-reading your initial post I just wanted to make 100% sure that you knew that it had been grafted. Not to discourage you in any way from Mango time ;) If it was me and I could replace something with a mango tree that would actually bear fruit, my friend let me tell you, there would be mangoes everywhere!

That's the thing...I'm not sure if it was grafted in the first place. I bought this tree at a market and had no clue to what I was doing. Now I have a little clue but keep learning. I think I need to ask around here if the lemon trees are grafted. Thanks.

If you could find the person who sold it to you then they would know for sure but other that that...... though to be honest, even rootstock can produce nice fruit sometimes.

http://citruspages.free.fr/trifoliates.html#volkameriana

I'm not as familiar with the rootstocks in your neck of the woods as I would like to be. Perhaps you might ask around to find out what the different varieties of rootstock used locally are. From there you could determine if you wanted to 'roll the dice' and wait to see what you have :)

I do know who sold it to me actually. I'll be able to see them at a market in two or three weeks so I'll ask them and buy another one while I'm at it to plant somewhere else. I don't mind to give this one a chance. I've got my eye on another location for a mango tree at the moment so little lemon can have it's chance to be or not to be. Thanks for the link.

Remember! The early bird that is too early is usually the one that ends up getting wormed. Take your time. After all if you wait until fall you won't need a shade tent for your new tree.

6b Steve

Great point Steve thanks!