Probably went from happily sitting in a somewhat shaded area at Lowes to as you say "my patio, but gets full sun for a majority of the day.". Probably shock from not having a chance to get acclimated to full sun and the shock of being transplanted. Move it to a shadier location and it should come back. Then gradually move it to where it will be getting full sun.

Thank you. I will give that a try. The good news is it is on a screen patio that has a roof. So there are some shady spots that aren't full sun for a majority of the day.

In addition to shock from the new environment, I suspect much of this does relate to potting medium and watering practices. Aside from my Key Lime grown from seed, most all other citrus I have owned can be VERY picky about potting medium/watering. Striking the right balance in that regard is even harder when you upsize pots.

You should water deeply each time and should see the water draining fairly quickly from the bottom of the pot. If not, you made need to drill more holes in the bottom. Also, I have often seen folks recommend watering 1-2 times per week for potted citrus. I'm not entirely sure where that recommendation comes from as it is HIGHLY variable depending on temperature, relative humidity, amount of sunlight, etc. More sun/high temperatures = more evaporation and more water requirements. Lower humidity = more evaporation and more water requirements. For all of these reasons there will be some trial and error learning what level of watering your citrus tree likes. In the winter months when my trees go inside and growth slows, I may only water 1x per week. Now in the full sun and heat of the summer, I often water 4x per week.

Also, from your photo it looks like the root crown is probably well below your soil surface which citrus don't particularly like. I would clear away the soil from the main trunk until you get down to near the level of the first roots that shoot out laterally from the trunk.

Thank you!

@dandt1 I have a question about the root crown. When planted closer to the surface, the plant leans/falls over. That is why I orginally buried it deeper Do I just bring it back up and stake it? I had assumed the root was damaged and needed to be under soil.

I'm not a citrus expert by any means, but I wonder how much drainage that soil has with no perlite in it. Did you loosen the roots or cut slits in the four side of the rootball before you planted it? It does look like it's planted too deep. You should not plant it any deeper than it was in the original pot, and as was said above, citrus like to have a few roots exposed on top. IMHO, it mostly looks like it's dying of thirst. If you didn't cut the rootball or loosen the roots, it probably isn't able to take up water, plus, if it was dried up with exposed roots before, it may have serious root damage and never come back.

BTW, Lowe's does not put citrus trees in the shade. It was likely grown in full sun and needs full sun to survive. Your lanai screen blocks at least 50% of the sunlight that comes into it, but I don't think that's the problem. At this point, it may do better if you put it outside, but if you do, it definitely needs repotting with more perlite in the mix (I'd go 4 parts soil to 1 part perlite) and a better draining pot.

FYI, any time you buy a plant that has a severely dry root ball, take it home and soak it in a bucket of water before you transplant it. Overly dry soil actually repels water, so while you may think you're watering it, the roots are not getting any water at all. Try adding a squirt of dishwashing liquid to a gallon of water and watering with that. It acts as a surfactant, making the water "stick" to the dry soil.

No offense, but if I were you, I'd take it back to Lowe's before the 1-year guarantee is over and get my money back. I hope you saved your receipt.

Thank you. I did have the receipt, orginal pot and tags. I thought about taking it back, but I don't think they do refunds. They just replace the plant. And currently, they are not selling them anymore.

It definetly is getting water and the soil is most, but drainage would likely help being in such a large deep pot. Thanks for the tips.

I bought a eureka lemon from Lowe a month before this lime tree. It is doing spectacular.

If Lowe's doesn't have the plant you need replacing, or if you don't want a replacement, they'll give you a gift card, or at least they used to. Doesn't hurt to ask. Plus, ask them if they can special order the Persian Lime for you. They only bring things in at certain times of the year, but they can special order anytime. Like I said, I'm not a citrus expert, just know what works for me. Sorry I couldn't help more.

You were extremely helpful!

@hellokimmy21, yes I would stake it if it seems unstable when the soil is pulled back from the tree trunk/root crown. Citrus don't like the root crown very deep under the soil. Persian Lime trees can definitely be fragile starting out. Aside from kumquat which are notoriously slow growers (though prolific bloomers), the Persian Lime trees can take a little while to rebound. Hopefully with the stems still green it isn't too far gone.

I think you have a 1 year warranty on perennials with Lowes so you could make the effort to revive it. You really have nothing to lose by waiting and seeing if it comes back.

Regarding root crown, you generally want some of the root flare from the trunk above the soil line with topmost roots right at or just below the soil.

That's a much nicer looking tree than the first.

That IS a really pretty Persian lime. I hope it does better for you. Not to rain on your parade but just wondering if you read up on the Persian lime before you bought it. I picked out one, spent years getting it through some rough weather and finally got fruit. Boy was I disappointed! Some are OK with the flavor but it's very mild...really tepid, as if you watered down a limeade with twice as much water as the recipe called for. Please do enjoy your tree but be aware of the flavor.

I second what John 9a said. I had one and tossed it out.

I soooo wish I could grow Key limes here but I would have to grow it in a pot and bring it inside during the winter. Hats off to you container experts. I just don't think I have the patience to keep on top of a container citrus!

Interesting that you guys say that. Seems to be a frequently controversial topic in articles I’ve read. Many say the taste of Persian limes are too simple and can’t compare to the complexity of a Key lime. Others say Key limes are just bitter. Both are fairly prolific producers I think but per fruit there is certainly less juice and more seeds in a Key lime which I think is why some end up preferring the Persian lime.

I have both types but haven’t tasted the fruit of either yet to do a taste test, although both with likely produce mature fruit this season for the first time. The one thing I will say is that the Key lime seems much more vigorous, though that may be because it was grown from seed while my Persian lime was not.

I think I could live with the Persian lime if the bitter flavor didn't shine through. since it's so bland, there is little sour to cover the bitter from the section membranes. If you juice a Persian lime, you will get the best flavor by using a press juicer rather than a reamer juicer. The reamer bruises the section membranes more and the bitter will be more prevalent. There just isn't enough flavor in the Persian lime to compete with the bitters which are probably present to at least some degree in all citrus. I got lots of fruit from my tree to experiment with and ultimately cut it down. I would rather spend my time taking care of a tree (weed eating around it, mowing around it) that I really enjoy.

I can’t recommend sudachi enough for those that can grow it - isn’t a lime, but it’s got a very sour and aromatic quality of its own and is about as hardy as a yuzu, and it has shown at least some tendency to reflower during the growing season for me here in WA. Could be a fun one to try in ground in zone 9 if you like sour citrus.