@Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.) thank you! I feel like I’m preparing to perform a surgery but have not yet decided the specific plan, only that it needs to happen. I’ve been struggling so much because the insane amount of conflicting information. For example, you say take the buds off to aid in recovery, others have said no!!!!

I have seen your comments on other threads here and do value and trust your opinion so thank you so much!

I am in the Chicago suburbs. Not the best area for a subtropical plant but I’m a stubborn woman lol even if I kill this one, as I have done before, I will continue to try until I get it right!

Update: I made the 5-1-1 mix.

Used 5 parts pine bark, 1.5 peat, 1 perlite. Added a tiny sprinkle of osmocote plus, maybe 1 TBSP, and about 2.5 TBSP garden lime.

note: I have not touched the lemon tree yet. I’m now considering a mycorrhizal fungi for the roots before I transplant. Thoughts?

and what do you think about this 5-1-1?

Grace mike is one of the best so you’re in good hands I can’t offer anymore than mike has already said I can just offer you a wishing of good luck but your 511 looks fantastic! :)

Jan, thank you for the kind words))

Grace,

Great job on that mix. It looks delicious..lol sderiously for plants that is.

All I would do is use that. No need for mycorrhizal fungi for good reasons that our friend 'gardengal' fully explained in another thread. Let me see if I can find that. Just a good fertilizer, lots of good ligh and a warm place if you plan on actively growing it is all that is needed now. It should do well for you. Think about re potting and bare rooting come the first part of June when it's been outside for a while and in full vigor.

Please let's see it when you are done and what your plans are for growing it.

Mike

Here's the link.

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5810273/beneficial-fungi-for-meyer-lemon#n=6

@Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.) thanks! I am really trying over here! haha

About to do this repot now! Will try my best to not disturb the roots too much and just give it a happier home with better soil and container.

any recommendations on a light?

Oh! And when can I use the dyno gro foliage plus? Next watering? I do want to keep it in an active growth state for the winter. And then I use it for every watering?

I agree with what Mike said except at I use the 511 mix immediately . Talpa says wait a day two.I have found that is not necessary.

I did half a teaspoon dyna gro in 12 cups of water, 4 shy of a gallon. A lot of it drained out. WOW! Seriously amazed at the difference of drainage with this soil and better drainage holes. Night and day!

BEFORE

Bad soil, no drainage.

I don’t think the tiny holes in this container were draining at all. It was also a “self watering“ one, had plastic at the bottom to somehow hold water

I don’t think the roots look too bad but they were definitely on the edge of the pot. Maybe needed air?

Maybe went too far with removing old soil BUT this is it!

Check out my asparagus fern in the background literally crawling up the curtain!

Where it will be for a while until I get lights. That window is south facing

And my ghetto rigging to get air and drainage right now haha

Fantastic job! I see you used the 5.1.1 and Vladimir is right, you don't need to soak it at all and I don't/ I for some reason thought it was the 1.1.1 mix with the un composted bark you were going to use. You are going to be just fine. Watch your watering and make sure the mix dries out almost completely before watering again at this time of the year and give it as much light, sunlight or flourescent light as you can. You can always hang a light, L.E.D one right over it to suppliment the lck of winter sun.

Watch for pests, especially mites, and don't over fertilize it.

Mike

When a mix dries out almost completely before watering again causes a lot of stress on the tree. Mike is correct in advising against over watering, but a citrus tree's roots system should always have access to adequate levels of moisture. A fast draining medium such as 5-1-1 greatly reduces the possibility of over watering. When you see water draining from the bottom of a container, oxygen is entering at the same time back into the root zone of the medium.

Grace, Jodi worded that perfectly! Very nice to have good help around here helping just at the right time)

@Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.) @Silica you guys are the best!

And sorry to be so incessant but can you be more specific on an LED?

There are so many options and I’ve already begun to go down the rabbit hole of light options, even beyond LED....

im looking for full spectrum, right? And what about wattage? And how about timing? 12 hours?

@Grace Romito I'm also from Chicago. I just purchased a *150W* (actual pull is like 50-60W) full spectrum light from Canagrow on Aamzon. The unit has good reviews for other applications where high grow light is needed. I'm going to use it to supplement my Southern/Western exposure windows to hopefully provide a little boost of "sunshine", as I'm getting some stretching for light type growth. It should arrive tomorrow, actually, so I unfortunately have no data to back it up yet.

Paul. Hello. Thank you ! Can you link that here? I’m interested too. I’m very confused about lights myself. I e been using just daylight bulbs and they seem to do ok. But then I’m hearing about full spectrum ones and considering but not sure if needed. They also sell T12 and T8 and I’m not sure which one is needed. I grow orchids and just need a simple LED set up. I have the fluorescent lights with regular bulbs I bought from Lowe’s. So confusing. Hopefully more will chime in or I’ll start a thread about this.
Your doing great on your work

See the link for the specific light - I ordered the 150W COB LED. ( https://www.amazon.com/Spectrum-CANAGROW-Hydroponics-Seedlings-Vegetables/dp/B07J6B3J4R/ref=sr_1_2?crid=391GNC3LKH7Z&keywords=canagrow&qid=1571924901&sprefix=canagrow%2Caps%2C261&sr=8-2 )

We can discuss further in your new thread about lights, albeit I'm no expert either. I'll also be making a new thread, related to my Meyer, as I have a few topics I need advice on!

@Grace Romito How's it going with the repot/bareroot? What did you use for bark? I'm looking to maybe repot, but only have reptile bark.

@PDC720 thanks! Keep us updated! I’ll look into that one. Whatcha growing?

@Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.) as usual, thanks for keeping this going and I’m glad maybe I can help you in someway now! Idk about orchids but I’ve read MH lights are best for Meyer lemons, but they require a lot more set up and knowledge to use. A CFL is apparently the second best but again, maybe not the best for a beginner like me. I’m thinking of going the full spec LED route out of convenience and lack of knowledge. I feel like at this point I should know to just do the research and do the best option first but, trial and error may also just be a necessary part of the game.

I have to ask my brother his thoughts on a light. He has a ton of experience with indoor grows, not lemons...but still may be able to offer us some advice/suggestions. Will keep you posted on that, hopefully later tonight.

T-12's put out 2/3 the light of a T-8. T-5 are better yet, but the cost difference is not worth it. full spectrum light are way more expensive yet and just a little better than a T-8. I have shown the proof over the years with pictures that Daylight bulbs do a great job for pennies on the dollars compared to those expensive gizmos. Don't waste your money. $1 for 90% growth vs $10 for 100% growth. It is a know Brain'er.

Steve

@PDC720 here are the links to the bark I used....

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00GP8QXGQ?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

and

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07TLY5TVJ?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

I have a 3gal pot, used 2 quarts of jacks and 2 one gal. bags of the orchid one. I had some mix left over too which was good cause I used it to amend some pots of other stuff I just brought in.

again, I’ll keep you posted on what my brother advises and what I end up getting for a light. @poncirusguy6b452xx you were involved in my post last year about my first disastrous Meyer lemon experience and I trust your opinion as well! could you include a link to the light you use?

gathering all information before I decide and purchase! I think this needs to happen sooner than later because it’s been pretty gloomy here in Chicago.

after the repot Tuesday night, so were about 44 hours in....the tree seems stable. I haven’t noticed any changes yet. Hasn’t gotten worse, hasn’t gotten better. The new buds seem to continue to grow so that may be a good sign. sorry @Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.) i believe it was you who did advise to take them off but I just can’t get myself to do it, I figure if the tree needs to, it will drop them on it’s own.

Okay, I think I’m settled on this one

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07JVK3TN4/ref=ox_sc_act_image_2?smid=A1QBDABQAR7N1L&psc=1

gone back and forth between a CFL or an LED, was told to get a t5 by my brother but this seems like the best and easiest option for me. I liked the canagro bulb a lot and kinda still thinking about it but I want a floor lamp and that seems like a whole separate ordeal because I don’t want to buy one that cant support the wattage of the light. Why doesn’t it or even that company offer one!? Also, saw that the fan feature to keep the bulb cooler works best hanging vertically and I’m not trying to do any sort of hanging lights.

@PDC720 how are you using or going to use that canagro bulb? Did you get a lamp for it? Or are you going to hang it?