I'm a snowbird, spending summers in northeastern PA and winters in southern CA. I've had this meyer lemon tree in PA for about 5 years. It's done well on my deck during the summers and I've had various friends overwinter it for me in their homes. It always looks worse for wear when I return in May. This past spring, it was half dead. I pruned it back(including roots), refreshed it's potting mix and gave it a healthy dose of fertilizer. It's done quite well this summer, sporting new leaves and a good amount of tiny fruit.

I'd like to bring it to CA with me in a few weeks. I have someone there who could keep it outdoors for the summer and I know it would be in good hands. She takes care of my potted Valencia orange tree and it's done very well.

There are a few challenges. We do drive cross-country. The tree will be in the car for approximately 8-9 days. We don't have room in the car for the tree in the pot. There may be days when the tree will be in a hot car parked in the sun. There may be nights when the tree will be in the car with near freezing temps.

My idea is to remove the tree from the pot and wrap the roots with some soil(maybe peat would be better?) in plastic with wet paper towels to provide moisture. Should I wrap the whole thing in burlap or some such material?

Any suggestions?