No leaves and no roots so i don't hold out much hope. I would put it into a well draining mix like 5:1:1 and hope for the best.

i agree.. i dont think there is much to save ..

but if i were to try.. i would moisten some media mixed with bark chunks.. repot it. water it in.. and shove it in full bright shade [when its appropriate to put it outside] ... and see if it has any life in it in the next 6 months ... im not even sure i would water it again ... trees prefer a sip of water.. full complete drainage.. and to go near dry before the next sip ... [this is where the no name media failed... it held too much water for a tree in a pot ... and you watered it too much]

and for sure.. they arent houseplants ... nor are they aquatics.. so i wouldnt leave it standing in water..

and i never heard of drilling holes in roots .. thats just too much love ...

the fact that your plant was so tall .. indicates to me.. it was probably lacking the full sun most trees need ...

frankly .... at this point.. it would be irritating me so much.. id just be done with it ... life too short to fret over an experiment ...

try again if you wish .. but do a little better perfecting the plant culture.. the basic variables needed to succeed ... light.. water..drainage ... etc ... and see if you can do better ..

one definition of a real green thumb .. is that they have killed every plant 3 times... before they learned how to deal with it ... and after strike 3.. who needs that piece of garbage in their life anyway ... lol ... find something else ...

ken

I agree with the above, learn and move on, if the hobby interests you get a grafted tree and everything you need for it to succeed (proper pot, proper soil, fertilizer, emergency horticultural oil, indoor light and timer A seedling tree wouldn't bear for years anyway, so you'd be not getting a lot of enjoyment of getting the fruits. I have three seedling clementines (rare to find a seed) nd they are all vigorous and somewhat attractive so I keep them, and one yuzu from a fruit on a tree I grew. I started a few lemons and they were slow growing not worth taking up the space so I ditched them. Good luck

I would agree that it's probably not worth the time and effort to save, if you want fruit, a grafted tree, some well draining soil (if you want to go bagged there are some good ones, depending on where you are, but you need to look at what's in it), a good pot, and some lights will get you a lot closer to fruit.

If I did want to try to save this, I'd probably treat it like a cutting I was trying to root. Trim off everything dead with a pair of clean scissors wiped down with alcohol to sterilize. Then make some holes in the bottom of a clear plastic cup, fill it with some sterile seedling/cutting soil, moisten it, plant what's left of your tree, then flip a second plastic cup over the top and tape all the way around the rim to seal it. Cut a few vent slits in the top cup, set over a plate to catch any drips and then leave it and wait and see. If it's going to survive, you'll eventually see new growth. If it dies, at least you gave it a chance.