Will this lemon tree grow back?

2 years ago

I cut my panderosa lemon tree bck to a stump because all if the top branches where dead wood, i did the scratch test to see if the tree was still alive and it is, so im wondering if i will get new growth its been 2 weeks since i did the hacking.

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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)

2 years ago

I agree with those who posit that the scratch test isn't reliable as indication the plant will or can remain viable. When the test is positive, it tells us only that hope the plant can be saved.

The tree's fate has already been sealed in that it either does or doesn't have enough energy in reserve to push new foliage to about 75% maturity, and while the verdict will be revealed in time, time isn't the crucial factor - stored energy reserves are.

Think of a plant's stored energy as being finite, like the stored energy in a flashlight's batteries. As the batteries get low, the energy contained might not be enough to heat the filament of a conventional bulb or an LED chip to the point where it produces light. It still has a store of energy, just not enough to produce light.

A new leaf requires an energy outlay from the plant up to the point in time when the leaf is almost mature. That outlay must either come from the plant's energy reserves or the plant's current ability to create energy via photosynthesis. Since there is no foliage on the plant to provide a current supply of photosynthate/food, viability hinges on the plant's current store of energy and the plant's ability to move that energy/food to its assorted energy sinks.

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Comments (6)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
2 years ago
A scratch test is no guarantee of viability. Woody plant tissue can retain moisture and the cambium appear green long after the tree is actually dead. It takes time for everything to dry up.
BillMN-z4a
2 years ago
Agree with the above.

If my recently bought tree had the top branches dead, I return it to the seller. Chances are it there weren't any side shoots coming out of the trunk, the entire tree is most likely dead.

Or maybe this was an 'End of Season' discounted item?

Sometimes you get what you pay for.
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
2 years ago
The 2 primary determining factors re whether of not a tree can survive complete or nearly complete defoliation are 1) genetics, and 2) how much reserve energy the plant has at the point in time when it's defoliated. Some trees/ woody plants are incapable or nearly incapable of back-budding along branches when all foliage is removed from a branch. Your lemon IS capable of doing that; however, whether or not it does depends on whether or not the plant has enough energy held in reserve (stored) to push new leaves to about 75% maturity. Most leaves remain net USERS of energy as opposed to net producers of energy until they reach the stage where the leaves are about 75% mature. This is why it's generally a poor strategy to prune or defoliate/ partially defoliate trees that show symptoms of serious decline. Typically plants like this are either making just enough food/energy (during photosynthesis) to replace the energy used during respiration, or are actually using more energy than they can create, and don't have enough reserve energy to push a new flush of leaves to maturity.

Al
41 North (Zone 7a/b, NE, coastal)
2 years ago
I would still give it a bit more time, I thought my Eureka lemon, overwintered in a cold garage was done, now after a few warm days, it is re-foliating itself. It had 100% leaf loss, this is not the first time I have had citrus come back.
floraluk2
2 years ago
OP says the top branches were dead wood, not merely defoliated. The question is whether or not the trunk and roots are also dead. As GG said the bark scrape technique is not a very reliable indicator. We can't feel the stem to assess pliability or texture. So without that information only time will tell.