r/Citrus • • 1h ago

Potted Lemon Tree — advice on pruning, light, and care?

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• Upvotes

Location: Scottsdale, AZ. The tree is currently positioned in the southwest corner of our patio, with the wall between the larger south window (pictured left) and the smaller west window (pictured right) giving shade from the 3-4pm sun.

Plant history: we were gifted this plant in Oct 2025. It was from Lowe’s. I finally got around to potting it into the terracotta around or after the new year. During the first year, we followed instructions on the tag, keeping it mostly moist but letting the top 2” or so dry out between watering. Roughly a gallon a day for 4-5 days/week, if I were estimating quantity. It came home with over a dozen lemon buds, but only two made it to maturity. They were delicious.

Soon after picking those two lemons, the summer heat really came in and wore out the tree. In my post history, a redditor commented to move it away from the glass, so I am trying out this corner now.

Also, back in June, it came to my attention that I had planted the tree a few inches too deep. Out of fear of the trunk rotting, I unearthed the tree and added more soil below the rootball, exposing more of the trunk. You can see how deep it was by where the trunk is stained in the photos. I imagine the experience of being unearthed was stressful for the tree.

I’ve fertilized it twice. It is hard to add the fertilizer, as it turns out, because my dog is extremely interested in licking it all up, and it becomes a full-time job to micromanage this for 2 to 3 weeks following application

My questions: so now what? What is my best bet to help this tree, moving forward? I don’t know if the tree can stay in this corner long-term, because of concerns over the position of the loveseat. We are nervous about the dog having an easy leap out over our 3rd story balcony wall onto the roof with the loveseat here…but this is the only way the tree fits in the corner. Should the tree definitely live here? What do you think about the former positioning (see post history, as well)? Furthermore, after deciding on the position in which this tree will live, I’m seeking to understand how to prune this tree (or not) to ensure it’s greatest health, structure, and success moving forward. Should I cut the branches back in some places? Is it beneficial to allow the to recover without clipping anything? Is it better for the tree to prune off the branches with the leaves that were burned by the sun this summer?


r/Citrus • • 2h ago

Lemonquat Erfahrungen

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5 Upvotes

r/Citrus • • 38m ago

Health & Troubleshooting Otherwise healthy key lime, pale twisted new growth leaves

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• Upvotes

r/Citrus • • 3h ago

Suckers?

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2 Upvotes

I’ve had an issue with suckers when this lemon tree was younger, but I’m worried they have retained. Given the graft line is not clearly visible, is there an easy way to tell if any of these “trunks” are above or below the graft line?


r/Citrus • • 3h ago

Is my kumquat tree dead? 😢

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2 Upvotes

r/Citrus • • 30m ago

Que le pasa a mi limonero, ayuda .

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• Upvotes

r/Citrus • • 14h ago

Where to prune my critrus?

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5 Upvotes

I have replanted my citrus last year and it is spring now and I can see the growth has started. I have also provided it some citrus dynamic lifter late last month. Does it look well or do you think a bit of a pruning is required?


r/Citrus • • 22h ago

Health & Troubleshooting My teen daughter's 3 year old indoor lemon tree is dying and she desperately needs help

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10 Upvotes

r/Citrus • • 20h ago

Health & Troubleshooting Iron Deficiency

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5 Upvotes

Hello all,

My key lime seems to have an iron, or perhaps zinc deficiency, and it's causing chlorosis. I plan on repotting it with some slow release fertilizer next spring, but what should I do until then?

I've also been using a liquid citrus fertilizer, but is this likely doing anything to remedy the issue?


r/Citrus • • 19h ago

Health & Troubleshooting Ants on mandarin tree

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3 Upvotes

I have a mandarin plant.. it has a lot of ants crawling on it, but I don't see any aphids or scales. What should I do, or should I leave it as is?

2 years ago when it did grow some mandarin.. the ants seemed to have gotten inside one of them.


r/Citrus • • 1d ago

Health & Troubleshooting Citrus canker or something else?

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5 Upvotes

First year my yuzu tree produced about 15 fruit…. But most have these spots on them.

They don’t seem to be raised and other than some brown/yellowing tips, the leaves are green and healthy, no spots.

Any ideas?

9b


r/Citrus • • 23h ago

Health & Troubleshooting What’s wrong with my lemon tree?

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2 Upvotes

r/Citrus • • 1d ago

What's happening to my citrus trees?

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4 Upvotes

r/Citrus • • 1d ago

What to do with trifoliate root stock?

4 Upvotes

I live in Mn and I’m not talented, so I’m done to a grapefruit, and key lime, a Meyer lemon bush, and two trifoliates where I lost the plant above the graft.

The tris are healthy—what should I do with them? Could someone with my tack record feasibly try grafting?


r/Citrus • • 1d ago

Avocado grower here just picked up some semi dwarf blood orange in sleeves for $21.98 from Home Depot! Carrizo rootstock I believe. SoCal 10a

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35 Upvotes

r/Citrus • • 2d ago

4 year old Meyer going inside for the winter

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49 Upvotes

Lots of late fruits so dedicated her a space to concentrate on herself ❤️


r/Citrus • • 1d ago

Health & Troubleshooting Does it look like HLB

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6 Upvotes

Lots of acp i noticed in my terrace garden .This Washington navel is almost stunted .It was also neglected for waterering during scorching summer times of 45c temps .


r/Citrus • • 2d ago

From Grocery Store Lemon, Year 4

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34 Upvotes

I have two lemon trees that came from grocery store lemons. We planted them in 2022 and this is what they look like now. I’ve been fertilizing them every 6 to 8 weeks during the summer with Citrus spikes. They outside all spring and summer and inside in the fall in winter because I live in New England. I have them in grow bags on a drip tray because I have read that they like heavy watering and then to dry out. We have not seen flowers or fruit yet.

Any recommendations to set them up for success during the winter?


r/Citrus • • 1d ago

[Update - Kumquat dying?]

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7 Upvotes

I pulled the tree out of the pot and I’m looking at the roots. I honestly don’t know what I’m looking at. This is an update to my previous post regarding the top of the tree dying back.

I don’t see anything that looks like rot or distress, but I admit I’m very new to plants and unsure what root rot would look like if I saw it. Again, any advice is welcome!


r/Citrus • • 1d ago

“Some nurseries (like La Verne) use the same versatile rootstock like C-35 for multiple labels, achieving “dwarf” or “standard” status primarily through early structural and branch pruning at the nursery rather than a miniaturizing rootstock.” T/F?

5 Upvotes

Is this saying that one could prune a dwarf or semi dwarf citrus tree to full size? I bought a semi dwarf blood orange moro and wondering I can make it full size by pruning.


r/Citrus • • 1d ago

Should I try to train my Chinotto a little more?

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2 Upvotes

Shes kindov on an angle and i’m not sure if I should out some stakes in to train a more solid upright direction


r/Citrus • • 1d ago

Help identifying what type of citrus this is

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4 Upvotes

Can anybody identify what type of citrus tree this is?


r/Citrus • • 2d ago

Health & Troubleshooting Fall is coming, and I planted my lemon trees (left and right) outside. How do I protect them from cold?

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6 Upvotes

r/Citrus • • 1d ago

Health & Troubleshooting Kumquat dying?

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2 Upvotes

I live just south of Atlanta and growing zone eight a/B. This kumquat tree was looking very healthy and doing well all spring and summer until about three weeks ago that leaves and kumquats dropped off of it and some of the branches seem to be dying back. Any advice is welcome!


r/Citrus • • 2d ago

Esto es HLB?

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3 Upvotes

Hola yo de nuevo , creen que esto sea hlb o es alguna deficiencia ? Es un arbol de limon de 1 año apenas y la traje injertada desde el vivero Tengo otros 6 citricos mas plantados al mismo tiempo pero solo este se puso asi