Meyer lemon stopped growing when moved outside

[drfruit]

Young Meyer lemon growing tips died and it stopped growing when it was moved outside in the last week of June. Why? The lowest temperature at night was 10 degrees. Should it be moved back inside?
Anyone else had such problems with citrus seedlings?

[scarey55]

No idea, sorry I can't help but I have a small lemon seedling that I grew from a pip so I am looking forward to reading the advice.

[drfruit]

No idea, sorry I can't help but I have a small lemon seedling that I grew from a pip so I am looking forward to reading the advice.

I hope it will grow vigorously for you.

I bought that seedling two months ago, even though I did not like that they cut the main stem and left only the two side branches (why did they do that?).

[veggiechicken]

Probably pruned it to make it bushier.
The growing tips may have been damaged by wind, especially if you've had it indoors until now.

[Kirk]

Mine did the same before I managed to kill it.
The more intense sun outside tends to dry out the sensitive tip bits, so they shrivel.

Then what I found what the I lost some leaves and they were replaced by bigger ones, bigger as in 3 times bigger and darker, then the thing started growing branches not leaves, again with the bigger leaves. Looked a bit odd, small leaves lower down bigger ones higher up.

Suspect it is the intensity of light, the tree alters what it does, more light so it needs less leaves - the ones it has will be sufficent to photosynthesis food. So off it goes in a slightly different direction.

Water and feed it, they dry out fast outside.

Watch it for vine weevils.

[drfruit]

Probably pruned it to make it bushier.
The growing tips may have been damaged by wind, especially if you've had it indoors until now.

No, they changed colour to brown before they dissapeared.

[drfruit]

Mine did the same before I managed to kill it.
The more intense sun outside tends to dry out the sensitive tip bits, so they shrivel.

This is supposed to be mediterranean tree, and there is much more sun during summer in the Meditteranean region than here, so it is surprising that sun can damage it.

Thanks for your message and the vine weevils warning.

[drfruit]

So when will it start to grow again? If it has enough nutrients from photosynthesis then in my view it should grow vigorously to use those nutrients for making itself bigger, and not stop growing.

[drfruit]

Mine did the same before I managed to kill it.

How did you manage to kill it?

[drfruit]

Would it survive winter if left outdoors in hardiness zone 9?

[rustylady]

Whereabouts are you drfruit?

[drfruit]

South West

[veggiechicken]

This map http://www.trebrown.com/hrdzone.html puts me in Zone 9 and I wouldn't risk leaving a lemon tree outside over winter.
Mine used to go out in summer, via the GH, and come back in for autumn. It lasted a couple of years and succumbed to sooty mould. I had one lemon from it.

[drfruit]

I have just found a few tips on-line about avoiding cold damage to home citrus:
http://cemerced.ucanr.edu/files/134971.pdf
How to Take Care of a Lemon Tree in the Winter | Home Guides | SF Gate
How to Protect Citrus Trees From Frost : HGTV Gardens
The Farmer Fred® Rant: Citrus Protection in a Frost or Freeze

[starloc]

Citrus will not live outside in the winter without serious protection in the UK, but in the summer it should be fine, ( above 10C ) the temperatures are not that bad in the winter, but the amount of rain, any amount of frost and the fact that the seasons are such that it will try to grow in cold periods and then die of frost damage on new shoots

Dont believe tv sellers of citrus making out that you can leave them outside in the UK winter, you can not....they need a greenhouse and even then its touch and go.....in the greenhouse and add some fairy lights ( bulb type ) and then they will live

The shoot tips on your plant probably died due to change in humidity and/or sun, they like it outdoors but need to get used to it, citrus will grow in full sun but do not need it they are a natural under story plant growing under other plants


They grow in cycles, about 6 weeks of roots then 6weeks or so of shoots and then flowers ( if old enough, seed grown can take years to fruit and need to be large they fruit when a grown to a certain size so pruning before they have flowered stops them flowering )