2nd Year Lime Tree Issues

[WFLkyle01]

Hello, I have had a (potted) lime tree growing in my backyard. Last year in yielded a good amount if delicious limes (probably around 20) and this year I have been expecting double. Last week I noticed the top branches wilting and not looking the healthiest, although the bottom branches look great. My question is - is it time to plant my like tree in the ground or is there something I can do/add in the soil to help? Thanks!

[Silas_Sancona]

4 minutes ago, WFLkyle01 said:

Hello, I have had a (potted) lime tree growing in my backyard. Last year in yielded a good amount if delicious limes (probably around 20) and this year I have been expecting double. Last week I noticed the top branches wilting and not looking the healthiest, although the bottom branches look great. My question is - is it time to plant my like tree in the ground or is there something I can do/add in the soil to help? Thanks!

Imo, top looks totally dead. Hard to say if it can be saved.  If the Lime is grafted onto a root stock, you won't get the fruit you desire from what growth is left at the bottom ( likely shoots from whatever the root stock variety is ). 

If not grafted / growing on it's own roots,  i'd still lop off the dead part   and closely monitor the remaining portion.

[WFLkyle01]

Curious as to what you think happened? Tree was perfectly fine and healthy as early as last week. We have had a significant drought here but I just added new soil + fertilizer a couple of months ago and it was flourishing. I water it everyday as well.

[Silas_Sancona]

8 minutes ago, WFLkyle01 said:

Curious as to what you think happened? Tree was perfectly fine and healthy as early as last week. We have had a significant drought here but I just added new soil + fertilizer a couple of months ago and it was flourishing. I water it everyday as well.

Tough to say. Sometimes the grafted portion just peeters out for whatever reason.. 

  Someone i know had an Orange where someone allowed growth from the rootstock portion of it completely take over.

Removed all of the offending growth ( ..Rootstock was a nasty tasting < and super spiny > Sour Orange variety ) and what was left ..the desired Orange variety,  looked fine.

A couple weeks later when i checked on it again, ... desired portion i was trying to save was completely dead. 

Only other things that come to mind that could have killed that part of it would be the plant staying too wet in really heavy soil that retains too much moisture -for the Lime anyway-  ..If any soil you added covered the trunk, above the graft point, that could have killed it..

On grafted plants,  rootstock varieties tend to be tougher than the desired varieties  ..able to tolerate conditions that might harm the " good " variety.

As i mentioned above, ..sometimes there isn't a concrete reason for something like this occurring..  You might get lucky and what is alive is still the variety you want (  grown on it's own roots vs. being a grafted specimen )

Citrus Greening is common there ..but i don't recall it taking out a tree in one swipe  ..Usually,  Citrus Greening will slowly kill a tree  over the course of a few years after it has been infected.  You usually notice the tree slowly declining in health before it dies.

Regardless of the cause, stinks to loose it though.

[SeanK]

Tough break. I have a key lime in a pot. Trick for me is to pollinate flowers while our nights are still cold. Have to move it in and out(side) every couple of days.

I wonder if it is infected or if you put too much soil in the pot.