I put my dwarf meyer lemon tree in the garage for the winter to put it into hibernation. It was doing fine all winter, but one day it got way below freezing and I'm afraid the root ball might have frozen. We brought it in, but the leaves have crinkled up and many have fallen off. I've tried watering it, but nothing seems to happen. Is it dead? If not, is there any way to revive it?
Have you tried picking a few of the furthermost branchs out and simply scraping the bark off with your thumbnail for observation? Regards
They bend but don't break and underneath the bark is still green. But all of the leaves have curled up and they fall off as soon as you touch them.
Time will tell, if the limbs are still green, and the roots are not rotten/withered, there may be hope.... hang on for another month or two.
saturday19, You may find some useful information in the thread Meyer Lemon tree losing green leaves | UBC Botanical Garden Forums that deals with a cold-damaged tree.
Thanks. I'll check the temperature and keep it out of the light for now. I'll keep watering it once a week as I did when it was in the garage.
Should I cut back some of the dead leaves or should I wait until there seems to be some new growth in a month or two when it warms up? Actually, are the leaves that don't fall off dead?
There's no harm in removing the leaves if they're crispy and obviously dead. Do nothing if you're uncertain; they'll eventually fall off on their own. I would leave them on the tree if they're somewhat supple to the touch.
