frost damage to lemon trees

[Danny]

I have 2 lemon trees in pots (both about 3 feet high) which were doing really well last year, loads of flowers and nice shiny leaves. I had them on our south-facing balcony all summer and moved them underneath the balcony for protection during the winter. I covered them when it got really cold (we are in 46) and kept them watered and fertilised. I have brought them back on to the balcony now but they have suffered: the leaves are all crinkled and dry and dropping off, and they've lost all the small fruit they had (these went black and fell off). So now I have a couple of sticks! The main stems seem green and healthy as much as I can tell and I have cut them back by about a third. Can anyone confirm this is probably frost damage and if so am I likely to see any more growth this spring or is the damage fatal? The smaller mandarin tree was with them and seems to have been unaffected, but I guess they can withstand lower temperatures.... we got down to -10.

Any advice welcome,

 

Jane

[PaysBasque]

Lemon trees don't like temperatures below 5C, plus that is, but I think that yours, whilst having suffered from frostbite, might well recover, especially if the stems are still healthy. I would just give them some more time and TLC and see what happens. However, make sure not to over-water or fertilize them, as that could be very counterproductive.

Good luck,

Christiane

[Mjc]

We were in southern Spain for eight weeks during the winter, where, we were told, it was the coldest winter for forty years. We noticed that all the citrus groves had most of the trees suffering as you have described.

When we arrived home, we found that all our, previously healthy, citrus had been ravaged by frost, despite being under glass and fleece wrapped. We have just noticed a few new buds on the shrivelled branches, so hope that they will recover.

[Mpprh]

Hmm

same problem here with citrus trees, but locals say they will recover ?

lemon on left

sheltered side of orange

Check top of orange tree

 

Peter

 

 

 

[Danny]

Many thanks! I will cross my fingers this year and take more care next winter.

Jane

[Mjc]

Our local garden nursery, which has some super citrus trees, tells us that we should cut off all the branvhes which have frost dried leaves, and the trees will recover.

If we do that, we won't have much left!