Dwarf Rio Star, Marrs Orange and Meyers Lemon help Please

(Phyllis) Flint,, TX(Zone 7b)

Hi I have all three trees mentioned in the subject line that my folks bought for me the first part of Feb. I have been keeping them in the back room of the house since it has not been warm enough for outside yet and the greenhouse is not heated.
I repotted them into larger plastic pots for outside once it is warm enough
I noticed the other day the orange is blooming now but it is also dropping leaves is this normal?
the lemon has been blooming since I go tit and is doing the same with leaves.
I am not watering them alot as I was told they don't like to be wet all the time they need to dry out between waterings.

Help?? are they okay is this normal???

La Grange, TX(Zone 8b)

Citrus need moist but not wet soil. Allowing the rootball to dry out between waterings will stress the plants. Their roots are very fibrous and will rot or dry out easily. Since you have already potted them into larger pots be very careful when watering. It would have been better had you waited until you had them outside to repot since soil that doesn't have roots running through it doesn't drain well or quickly and remains wet for longer periods.

Many plants, including citrus will drop their leaves when there is a drastic climatic change for them, going from outdoors to indoors, for example. Most citrus bloom in early spring, sometimes late, late winter. Don't be alarmed if all the blooms fall off without producing any viable fruit. Bees are needed to pollinize the flowers. Indoors, you have to be the bee using a natural bristle paint brush to transfer pollen from flower to flower. Even if you pollinize the flowers, the tree may drop the fruit if it can not support them. Sunset and Ortho publish two very informative paperback books that may be of use to you.
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/homefruit/citrus/citrus.html


(Phyllis) Flint,, TX(Zone 7b)

ok thanks then I need to go play bee LOL ..haven't seen any outside yet

(Phyllis) Flint,, TX(Zone 7b)

I'm wondering if it would be safe to move them out to the greenhouse it is not heated but it is not cold in there it does stay warmer then the outside air as the hostas and fig and buckeye seedlings are all doing fine....I do open it up when the sun is out and it is nice outside like today is to be in teh 50's here.
or would the moisture not be god for them

La Grange, TX(Zone 8b)

They'd be better off in your greenhouse right now. My citrus overwinter in a heated greenhouse with the thermostat set at 45ºF. As long as you don't get freezing weather, they should be fine. Most citrus need protection against weather below 32ºF. Kumquats and Satsuma Mandarin oranges are slightly hardier, down to the low to mid-20s, but that's in the ground. In pots, I've lost a few when a frost has caught me by surprise.

(Phyllis) Flint,, TX(Zone 7b)

Glad you said that as I put them in it tonight before dark since it is not suppose to get below 40 again so far and only rain
tonight

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