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Have I killed it?

leeseemonkeyleeseemonkey Posts: 7
edited March 2023 in Plants
We bought our first house in the summer and some friends bought us a lovely little lime tree. I tried my best to follow all the instructions but one by one the limes fell off ( thought maybe because it was winter and our house is cold ) and now it looks like this...


I still water it in the hope that it will recover but that doesn't look like it's working, so I've come here for some help!

Is there anything I can do to save it? I know I've not given lots of info but am happy to provide if asked!

Thankyou. 
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Posts

  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,630
    What tree is it? That's a pretty small pot it's in. 
    (Crop the photo to get it the right way round - don't ask why, nobody knows, lol!). 
  • M33R4M33R4 Posts: 291
    Looks dead to me but looks can be deceiving. 

    Do the branches break off easily?

    Tip it all onto your hand in a sink and see if the roots look alive?
    I wish I could garden all year round!
  • leeseemonkeyleeseemonkey Posts: 7
    Thanks Slow-worm, I'll remember that for future posts!

    I can't see it's Latin name, but the Boom and Wild website says it's a Calamondin orange tree, and it's very low maintenance :) - still in its original pot.
  • leeseemonkeyleeseemonkey Posts: 7
    M33R4 said:
    Looks dead to me but looks can be deceiving. 

    Do the branches break off easily?

    Tip it all onto your hand in a sink and see if the roots look alive?
    The branches still have a bit of flexibility in them, so hopefully that's a good sign.
    I've checked the roots - not really sure how to tell if they're dead or not so I've taken a pic.

    it was quite wet at the bottom of the pot too, had some excess water.
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    edited March 2023
    @leeseemonkey I love Bloom and Wild for their flowers but I am not sure a Calamondin  would be descibed as' easy to grow' ,unless you live in Southern Spain.. I think I will stick with their flowers, personally I think that is poor advice. I understand that either Lidl or Aldi are selling them too, I think I would rather spend my money on plants that are easier to grow.

    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    Your plant may be better off in a terracotta pot with a drainage hole as they don’t like being overwatered.  There’s more guidance in this GW link https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/calamondin-orange-tree/
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • leeseemonkeyleeseemonkey Posts: 7
    Thanks @Plantminded, I was just reading through that article.
    I'll do my best to dry it out and get a terracotta pot tomorrow.
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    You can also try scratching the bark of the stems with your fingernail.  If the tissue beneath is green, there’s hope, if it’s brown and dry, I’m afraid it’s unlikely to recover.
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • leeseemonkeyleeseemonkey Posts: 7
    It's green at the base of the main stem, but I'm not seeing green anywhere else...
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I think @Nanny Beach  grows calamondin … hopefully she will see this when she’s on the forum and offer you some advice. 😊 



    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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