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Lime tree lost all leaves and branches dying

mel.blanchettemel.blanchette Posts: 2
in Fruit & veg
Hello,
I have a potted lime tree in my home that was doing amazingly the past couple years. I have fruit every end of summer. But this year it has started to lose all it’s leaves and the branches are dying off. 
What is wrong and how can I save it? 

Posts

  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
    It looks like a lack of water and an over dry atmosphere. Some of the stems look green so it hasn't died completely. 
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Limes are notorious for being picky. Too much water,  not enough,  too little light, sudden change of temperature,  too hot, or cold. 🤷‍♀️
    Something happened a few weeks ago that changed their environment ,  could be as simple as light levels as that area doesn't look to have enough.
    Have you fed it, if not feed it now. It can go from leafless to full growth in a matter of months. Get it into some good winter light, away from radiators, somewhere with even temperature but not hot. Hope this helps @mel.blanchette
  • mel.blanchettemel.blanchette Posts: 2
    @purplerallim & @Joyce Goldenlily Thank you both for your feedback. Much appreciated. This used to be such a beautiful tree. It’s always been in this location and thrived. It’s the place with most light in my apartment. Anywhere else, it would not get any direct sunlight. I did recently feed it. And I watered it about every week. Should I trim all dead branches off? Would this encourage possible new growth? 
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    I would start with removing the fruit, you don't want a stressed plant to keep trying to hold on to fruit. My thai lime took a terrible turn last year and indeed bounced back after a severe chop. But don't worry too much about pruning right now. Just give it as much light as possible and keep it a bit on the dry side. Healthy roots is the only possibility for recovery and my lime had a big pot full of them. 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    I agree with George hold off on the pruning until you get a good amount of new growth, that will show you where the dead wood is and stop you cutting viable limbs.
  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
    It is difficult to tell from your pic what size the pot is in relation to the tree but it is possible starvation is a contributary fact as I can see one quite thick stem has already been cut off. The plant is obviously a good size so being pot-bound could be a reason why it is ailing. Citrus trees need spraying regularly every day during hot weather when indoors and they want to grow into substantial trees. Your tree has worked very hard to produce a lot of foliage, flowers, and fruit. You may not have given it adequate food and water to keep it going. 
    In Spring knock your lime out of its pot and check the root ball. If it is packed hard with healthy white roots it needs potting on into a slightly larger pit. If the roots are shrivelled and dry or dead gently remove the compost from around them and remove all dead matter. Repot in fresh compost.
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