Question
Hello - Last year a friend gave me a small lemon tree in a pot.  The pot is 6" in diam. and 6" tall. The tree is about 18" tall (above the soil).  It was beautiful when I first rec'd it (in Dec. of 06) and continued to blossom and send out new leaves for about 6 months.  Then it sort of went into a holding pattern.  It lost a few leaves, but for the most part has just gone to sleep.  I see no bugs, etc.; a few of the remaining leaves are brown just at the very tip.  I live in Wisconsin and friends of mine have good luck with lemon trees in pots - even harvesting fruit from them.  Any idea what might be happening?  Should I repot into a larger pot?  Thank you so much.

Answer
Hi Peg,

Sorry for the delay in answering, I overlooked the e-mail somehow.  I apologize.

First, I would suggest that you re-pot the lemon tree, and once the weather is warm enough outside move the tree into a well light area.  Do this with caution as plants can easily sunburn if placed in direct sun after having been indoors all winter.

Once you have repotted the plant, have it in a good location outdoors, begin a regimin of plant feeding with a high nitrogen fertilizer (there are some that are specifically formulated for citrus--these also help establish an acid pH.)  

Your plant is probably fine, and it just needs a bigger home, some minerals and nutrients, and some good light.

While indoors, you might want to spritz the plant from time to time with water to help keep the humidity higher.  In most heated homes in the winter, the relative humidity is as low as 20 to 30 %.  I keep mine at 60% by using humidifiers.  (This also reduces the amount of heat that you need in your home to feel warm.)

Good Luck.