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confused_newbie

Moving a very mature Meyer lemon

confused_newbie
11 years ago

Hi all,

We have a very mature, age unknown (how do you ID age of lemon tree? that's a separate question) Meyer lemon tree in the garden that needs to be moved 3 feet left to make room for a patio door. The tree has been around and mature since we moved in 7 years ago, and it's about 7 feet tall and extremely productive - hundreds of lemons almost year around. It is west facing.

Can we move it without killing it? What is the expected lifespan of a lemon tree? We are considering the cost of moving it (not sure if this is something we can do ourselves without killing it) vs planting a new one. Here's a picture:
{{gwi:572305}}

Comments (15)

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    11 years ago

    If I had something that nice and productive I would scrap my new door plans until my replacement lemon was producing well. PLANTS BEFORE PLEASURE.

  • houstontexas123
    11 years ago

    pick the lemons, and move it before it blooms. dig as wide as the branches, that'll keep most of its roots intact. they have lots of surface/subsurface roots that extend out towards and even past where the branches are.

  • confused_newbie
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    that would be digging up a gigantic root - not sure if we can do that ourselves.
    i was reading somewhere else that a lemon tree is usually only productive for 15 yrs or so - and i am guessing this tree is > 15 yrs old, so it might not even be worth the effort to try and move it?
    thanks!

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    11 years ago

    Citrus is very finicky and I would seek out a professional that may do it for you or instruct you on how. I have attempted to move apple, cherry and peach fruit trees of this size with dismal results. If you can wait 4 years another tree could be producing

  • skinn30a
    11 years ago

    I don't think that there's a good way to move that tree... The roots expand out past the dripline.

    Get a new one or if you're sentimental about the tree and want to try something neat, attempt to airlayer a new one from it. watch the process here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijsExpq6iL8

    Best,

    Skinn30a

  • confused_newbie
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I am starting to wonder if I should move my patio doors instead! Maybe just a couple of feet. Maybe I can try and prune the tree to a smaller canopy and still have my patio doors?! I really don't think there is a good way to move and not kill the tree!

  • johnmerr
    11 years ago

    Okay, it is a Meyer...moving a Meyer that size and age is difficult at best... Ground to ground the same day gives you the best chance... ground to ground a few feet away, a better chance. Houston gives you good advice. I would try to move it as carefully as possible; and if you fail, you fail; but I prefer to try the best case versus the worst case, which is starting over with a "baby" tree.

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    11 years ago

    You got your answer your self. Trim the tree back enough to make the patio door work, plant another to the left. As the new tree grows, trim the old one to yield to the new one. over years you will ether eliminate the old tree with no loss of fruit production or you can end up with the old tree trimmed up to the trunk on the house side giving you a clear path to the right to your drive.

    Don't compromise your door.
    YOU WILL REGRET YOUR DECISION.

  • confused_newbie
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    rhizo_1, the circumference at chest height is 4" and the thickest part of the trunk is 20". There hasn't been any construction in the area, and when we cut the patio door it'll be minimal construction too. The tree has no special sentimental value - we didn't even plant it ourselves, it was from the previous owner. Thus age unknown. We just love how low / no maintenance it's been, and how beautiful and productive it is.
    I don't think we'll attempt to DIY if we were to transplant - I am pretty sure we'll kill it!

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    11 years ago

    You mean that it's been in front of your bay window for this whole time? That thing would be outta there, if it were mine....lol!

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    11 years ago

    I would be ecstatic to have a citrus/fortunella tree like that in front of my bay window. This is your house. We just give suggestions. As a contractor I can assure you that if you change the door design because of the tree, you may really resent your decision down the years. How ever if you postpone the door to get another tree started, you will ether get tired of waiting or you may find you don't need that door after all, But you are not out any money. The longer you wait, the more ideas you will come up with. Don't rush, there is always tomorrow. We are all different people with different ideas .. Weigh out the ideas, sleep on them, finalize your plans, then do.

    Thanks for letting me post a picture of my seed grown Meiwa kumquat tree

  • confused_newbie
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    thanks for all the feedback - i really appreciate it. yup the tree has been outside of the bay window since we moved in, and we liked it that way. :)

  • GKGK
    11 years ago

    I had mixed success moving a 25+ year old Semi-D Washington Navel 2 years ago. It was 16 ft. tall and rootstock 6"+ across. It was getting strangled by Redwoods ( I later got rid of all the Redwoods ~ another story) and I had a better spot in mind for it.

    I was successful. Until i decided to move it 2 more times within the first year; and feed it all along the way. Its alive but in a coma right now. If the all the digging shock didn't get it, it was the over-feeding. I think you can succeed, but move it once and let it fully recover before attempting to move it again :-)

    Its a big dig and you will need to cut some feeder roots. You do not need to go too deep, but try to retain as much of the upper root system as you can. Once you cut the roots, leaves will drop because they will not have as much of a roots system to nourish them. That is normal. You can cut / trim the tree at this time, the smaller root system will not be able to support the whole canopy anyway.
    I suggest that you do not put fertilizer in the soil and NO fertilizer until you get 3-4" of new growth. Heavy blossoming is a good sign, but not a sign that it needs food - - yet. Wait for the branch growth.

    I have found Citrus to be really tough.

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    10 years ago

    confused_newbie

    I am curious if you made a decision on tree movement. If you moved it did it go well.

    Steve