Too much water with soil that is much too dense. I would re-pot every tree in better potting mix. Look up the 511 mix formula on this forum. I am sure the roots for this tree are rotting away. Carefully pull the pot off and check the bottom, and I bet it will be soggy and smelly, with rotten roots. Limes have thorns, they are pretty thorny, in fact. All citrus have thorns to some degree at some time in their lifespan.

Patty S.

Miracle grow potting soil actually is not much more than a bag of peat moss. If regular potting soils are used they have be admended with wood chips, CHC, cedar chips, pine bark or other coarse material to help increas the draining and root zone aeration. I know growers that have used Maricle Grow's Garden Soil with success, still I would recomend adding coarse material to that. . If you pull your trees out I'm sure you will find that your tree's root system are in real trouble. With all the water that Miracle Grow Potting Mix holds, the trees's roots must be starved for oxygen. -S-