Can I Save My Potted Lime Tree if It Froze?

Effects Of Freezing

• The damage to your container lime tree depends how long it was exposed to freezing temperatures. Low temperatures effect the moisture throughout the tree. The moisture in the fruit and leaves will freeze, but the damage won't be noticeable until they thaw. The longer the temperature is below 32 degrees F, the deeper it penetrates the lime tree and freezes moisture in the twigs, branches and trunk. The roots of your lime tree also can be effected if the cold reaches them for an extended time. If the roots are too damaged by a freeze, the lime tree may not recover.

Recovery

• Prune away the damaged areas, but don't do it immediately after the freeze occurs. Freeze damage on citrus trees can take time to become apparent, sometimes months. As the weather warms, examine the tree for damage. Leaves that are dry or wilted should be removed. Leave the twigs and branches alone to see if new foliage begins to grow. Keep the soil moist in the container, but not soggy while your lime tree is recovering. Don't fertilize the tree after it has been frozen, it is too much stimulant for the tree. Allow the tree to recover naturally.

Pruning

• Only after your lime tree begins to leaf out will you be able to see if any of the twigs and branches have died as a result of the freeze. Prune off the dead, leafess, wood. You may need to prune the entire tree and part of the trunk if the freeze was hard and long. As long as there is trunk remaining above the bud line, your tree might be able to leaf out and recover. Even if the lime is pruned down to the base, it may send up new shoots from the roots. These new shoots will be the same as the root stalk, so if your lime tree was grafted onto a different root stalk, the shoots will not be your original lime tree.

Tips

• If your lime tree did not survive the freeze enough to recover, you may want to buy a replacement. There are cultivars, like "Rangpur" and "Red" limes, that are hardy to temperatures of 15 degrees F. Planting your lime tree in a wooden container, rather than clay, concrete or plastic, will provide some insulation against the cold to the roots.