This is a 2.5 year-old Meyer lemon that I got 2 months ago. When it arrived, I planted it the redwood shavings that came with it, along with Master Nursery Acid Plant Mix (potting soil).

I received 3 other plants in the same shipment: a second Meyer lemon, and two Kaffir limes.

I was careful not to over water these plants. Despite all else being pretty much equal, this particular plant seemed to be less vigorous and has dropped more leaves than the rest.

I have been experimenting with a soil blend of CHC, coir, diatomaceous earth, and topsoil (in equal amounts). And tonight I repotted this particular plant in that mix. I hope it will be better than the redwood shaving/potting soil.

Here are some photos of the plant's roots. Two months is a short time to judge, but I would appreciate an input on their condition, and if my going to a more aerated soil may benefit them.

Thank you.

The plant look much more vigorous in this picture than in reality, by the way. It's got some new growth, but the older leaves will fall off if you sneeze at it.

I assume I want to see an increase in the white to brown root ratio?

Finally, I rinsed the rootball in tepid water and had no trouble washing off the old potting mix without causing obvious harm to the roots. I then carefully layered my mix of CHC, coir, DE, and top soil over the exposed roots, and gave the whole thing a good soaking, then let it drain.

I feel pretty good about it, but would appreciate your input. We'll see how the lemon tree responds.

Best regards to all.

It looks like to me that the tree has both good and bad roots--probably the result of some overwatering/degraded potting media. The good roots are the firm white roots--the bad ones are the darker brown ones--especially if they are soft and spongy--if so I would cut them off.

Repot in a fast draining coarse media with lots of air space and do not water unless the top 2-3 inches are dry (you can also use the weight of the container to judge the need for water, but that takes some experience using the two methods together).

Actual soil (dirt) is used very little or not at all in containers. When soil is used in a container growth medium that also contains ingredients such as CHC, coarse sand, pine bark, or other ingredients to promote drainage, the soil filters to the bottom of the container with each irrigation, gradually reducing causing the reduction of drainage. Generally, I don't think the roots system looks all that bad. Like Skeet said, if you actually see some roots that are dark chocolate brown and mushy, remove them. - Millet