My Lemon Tree

In early 2014 two very good friends gave me a potted lemon tree as a gift to memorialize my mom who had passed away in October of 2013.  They had asked what I would like and I said a lemon tree would be perfect because my mom loved lemon, especially lemon desserts, and the tree would be a nice reminder for me.  For the first year I kept the tree in a pot but in 2015 we decided to plant it in the ground.  I though in the long term it would do better if it had a permanent home.  Last winter I did get several lemons off the tree and I was happy about that.  However, for the past 6 months or so the tree has not done much in terms of growth or blossoms.  I did some research last month and decided to change how we watered the tree.  We were watering often which I thought it needed but I have now changed to a weekly deep watering approach with a dry out at least for the first couple of inches of soil between watering.  This approach seems to have made a difference and I am now seeing leaf growth but also I have 4 blossoms!  Originally I saw just one blossom which put a smile on my face but today I counted 4 blossoms and I'm ecstatic.  I would like to think it is because of the change in how we are caring for the tree but perhaps it is all coincidental and this would have happened anyway.  

September 10, 2016 - Buds on my Lemon Tree

I also have been taking cuttings off of various plants and had taken a cutting off of my basil plant about two weeks ago.  It showed root growth within a few days and then the root growth went wild.  I did not take a picture of it before I planted it but my gosh it looked like a mustache!  I dipped the cutting in root tone and planted it today.  I also took another cutting off my big basil plant and will plant that as soon as it is ready.

September 10, 2016 - Basil cutting finally planted