kaffir lime changing leaves (forum)

Anne starts with ...
I moved a Kaffir lime that was not doing well in it's previous location., since then it is healthy but it's leaves have changed to a leaf similar to a lime. It has only three leaves at the base with kaffir and the rest as it grows lime. No fruit either! Can some one tell me why it changed and should I pull it out and start with a new one. I've never seen this happen before!

Time: 12th December 2008 9:08am

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John says...
Are you saying colour change or shape change.

If its shape then the rrotstock has taken over.

Time: 12th December 2008 10:10am

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irene says...
Exactly what do you mean when the rootstock has taken over, as I think that is what happened to the kaffir lime tree I had before, or so Don Burke the garden expert told me. When I first purchased the tree five years ago, it grew vigorously and produced lovely leaves. The last year it started to bear a few fruit, but after that it started going downhill, till the leaves just curled, decreased in number, turned brown and dropped off. The entire tree has turned mottly brown in fact.
I am about to purchase another kaffir lime tree along with a lemon and lime tree - from Daley's Nursery - is there a way of knowing from sight if the trees are the original ones and not rootstock thingies as I don't want to undergo the same ordeal again.

Time: 11th April 2009 9:01pm

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au0rey says...
Where are you? I recently bought one but is on a rootstock (which means it wont grow super size I think) but the leaves are certainly kaffir (with a waist between the leaves and very aromatic smell). I got it from Din San Nursery here in Melbourne.
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Time: 16th April 2009 8:14am

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irene says...
I live in Melbourne too. My kaffir came from Diaco's Nursery in Heatherton I think. Here's a picture of what's left of it :-(
I did everything I thought was right, like fertilizing it with citrus food and regular but not too frequent watering. My husband reckons the downfall was due to repotting it into its present pot at the wrong time of the year - this was done last Aug. Is there such a thing as the wrong time/season to repot a plant? We had a magnificent rosemary bush around the same time that hubby repotted as well and it died.
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Time: 18th April 2009 3:10pm

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au0rey says...
Did u water it during the heatwave? cos citrus reacts badly to heat. My lemon tree shedded its leaves suddenly after turning yellow right after the heatwave. I water my kaffir regularly. Bigger and plastic (not black) pots means the moisture is retained better. I think there is no right or wrong time to repot or pot on. The surface of your potting mix looks rather dry.

Is the kaffir completely dead? You may want to add some composted cow manure/worm casting (if you have) onto the surface as mulching. I try not to use chemical fertiliser as much as possible after reading much about them.

Rosemary is hardy plants so yours could have suffered transplanting shock. Feed seasol right after potting on.

You may like to try din san too cos the calamondin and kaffir i bought are excellent. $25 for each pot. Mine potted on problem-free. (Not sure am I allowed to recommend other nurseries here :P)

Time: 19th April 2009 10:23pm

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irene says...
I think there's no hope for the kaffir, despite diligent watering during the dry season. I've already cut off the branches. Anyhow, I've already received a new tree and hopefully this will do better.

Time: 24th April 2009 7:32pm

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