A few years ago, I bought a dwarf orange tree for $10 at Lowe's to keep in a container on my back porch and bring inside during the winter. Container plants can be a challenge in the summer because it gets so hot here, and we usually have a spell without rain, AND my biggest problem with gardening is not watering enough.
So, each year it struggles during our hot spells in the summer and struggles with my lack of watering it indoors in the winter. This year, I went out of town for a few weeks, and realized that I had forgotten to give my husband instructions on watering it. I figured that was it for the tree and kicked myself for not remembering. I had also intended to repot it before going out of town, but didn't have time.
When my husband joined me on the trip after 4 weeks, he mentioned that my tree had seemed "dry" and that he had set it outside, to soak up our ample spring rain, since he figured the danger of frost had past. I was surprised to hear that my tree was still living and thanked him for his thoughtfulness.
When I returned home, I discovered that his version of "dry" was that it was brown, and all the leaves had fallen off. "It's dead," I told him. "It's not your fault; I didn't tell you to water it." He expressed optimism that it might come back. I am too lazy to take care of anything in a timely fashion, so before I could compost my little dead tree, it started growing green leaves like crazy.
I remained concerned that I had stressed and damaged so much that it will never be capable of producing fruit, and wanted to get rid of it anyway, but those new green leaves looked so pretty and vigorous. When I shook the think loose of its pot, I saw that it was potbound. It just looks like it wants to live, so I won't kill it.
I cut off the parts that appeared to be truly dead and repotted it today. I hope it is happy in its new pot with fresh soil.
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