Lime Tree Cutback Freeze

[Woodywood]

Freeze got our lime tree . Cut it back ( topped ) and I thought it was gone !
She has come back but I don’t know how to start shaping it to produce limes and stay in the pot .
My wife and I potted it for my mom just before she passed away ; its Special .
Any suggestions of how to trim and shape ?
Thanks y’all from south Texas !

 

[Chuck]

Most citrus are grafted. If yours is grafted anything below the graft point is coming from the rootstock. The rootstock will produce an extremely thorny plant with inedible fruit. If your plant is not grafted anything growing will produce limes and all portions of the tree above the new growth is dead and you can remove it. If you have growth coming from above and below the graft point remove ASAP all growth at or below the graft point as this is coming from the rootstock. You can grow a lime into a tree or a bush but its natural state is a bush plant.

 

[Woodywood]

I Think it is grafted ; our soil is very sandy in this area and need the correct root system.
Was supposed to be like a dwarf lime bush but if I would have planted it in the ground it would have turned into a tree in no time at all . Lol
Talk about thorns now ,,,, yes ,, yes and ouch . Didn’t have any thorns before ;; so yes , it’s from the root .
The trunk is strait and has growth about 1/3 the way up. Where should I cut ; how far above the growth ?
Should it keep it trimmed like a round bush ?
Can I ever get it back to a less thorny plant ?

 

[Chuck]

I Think it is grafted ; our soil is very sandy in this area and need the correct root system.
Was supposed to be like a dwarf lime bush but if I would have planted it in the ground it would have turned into a tree in no time at all . Lol
Talk about thorns now ,,,, yes ,, yes and ouch . Didn’t have any thorns before ;; so yes , it’s from the root .
The trunk is strait and has growth about 1/3 the way up. Where should I cut ; how far above the growth ?
Should it keep it trimmed like a round bush ?
Can I ever get it back to a less thorny plant ?

Sorry to say but your lime tree is dead and only the rootstock is alive. It is no use to cut it. You can cut it but it will only grow into a thorny bush and it doesn't matter where you cut it, it will not change and it will never produce fruit.

 

[Woodywood]

Sorry to say but your lime tree is dead and only the rootstock is alive. It is no use to cut it. You can cut it but it will only grow into a thorny bush and it doesn't matter where you cut it, it will not change and it will never produce fruit.

I will give it to someone I don’t really like and say “ I got you this wonderful lime tree “ lol