Drama-lemons
Well, if you’ve been following the fortunes of the Braggs for the past two years or so, you will be aware that we are growing some lemon plants. I stuck some pips in a pot full of soil, and to my surprise five-sixths of them sprouted.
All are still alive, although I regret not to be able to complete the cliché with ‘and well’. They had been universally happy little lemons all through the summer; revelling in the increased light our new housing arrangements offered to their glossy little leaves. It seems winter leaves a lot to be desired in the lemon-pleasuring department: their leaves are no longer glossy and luxuriant-looking; they rejected proximity to a cold pane of glass, but are now sulking because they are no longer near a window and are starving of light. Much as I hate to disappoint my citrus friends, we cannot, at present, afford to have the house double-glazed just to pander to five recalcitrant plants.
Things are coming to a head though, yesterday it was discovered that Tall Lemon had thrown off 75% of its leaves - overnight. This morning brought the discovery of several further shed leaves. A hasty consultation of that universal oracle Google brought comfort and confusion: we are not necessarily bad lemon-parents, it’s just that lemons are drama queens and will often just decide that all those leaves are not strictly necessary. It can be for a variety of reasons: too hot; too cold; too wet; too dry. Basically, there is no hope of ever discovering the root cause, we just have to weather the leaf-storm and hope they have the brains to leave themselves a few to transpire with.
I shall apply some citrus food, and dust the remaining leaves, as I fear they have been neglected since being relegated to the spare room. We have to keep the door to the spare room closed, otherwise the cat leaps on the printer and presses the sheet-feed button to help herself to a fresh piece of paper to shred. I kid ye not. That’s a smart mog we have there.