For citrus trees , the optimum pH range would be 5.5-6.5.

All citrus containers should be big enough to allow for root growth over time and have adequate drainage holes. To insure good drainage, place about 2 inches of gravel in the bottom of the container. Be aware that soil in plastic, metal, and ceramic containers retains moisture longer than soil in wood or clay containers. These last two allow water to evaporate through the sides. Cool weather generally reduces citrus water use, so water accordingly. As with most plants, allow the upper surface of the soil to become dry to the touch, then water thoroughly by slowly filling the container.

Problems associated with over-fertilization can be avoided by applying controlled-release fertilizers, commonly used for potted citrus and are applied only once or twice a year.

The above is from the U of F . The next is from justfruitsandexotics.com :

SOIL; Most commercially available potting soils are fine for citrus, or you can mix 1 part
clean sand, 1 part peat and 1 part pinebark. The rootstocks we use require a somewhat acid soil.
The link below has some interesting tips .

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing Citrus In Containers

I mix the miracle grow rose soil (which is a little acidic) with jungle growth and then add a few handfuls of extra perlite and phalenopsis orchid mix. This is a well draining mix and the citrus seem to like it.

What CRF? A Nutracote of Florikan product? In the mix or just top feed? How much? Liquid fertilizers? Liquid acidifiers? Where do you get gypsum from?

Tom, I haven't grown citrus in a while, but I don't mind telling you how I did it.

I grow tomatoes in mostly Pro-Mix BX.

I would take the old ProMix from the season before, mix with sand, and a potting soil that one of our local nurseries sells that is mostly wood fines.

1/3 promix, 1/3 sand, 1/3 fines

Add a thin layer of course gravel in the bottom of the pot, cover with a double layer of old window screen, add potting mix.

I would just top dress around the outside edge of the pot with any granular citrus fertilizer, usually from Home Depot. About a cup around the edge of a 10gal pot. Seems like a lot, but they don't have any roots out there just yet.

Never used CRF on them, seems to take too much to get the job done. Thornless Key Lime is the only one that used to give me problems and I used a iron spray to fix that.

Gypsum is sheet rock or plaster of paris, calcium sulfate. You really don't need it, at least I never did using the BX.

Hope this helps
Corrie

Thanks Folks, I really appreciate the responses. I'm sure future citrus container gardeners will pull up this thread in their quest for a good soil mix so I'm hoping more of you post your successes and failures...we learn a lot from the things that don't go well too.

Tom
I'm curious as to where you located "Turface"? Have yet to find a nursery that even knows what it is lol.
I mixed up a bunch of "Als mix" but substituted "Oildri"
I've been growing Stevia in it and very pleased with the results. Though this passed the water test feel certain it's not the same type of clay.
I am going to use it for my water plants way superior to cat litter..
I did find a clay called "Bentonite" used as a pond liner .Again I feel that this is wrong also. Thanks gary

Hi Gary,

Lesco carries it, been renamed Allsport but Al assures me it's the same as MVP. Put your Zip Code in the search box at the lower left of their home page and see where the closest store is to you...very reasonable on price but a word of warning, they're not opened on Saturdays.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lesco

Also, if you're looking for it on their product page I forgot to mention it's tucked away rather nebulously; Seed -> Mulch -> Soil Amendment -> Clay

Tom,

Here's a picture of my Potted Dwarf Meyer Lemon that is in Al's mix( I added more potting soil to this mix) at the time I only had a little turface left...I did add a little gypsum and Dynamite to the soil when I first potted it. I also supplement mine with Acid loving Fertilizer with a little bit of chelated iron to prevent yellowing leaves about every 3-4 weeks in 1/2 strenght for supplement during March -Oct...our warmest months. I've been battling leaf miners but for now I have it semi under control, LOL...When I repot maybe next Spring, I will be using Al's mix closer to his specifications.

Unfortunately I lost most of the flowers due to this very dry/hot weeks that we have been in. Last rain in my backyard was from T.S. Fay. I sometimes forgot to water, and noticed the leaves were droopy from the heat, which caused the flowers/small fruits to fall off...

Good luck with your citrus.

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Hi N,

Very nice! I have some questions:

Did you repot or pot-up?

Did you use Dynamite Citrus?

Are your minors just coming from the Dynamite, or?

What soluble fertilizer are you using?

Tom

Hi
Thanks for the link. Seem to be several places close to me. None of which I've ever heard of lol
Have been shopping for Citrus and have yet to find with anything resembling clay in the mix lol.
Has anyone contacted the commercial producers of Citrus?? Since they turn out Citrus like popcorn they must know something?? gary

Thanks Tom,

I potted up to a little bigger pot, what happened was the pot cracked so I had to get a new pot, so went up just one size up... At that time a year and a half ago or so, I used the Red container Dynamite. They didn't have the citrus formula available yet, that is what they recommended I use for all my flowers/fruits. I just recently purchased the Citrus formula from Lowe's under their private label, which according to florikan is identical to the Dynamite Citrus.I will be using this next year, since its good for 9 months, I won't be applying again till next Feb. Most of my minors do come from the Dynamite, but occasionally I add 1 Table epsom salts to my MG/miracid. When I was using the 9-3-6 before I ran out, I didn't add anything else...but this is a supplement only. Since Al's mix is so fast draining, I never saw a fertilizer build up? in my opinion...

I like Just Fruit's citrus trees and have bought a bunch of them, but I don't agree with their "Most commercially available potting soils are fine for citrus, or you can mix 1 part clean sand, 1 part peat and 1 part pinebark" at all. That is going to lay too wet for good citrus growth in my opinion.

I haven't tried Turface or crushed granite as I haven't been able to find a local source for either of them. I'd really like to try them though and will if ever I get the chance.

In the past I've used pine bark nuggets in the half-inch range mixed four parts bark to one part spagnum peat. This works very well for for both aerosity and water retention. My only complaint with it is that it needs replacing after about a year more or less. Once it breaks down past a certain point it starts holding too much water.

My present perennial media mix is half-inch treated coconut husk chips and ground coconut coir about 3.5 parts chips to one part coir. This has given me really good aerosity while still maintaining good water retention. In the terra cotta colored plastic pots I find I need to water about twice a week in the hot parts of the year (full sun), less if it has rained a lot. My oldest tree has been in the same media for nearly three years now and come spring will have to have it replaced.

I'd really like to find a largely inorganic media that would last even longer which is why I want to experiment with the Turface and maybe horticultural charcoal. The tree still has to have pot maintenance periodically though to either be moved into a larger container or have some root pruning done so the permanent media only gets you so much.

I haven't used much slow-release fertilizer as the Osmocote and store brands that I've found so far all tend to release too fast in the hot part of the year. Some of y'all have mentioned a Dynomite brand that I'm going to look for to give it a try. Mostly I use Scotts soluble 20-20-20 with minors with some added magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts) once a month. Occasionally I'll add a liquid metals product to the mix if the leaves start looking a little pale.

Even with forgetting to fertilize over the summer we've still got more Key and Tahiti (Persian) limes than we can use and the Eureka lemons are starting to color up now as well.

If I could find some way to fend off the leaf miners and grasshoppers without going to systemics the trees would even look pretty by the time fall rolls around. It's frustrating to get to this time of year and have them look like they do because of the bug damage.

.....Alan.

Hi Alan, it's nice to hear of your success. I'm also looking for a mix that doesn't have to be changed often and that's why I want to try Al's gritty mix, but it sure isn't a perfect world. The GRAN-I-GRIT I got from Shell's Feed is the "Starter" grit, that's all they carry. When I mixed the first batch I noted that the granite is about half the size of the turface. Theoretically, that's not good, so I emailed Al and he verified that the more complementary GRAN-I-GRIT is the next size up, "Grower".... So, already my mix will hold more water than I'd like because of reduced particle size. Now I'm on a quest to find some place that carries Grower mix :-(