I limit the organic (bark) component of the gritty mix to 1/3 or less of the o/a volume so there is no chance the organic fraction will decompose and the soil collapse structurally. You don't want the bark breaking up into so many small pieces that they clog the air pores in the soil and create/contribute to the volume of water in the PWT. We don't usually add lime to the gritty mix - using gypsum instead, and the Epsom salts is added a little at a time to the fertilizer solution each time you fertilize. Porous soils allow excellent gas exchange in the rhizosphere. They allow gases generated by the composting process (methane, CO2, sulfurous compounds) to quickly escape the soil while air diffuses back into the soil in the other gasses' stead. Al

Hey lovetogrow! Thats my photo :) I'm not sure why yours would be curling under like that. I have one that has a couple of leaves curling, but I think its because its underneath larger leaves and isn't getting as much light. So thats my theory.... This is my first time growing brugs but I bet someone with more experience will chime in. Ashley

So let me see if I have this straight... The gritty mix is not "predominantly peat or pine based" since it is only 1/3 pine based. Correct. Therefore, I don't need the lime but I still need the Ca and Mg. Correct. The lime will supply the calcium and magnesium just fine, but it will also raise pH which is not desirable unless the mix is initially too acidic for strong plant growth. I can get the Mg from the epsom salt while watering Correct. Epsom salt is magnesium and sulfur so by using it both are being supplied to the plants. How can I get the Ca to my plants? With gypsum. Gypsum is calcium and sulfur. It's not particularly soluble in water so it's very slow release. This is why it's added to the mix rather than to the fertilizer water. If gypsum is the answer, could you tell me a brand name or how it is packaged? I think I could get some into the mix even though the tree is already potted. Yes, you can get it into the mix by simply scratching it into the top few inches. If you have a store nearby that sells Espoma products you can find it under that brand. It's just a 5 lb bag (which will last for many containers). If you look at hardware stores in the garden section you will likely find 50lb bags of it for around the same price. Lot's of folks pay the premium for the Espoma brand because it's common these days in garden centers and they can trust it's what they need. The hardware store bag is a much better value though and has no shelf life so can be stored indefinitely. Your call. I saw a post (I think from JAG) about citrus being a challenge to grow. I'll say! I am anticipated my first 12 lemons this fall after three long years of babying my in ground tree. Hopefully, it will all be worth it! I am by no means a citrus expert. I live in Wisconsin and started with citrus only in containers a couple years ago. I also don't consider citrus particularly challenging in the sense of keeping them alive and growing. I do consider them patience trying in the sense that many people purchase citrus or other fruiting trees and in the back of their mind they think of them as a tomato ;) Plant them and by the end of the 1st season there should be a large harvest. Not typically the way it works ;) I am growing citrus for the change in pace from the stuff I usually grow. Not because I am in a hurry to make lemonade or fresh squeezed orange juice. That's probably a good thing or I would be really ticked off about now ;)

David is right, a sago is a cycad and doesn't need Epsom Salts. If the sago was to get a deficiency, it would probably be a Manganese deficiency and Epsom Salts is Magnesium, which is totally different. It might slightly green up the plant, but for me, I have grown 200 species of cycads and for 20 years, I have yet to use Epsom Salts on any of my cycads. Now it can help out on the color of palms, but not all that much with cycads. I tell you, the common name of "sago palm" has caused all kinds of problems for people who are newly interested in these plants because it really throws people off on what they should expect to do regarding care for their new plants.