Just wondering why did you use both reptibark and composted bark?
Rina

Hey Rina! Good question! I originally bought a bunch of different bark materials from Walmart and home depot and this composted bark was the best that I could find. I had thought repti bark was ideal for gritty but not so much the 5:1:1. But the sifting took so long for the composted bark (8+ hours for about 1 cu. ft.) that I knew I couldn't devote that much time to making my entire "5" out of that bark. Someone suggested that I use reptibark to add to it, so I decided to purchase some finally. I hope I haven't destroyed my mix by combining the two. Here is a pic of the composted bark after screening, before I added it to the mix.

Emily

No, I am sure it's not destroyed. I was just wondering what was your reason...I think it is the 'cleanest' bark you can buy; I don't like picking sapwood out of other bagged barks. I used reptibark myself; it is just bit on expensive side if one needs lots of it.

Thanks Rina! I guess my main question is just wondering if I will be fine adding another part of repti bark (that would essentially give me 5 pts bark, 1 pt floor dry and 1 pt perlite.) I just didn't know if I needs some sort of peat/compost/bark dust to act as a binder? If I don't include anything with tiny particles would it act more like a gritty mix, just with a higher bark ratio? I have been trying to learn all that I can, but I lack any experience so I have been questioning myself over all of these choices.

I don't have any citrus so won't suggest anything.

Here is what Josh (greenman28) wrote:
...here's a pic of my gritty 5-1-1 - screened bark, no fine bark dust. At
first, this made for a very fast-draining mix - but now that it has
aged, the mix holds moisture better. During the Winter, indoors, I water
about once a week - during the Summer, outdoors, I water twice a week...
It is from this thread:
adjusting gritty

(so adding some fine bark dust will help holding little more moisture).

It may not have enough answers but I just wanted to post something helpful for you - being Easter, you may not get answers right away...you can search forum for posts by Josh too,or many others growing citrus. Check citrus forum too.

Thank you so much Rina! And I and forgotten about the holiday weekend so the forum may not be too active. I had never read the post that you linked to so it was very helpful. I am thinking that perhaps a mix modified like this will act a little more like gritty, but perhaps offers a little more organic material to the plant, since there is a higher ratio of bark. I will look up Josh's posts by his screen name, as he seems to be very knowledgable in this area. I much appreciate your help! Have a wonderful weekend!

Okay so I took the leap and re potted one of my plants. It is a 4-5 year old Bearss lime that has been living in Home Depot for at least a year. (I bought it about a month ago, and it was left over from last season - I know, probably not a good move on my part!) It seems like a hardy plant though so I hope it can make it through this transplant.

I added one more part bark, and some Osmocote plus and lime to the mix I had started above. The roots of the tree were bound, and more of a brownish yellow color than white (bad news right?!) so I cut off about half from the bottom and some more off of the sides. Then into the new soil mix it went. Here is the little guy in his new home. I will keep him on my shady patio for a week or two to recover. I have three more trees to go!

I think basically you are doing 4-1-1 in which you have substituted DE (Floor Dry) for peat moss.
I personally prefer DE over peat moss as moisture retention element, As it retains moisture it allows for better aeration, just like perlite.

Seysonn

Thank you Seysonn! I bought peat moss for the mix but after doing additional reading and seeing that some people don't like to use the peat in their mixes, I wanted to try the DE instead. Glad to hear that you approve, as I felt like I was maybe getting a little crazy and straying too far from the original mix.

Before I potted my lime tree I added an additional part of repti bark, some lime and some Osmocote plus. So it should be pretty close to a screened 5:1:1, with DE subbed for the peat. I hope it works!! I really want my plants to be happy!!

Hello! You've done well! For my Citrus, I also prefer a gritty 5-1-1, which is to say, a bark-based peat-free mix. Although it is not as durable as a gritty mix, it also lasts much longer than the traditional 5-1-1 mix that incorporates peat/potting mix/compost.

If you have trouble keeping the mix moist, you could always add a 1/2 to 1-inch layer of pure bark as a mulch to the top of the mix. The mulch is then easily pulled away when you want faster drying during the Winter.

You'll want to keep the mix more consistently moist in the upper inches right now while the roots are re-establishing. With the removal of roots, expect some yellowing leaves as the plant balances itself again. In 1 - 2 weeks, resume fertilizing with a liquid. The Osmocote will help, but the Citrus will probably want more than it provides on its own.

Josh

Thank you so much Josh! I did a lot of reading through these forums and it was always your posts about a 5:1:1 gritty mix that made me question the need for peat and gave me the boost of confidence that I needed to go forward with this modified mix!

Thank you for the tip about pure bark mulch on top. Would the bark that I screened as bigger than 1/2 inch work for this purpose or should I find another use for that and stick with under 1/2 inch? And should I mulch the entire top of the container or do I need to leave an open ring around the base of the trunk?

Thank you also for the tip about yellowing leaves. I know I would have freaked out if you didn't say anything about that. Do you recommend a full two weeks in the shade? And during this time I should go ahead and water freely to keep the soil moist, or should I space out the waterings so I don't drown the plants?

I just repotted my tango mandarin and pruned the roots on it as well. I get the feeling that all four trees will need it. I will start fertilizing with foliage pro in 1-2 weeks. Should I give a large dose to start or just start with the 1/4 t per gallon? And do you recommend also adding vinegar to the water while using a mix like this? Thank you so much for your help, it is greatly appreciated!

Emily

You're welcome, thanks :-)

Use the large screened bark for your mulch. The bigger pieces will make removing it easier in the future. Mulch the entire pot, but then pull the bark away slightly so that it is not directly touching the trunk of the tree.

If the tree was previously in full sun, then a week of shade should be fine. If the tree was *not* in the sun, you may want to keep it protected longer. Staking the trees (stake at the edge of the container, tied off to a near branch) will speed up the recovery process, as well.

Water in smaller amounts, but more frequently. You need to keep the mix moist in the upper inches, or wherever the roots are located in the pot.

When you first fertilize, use 1/2 strength. Then, the week after, bump it up to full strength. In a month, I'd probably hit all the trees with a double strength dose.

Only add vinegar if the pH of your water is alkaline.

Josh

Josh thank you so much for all the answers and clarifications! All four trees are now in the new pots. I did root trim all of them (took 1/3-1/2 of roots) so I expect some leaf drop. I didn't really prune the tops though. I have heard that some people recommend taking off the top when you take off the bottom. Do you agree with this line of thinking?

One of the trees, a tango mandarin which has the most full canopy, looks a little sad. The other three look basically the same as they did before the transplant. I am trying to include a picture that I took this evening, but it isn't uploading for some reason... The tree just looks like the leaves are drooping. I don't know a lot about transplant shock but would like to avoid it if I can!!

The tango also seems a little more "loose" in the pot than the others. I had planned on staking right next to the trunk until you mentioned to do it at the edge of the pot. When you do it this way do you put stakes in on opposite sides of the pot and put strings from each stake with equal resistance, essentially holding the tree totally still? (Hope you understand what I mean) or do you tie off loosely to the end of a branch near the container edge. Seems like that wouldn't offer much support but maybe I am not understanding correctly.

I will follow your fertilizing advice! And I will transition them back to full sun slowly, starting in a week! Thank you so much for all your advice. My tres thank you too, they wouldn't have a good chance of survival without the help that I have received on these forums!

Emily

Hi, Emily.

There is good wisdom in balancing the roots and the foliage. When roots are removed, sometimes the tree will decide which branches to keep and which to shed....and sometimes it decides to shed branches that you might have wanted for structural or aesthetic purposes. However, it is hard to say which branches to remove.

When I put in a stake in a container, I put it directly opposite the direction that the tree wants to lean. So if it leans to the right, I put the stake on the far left, and then tie off to a branch. I find that my trees always want to go most heavily one way or the other, and so I let that dictate where the counter-support will go. I don't aim for completely secure....I want a small amount of play, but not enough to compromise the tender new roots that are establishing in the mix.

Josh