Soil looks very good. Did you add the lime when you made it? The 5:1:1 mix isn't foolproof, but you pretty much have to work at over-watering; so just by employing your good sense, you should be able to flush the soil as often as you think your plant needs water. Immediately after repotting, you need tro give SOME consideration to where the fine feeder roots are in the pot. If there are lots of fine roots close to the bottom, water when your stick tells you it's time after pushing it deep in the pot. If most of the fine roots are near the TOP of the soil mass, you need to water often enough to keep the top moist, so those roots don't dry out. That's about it. Your plant will reestablish faster if you secure the plant to the pot, so the plant can't move relative to the pot if it gets jostled or is subject to a stiff breeze. Start fertilizing when you see evidence of new growth. If temps are above 55*, your plant wants to be outdoors, in shade, and out of the wind. You'll need to water more often than you're used to, and some growers think that's a problem. It just might be .......... from the grower's perspective - but not from the plant's perspective. To me it doesn't make sense to slight a soil because 'you have to water too often' when you're comparing it to a soil that's inherently limiting because you have to water too infrequently due to the fact it holds too much water. That's the view from here. ;-) I'd say good luck, but luck really doesn't play much of a part in the process of learning to grow with consistent proficiency. Good growing! Al

The first bend in the trunk is result of a previous pruning. I noticed that when I was looking at the first images. Looks like the trunk bifurcated (split to form a 'Y') at that point and one side of the bifurcation was pruned off. In mid-June, the lowest branch marked in yellow should be cut back to 4 leaves. The long branch moving left/ marked yellow in the image above, and the branch moving right/ marked yellow should also be pruned back to 2 leaves. The leader, above these 2 branches and marked in yellow, should be pruned back to a leaf that points in the direction you want the leader to grow. This is called 'directional pruning'. Example: With the above pruning cut made, the new branch (shows as a leaf only, but it's a new branch) in the axil of the leaf on the right will want to grow to the right. If you wanted the new leader to move left, you would prune lower, to just above the leaf on the left. A cut above the leaf attached to the severed part would give rise to a branch growing away from the grower. Because there are other forces in play, like phototropism (tendency for plants to bend toward the brightest light source), there is no guarantee the branch will grow where you wish, so you might need to encourage the new branch that forms in the axil of the leader's top leaf to grow where YOU want it to. I mentioned this already, but I'll reiterate that your tree will respond to pruning with a much higher degree of enthusiasm if you do the pruning A) while the tree's energy reserves are highest, and B) when the tree's current ability to carry on photosynthesis is peaking, both of which will occur during the summer solstice (21 June). 'Father's Day' is easy to remember. If you intend to repot, do it at the same time you prune. While you could probably remove a little soil to cut through (2 cuts) the kinked root that emerges from and returns too the soil, I would do it at the same time you prune the top. Reason: Pruning the top decreases the volume of foliage the roots must work to keep hydrated. It also makes it less likely that a branch on the same side of the tree where the kinked root is attached will die. When a tree is unable to keep certain parts hydrated, it sheds those parts. Unfortunately, they seem to always choose to shed parts the grower feels are essential to the o/a composition/ shape/ style of the tree. Some trees, like junipers/ yews/ arborvitae/ .... , develop a dedicated relationship between individual roots and branches, such that damage to a particular root will kill a particular branch. Notice the live veins connecting roots to individual branches below: This tree ^^^ has 4 branches and 4 live veins. Other trees lack the direct relationship between particular roots and branches. For the genus Ficus, the relation is moderate, but the lower a branch is (and the shorter the tree is) the greater the likelihood that death of a branch or root will result in the dieback of it's counterpart on the opposite side of the root to shoot connection. When serious about earning a green thumb, the largest step a container gardener can take in that direction will come from understanding how water behaves in container media and what that means to the health of your plants' root systems; this, because issues with root function and/or health cause the most problems by far, with some of them seemingly unrelated to root health. Two examples that lend support to the later contention are infections by disease pathogens and insect predation due to a less than robust metabolic rate, caused by limited root function or poor root health. A healthy plant will remain forever elusive unless and until we are able to maintain root systems in an elevated state of vitality (health). Al

In an extremely high % of cases, necrotic leaf tips and margins are caused by over-watering, an excessively high level of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil solution, or some combination of the two. High root temperatures, nutritional imbalances, ammonium toxicity, and phytotoxicities (things poisonous to plants) like air pollution can also cause or contribute to the physiological disorder causing the symptoms. In most cases, the greatest amount of traction is to be gained from making sure your watering appropriately and flushing the soil of accumulating salts when you water. If you can't water appropriately w/o limiting normal root function or root health, you might want to take a look at the soil you're using. In any case, getting to the point where you can water to beyond the point of total soil saturation, so you're flushing the soil when you water, without having to worry the soil will remain saturated for an extended period, represents something of a breakthrough for the grower. When you find yourself at that point, it is much, much easier to consistently maintain your plants in a state of high vitality, which means you don't have the unsightly symptoms to remind you that the plant is being asked to tolerate something it's not genetically programmed to deal with. I'd start using a 'tell' to 'tell' you when it's time to water (see more below). I'd also keep learning more about how much impact soil choice has on your potential for consistent success. A General Overview (click me) Using a 'tell' Over-watering saps vitality and is one of the most common plant assassins, so learning to avoid it is worth the small effort. Plants make and store their own energy source – photosynthate - (sugar/glucose). Functioning roots need energy to drive their metabolic processes, and in order to get it, they use oxygen to burn (oxidize) their food. From this, we can see that terrestrial plants need air (oxygen) in the soil to drive root function. Many off-the-shelf soils hold too much water and not enough air to support good root health, which is a prerequisite to a healthy plant. Watering in small sips leads to a build-up of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil, which limits a plant's ability to absorb water – so watering in sips simply moves us to the other horn of a dilemma. It creates another problem that requires resolution. Better, would be to simply adopt a soil that drains well enough to allow watering to beyond the saturation point, so we're flushing the soil of accumulating dissolved solids whenever we water; this, w/o the plant being forced to pay a tax in the form of reduced vitality, due to prolong periods of soil saturation. Sometimes, though, that's not a course we can immediately steer, which makes controlling how often we water a very important factor. In many cases, we can judge whether or not a planting needs watering by hefting the pot. This is especially true if the pot is made from light material, like plastic, but doesn't work (as) well when the pot is made from heavier material, like clay, or when the size/weight of the pot precludes grabbing it with one hand to judge its weight and gauge the need for water. Fingers stuck an inch or two into the soil work ok for shallow pots, but not for deep pots. Deep pots might have 3 or more inches of soil that feels totally dry, while the lower several inches of the soil is 100% saturated. Obviously, the lack of oxygen in the root zone situation can wreak havoc with root health and cause the loss of a very notable measure of your plant's potential. Inexpensive watering meters don't even measure moisture levels, they measure electrical conductivity. Clean the tip and insert it into a cup of distilled water and witness the fact it reads 'DRY'. One of the most reliable methods of checking a planting's need for water is using a 'tell'. You can use a bamboo skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod of about 5/16” (75-85mm) would work better. They usually come 48” (120cm) long and can usually be cut in half and serve as a pair. Sharpen all 4 ends in a pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the diameter of the head on a straight pin. Push the wooden tell deep into the soil. Don't worry, it won't harm the root system. If the plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom. Leave it a few seconds, then withdraw it and inspect the tip for moisture. For most plantings, withhold water until the tell comes out dry or nearly so. If you see signs of wilting, adjust the interval between waterings so drought stress isn't a recurring issue. Al

I can now say I have made the pilgrimmage to Harry's and what an absolutely fabulous spot he has created. Even this late in the fall, the place looks stunning. Thanks again for sharing your time Harry. We enjoyed some Ross Sapote which exceeds the canistel in texture by a substantial margin. Unfortunately the seed saved was discarded by accident but alas, we'll work on getting some more. I also was able to visit Fairchild and the Fruit and Spice Park on the same trip. F&S was looking very good. Managed to get seed from a queen guava, cinnamon apple (sapote family) and ice cream bean. Mamey sapotes found onthe ground were not ripe. Sapodilla trees were loaded but not ready. With their "you can eat it if it has fallen to the ground policy" in place, much things become impossible. By the time a jackfruit falls to the ground it would seem to be gone too far. Longan were all over the ground but finding one that was edible was next to impossible. I bought some black sapotes from Fairchild 2 weeks ago but they failed to ripen before we left so still haven't tasted that one... All in all it was a great experience.