New to citrus and would love some advice
aurorawa
8 years ago
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poncirusguy6b452xx
8 years agoaurorawa
8 years agoRelated Discussions
New to citrus and would love some tips!
Comments (26)I must admit that I am quite impressed as to how helpful everyone on this forum has been! Thanks again everyone! Suzi, thanks for the encouragement! I sure hope the condo is not for too much longer because I have a feeling by next summer my balcony will have a hard time accomodating all of my planned citri (citruses/citri?). I would love to have your local and actually the misses and I are currently considering making move out to California in the next year or so (we should both be done with school this semester, finally...). It's just an idea right now and we would not move out there without job security, but it sure sounds appealing! Brett, thanks for the tips! I'm glad you said that about the pot size, there's a good chance I would have bought ones too big. I had a question about that though. A lady with some citrus experiance at my local nursery told me just to use a premixed Miracle Gro soil for citrus/cactus which actually had alot of the stuff you need to use (perlite, organics, sand) but I do not see too many people on these forums doing anything aside from mixing their own. Anyone got any suggestions for good deals ordering coconut husk chips? I do want to check some local nurserys and see if they have any by chance, but I am not sure I will have much luck here outside Chicago. As for fertilizer Brett I was considering using Osomocote slow release for outdoor/indoor plants (19-6-12), unless anyone has any objections or suggestions. The pointers were quite helpful Brett, thanks! Toni, It would be awesome to live in a location that had citrus trees at all of the bix boxes (as painful as it generally tends to be entering any and every big box). If you are refering to Pesche's in Des Plaines, it is indeed open, but I honestly do not kow much about their buisness history. It was a pretty nice place, quite a bit of selection, very helpful staff but the prices were indeed a bit high. I still bought a few things there (general potting soil and a bottle of superthrive) and would probably go back. I have never been to any of the other places you speak of, but one of my customers at the coffee shop today mentioned Jamacia Gardens to me and said I should check it out. Is there anywhere local you suggest getting the components for a good growth medium or do you order your components online? I would like to use coconut husk chips as well as the rest of the usual suspects (perlite, organics, ect) and was wondering if you know if they are locally available. As for prices I know those are steep, but I have actually checked out Gardenwatchdog and it seems as though Four Winds is one of the best rated companies. Also, I emailed them the other day w/ a question about shipping prices (the previously posted dilema) as well as to see if there was any chance that they had any 2-3 yr old Taroccos since their site said they were out. I was blown away by the response I got from customer service. The CS rep told me he wasn't sure but thought there was an extra 2-3 yr old Tarocco he might be able to sell me and that he would let me know in the next couple of days. He then told me a good deal of info on all three variaties of blood orange they sell and his personal success with bringing any indoors during the winter. He then proceeded to tell me all about what he thought were good suggestions for a novice as well as explained to me the whole shipping situation (which actually made sense after explained, it has to do with older trees being able to be packaged togather into one box where mixed age trees generally can't). In all the response was over 5 paragraphs, and I must admitt I was impressed! I might still order a few trees from them unless I can find all four of the trees I want from one supplier that is reputable and cheaper. I am going to check out those local nurserys though. As for selection I am not 100% sure but leaning towards a bearss lime, varigated pink lemon, gold nugget mandarin and possibly an oro blanco grapefruit (if not, either a tarocco blood orange or cara cara navel). Also, the owner of citrus.forumup.org also ocassionally sells some plants and has a few Meyer lemons right now that I believe he said would be $28 including shipping and that they should fruit this year. I was not initially planning on having 5 citrus trees this year, but I am planning on making it work. Thanks for all the help again Toni! Mike, I really appreciate the call to Four Winds for me! I emailed them and got an impressive response explaining the whole shipping situation. Their customer service is amazing! I found a Meyer for cheap, so I think I am going to give it a shot and I will surely keep you updated on it's status! Thanks folks! Joe...See MoreNew to figs & would love some advice!
Comments (15)Substitute the smallest pine bark nuggets that you can find. I usually buy "Mini-Nuggets". The important thing is to make a mix that drains freely. ALL the tree's nutrition will mostly come from the watering solutions. The mix is basically inert, will provide fresh oxygen for the roots, and is there just to support/anchor the plants/roots into the container you choose. Water should pour through the mix very quickly. If you want a little more water retention use Turface MVP or Napa #8822 Floor Sweeping Compound for some of the peat moss. Use a "cheater stick"- a wooden dowel plunged into the container - to test for moisture levels surrounding the roots. When you think the trees need watering just withdraw the stick.... and if the stick looks/feels wet... the mix has enough water. If the stick is warm and dry, water the trees. Happy growing. Frank...See MoreRescued citrus, need some advice
Comments (26)I always use a root hook to untangle the roots. A few will break but most will remain undamaged. It will help to spread the roots out uniformly and provide more space for roots to grow unhindered. I posted pictures of before-after untangling in this post: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/chinotto-air-layer-potting-in-pictures-dsvw-vd~5408661 And the root hook is in one of the pictures too. You can find a similar one on ebay and amazon. That root hook is 25 yrs old but my wife uses it more since it fits are small hand better. I have several others that I acquired over the years since I consider it the single best tool for repotting and chopsticks come in at a close second. I know a lot of people are afraid of doing such a thing - but once you start doing it I think you will get the hang of it and never go back. It is a lot like women combing to untangle their hair....See MoreWould love some planter advice!
Comments (0)Hi there, I am new to gardening and would be very grateful for some advice. To keep our garden low maintenance (and child friendly), we made a lawn in our garden with a simple wooden planter at the back. This planter is about 1m deep by 1m high by 5m wide (1m = 3.3 foot). The garden is south west facing. Would anyone have any recommendations on what would be best to plant in this planter? (It is south west facing in a moderate climate ) How many plants do you think would work best? Many thanks! Clueless of The Hague...See Moreponcirusguy6b452xx
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