Tree experts: best way to trim backside of this tree as it grows?
8 years ago
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Can I grow another tree from an existing lime tree?
Comments (9)Hello Citrusenthusiast, If you are willing to start small, take a handful or more 4 to 5 inch cuttings, and follow the rules for rooting them with rooting powder or liquid. I took three cuttings from my Key lime this past fall, dipped the cut ends in the rooting hormone powder, popped them into separate little two inch pots, kept them under plastic bags in indirect light in my house, and got one to take. I lost the other two because I totally forgot to check to see if they needed watering. Regarding the fear of spreading disease, I think that unless every last suburban landscape crew, professional and amateur, in southern California is practicing "safe" pruning techniques you really are unlikely to be guilty of a major crime. I lived for a decade in Florida, including a couple years in Sarasota in the early 90s, where citrus canker disease was a major concern, and I used to watch the supposedly professional landscape crews working through the citrus trees that grew on the apartment complex's property, and I never ever saw them sterilize their pruning tools--which were reportedly a potential way the disease could spread, even though Sarasota had several major citrus groves within a few miles of the location. Up here in Connecticut, I try to remember to always wipe my pruning shears with rubbing alcohol after trimming each tree I have, even though, obviously, I don't exactly have to worry about infecting nearby citrus plantations. I hope you have good results, and that you get a few other people interested in your Grandma's tree. Don...See MoreCitrus experts! Looking for insight/avice on a tree (grapefruit)
Comments (12)Okay, all above are correct: First off, Ironite is not fertilizer. It is a micronutrient product. You need to get to your best garden center and purchase a good quality citrus fertilizer and fertilize your tree WELL (it's a very large tree, so you're going to need to calculate the number of pounds of fertilizer for each application - it will be substantial). Pull out the rocks. Mulch with 3 to 4" of good compost and then top with bark mulch. You want to try to retain moisture in your hot AZ soil. Your fertilizer will need to be applied at the drip line (edge of the tree canopy) where your feeder roots exist. Rhizo is absolutely correct in that citrus tree feeder roots exist in the top 12 to 18" of soil - citrus are shallow rooted trees. You're going to want to fertilize with a good citrus fertilizer (and you can add Ironite if you wish) in Feb, May and then early Oct. Or, you can do an every two month's fertilization for this year, Feb, April, June, Aug, and then Early Oct to catch your tree up. What you're seeing in the top canopy is called branch die back and it can be caused by a number of different diseases, lack of enough water & nutrients, as well as just old age. I've included a link to the AZ Master Gardener's Manual for you to look up citrus management. If you can't find anything specific, contact your local extension office and ask them to forward you information about growing citrus in your area. And yes, you should pick the fruit. Give it away to neighbors or to your local food bank. Squeeze and freeze, or put it up. But you should pick it off when it's ripe or you can cause the tree to start alternate bearing. Not so likely with grapefruits, fortunately. Lastly, prune out all the dead wood down to green wood, or you're going to introduce portals of entry for disease. You can top the tree some to bring the height down as well, so you don't have to get on a ladder to pick the fruit :-) Patty S. Here is a link that might be useful: Arizona Master Gardener's Manual...See MoreEvergreen Experts, Please Help Me Identify This Tree!
Comments (27)Impressive amount of thought and work going into this ... I will enjoy looking into what you are proposing; until I can, I wanted to throw another option to you just because of the general look of it (there are so many out there, that is part of the joy). I have a "Sherwood Frost" arborvitae that is very slow growing, and tops out at about ten feet. It is a wider pyramidal shape, but is definitely NOT deer-proof. Perhaps part of what you like about the aesthetics of the chamy obtusa is the architectural way that their fronds splay and twist a bit. It is definitely suited as a specimen focal point. I actually believe mine failed because I had them in very sandy soil. They became thinned out with interior browning instead of the full look that I was going for (as a hedge). However, few chamaecyparis will take soil that is too moist. I did have one in the blueish family that actually liked a wet soil (will have to look back to see what sub-species it was). If you continue to look hard enough, you will find what you want! http://woodyplants.nres.uiuc.edu/plant/thuocsf...See Morebest way to kill sucker trees
Comments (16)This one has different style of leaves. They are about 2 feet in height and the trunks about a half inch diameter or smaller. Usually the landscaper just chops off any branches that stick above the height of the shrubs and that's all they do as far as trying to remove them. However, they get aggressive in their "trimming" and hack up the flowering shrubs in which these tree grow. Afterward it looks like someone went at them with a machete :(...See MoreRelated Professionals
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