Citrus newbie confession.. need help with fertilizer please!
figsinhawaii
7 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (84)
Laura LaRosa (7b)
7 years agoUser
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Newbie needs help, please
Comments (6)A good beginners book on rose growing is "Ortho's Complete Guide to Growing Roses" (about $20 to buy or probably available at your local library), start there. Below is a link to some local rose societies in OR, maybe one is near you. Looking at your pics, it looks like you need a little spring cleanup/renewal pruning, some fertilizer & some fresh mulch and you will be growing roses. Good luck, Larry Here is a link that might be useful: Pacific NW Rose Societies...See MoreFirst time growing citrus in container (newbie who needs help!)
Comments (6)mrshal07, first, if you can let us know where you live? Zone 8 is marginal for citrus in the ground, but I don't see any mention of putting anything in the ground - just containers - so I am assuming you would be able to bring your citrus inside at least to a garage temporarily, if you have a cold snap? Just need a little clarification regarding your zone and location. That might give us a better idea regarding cultivar recommendations if things are staying outside. If you can bring your container citrus inside during cold snaps, then cultivar selection based on weather restrictions isn't so important. Okay, as far as potting mix, no, I would not suggest a mix of citrus soil and potting soil. Much too water retentive. Putting "something in the bottom" does not improve drainage, this is a misconception. We have a great recipe for either "511" or "Gritty" mix on our forum, so search for that and copy down how to mix your own very well draining and long lasting potting mix. Hopefully MeyerMike will add his perspective on container citrus, as he is one of our most successful forum members with container citrus in a less than ideal USDA zone (Massachusetts). His trees are gorgeous. Fertilizing is usually done with each watering, 1/2 strength during non-growing season (late fall through early spring), then full strength. Most container citrus folks prefer to use DynaGro's Foliage Pro. I also use it, along with a time-release product with an NPK close to 5-1-3 ratio, along with micronutrients, even with my full-time-outside container citrus with very excellent results. As far as cultivars - if you can bring your citrus inside during cold snaps, then I would pick cultivars you like to eat, or provide juice that you would drink or cook with. So, all are good choices. I would make a suggestion for your grapefruit, though, as grapefruits need some significant heat units in order to sweeten up. So, consider a grapefruit hybrid, such as Oroblanco, Melogold, or Cocktail (which isn't really even a grapefruit, but actually a pummelo/mandarin hybrid, but absolutely delicious, and does not need heat to sweeten.) I would consider a Bearrs lime, as it isn't quite as cold-sensitive as the Mexican (Key) lime. And a Meyer lemon would also be a better choice over a regular lemon as it is more cold tolerant that, say, a Eureka or Lisbon lemon. Satsuma mandarins are lovely, but slower to mature, so perhaps consider another mandarin cultivar, there are many excellent choices, such as Seedless Kishu, Gold Nugget, Page or Tango mandarins (or mandarin hybrids). Rootstock are the "roots" that the cultivar scion gets grafted to, which can provide the cultivar with some significant benefits - size control, more resistance to disease, precociousness, sweeter fruit, more tolerance to cold temps, soil issues, etc. So, you'll find most citrus are grafted. For container citrus, you're better off finding citrus grafted to dwarf or semi-dwarfing rootstock. Four Winds Growers grafts most of the their citrus to a very semi-dwarfing rootstock called Cuban Shaddock, which makes them very suitable to container culture. And, they have every cultivar you've listed. They're a great company, grow beautiful citrus, and many of us on the forum have their trees. There are other good growers out there as well, but not many that you can find who graft to true dwarfing rootstock (which would be poncirus trifoliate 'Fly Dragon'), or certainly no one else I am aware of that uses Cuban Shaddock, probably the next most dwarfing rootstock out there. So, I would definitely look for citrus on at least semi-dwarfing rootstock, if you're shopping locally. If your area can support in-ground citrus, I would suggest going to one of your better garden centers, or even better, a citrus grower if you have one, and talk to them about the cultivars that do the best in your area, especially if you plan on leaving them outside. Just remember, if you have temps in the winter that drop below 40 degrees, you need to consider bringing your container citrus inside or at least, into the garage (with sunlight) for short periods, as container citrus don't have the root protects from cold temps as in-ground citrus have. Patty S. Here is a link that might be useful: Four Winds Growers...See MoreCitrus trees in need of help please!!
Comments (28)Thank you jesse09 I will definitely kept that in mind with the Vitalizer. Thank you ocrelaris for your advice also on the fertilizer and soil. I will definately try in springtime to find the 5-1-1. Its hard to look for anything like that where I live. I might have to purchase online. I feel great that you tell me my trees look good. That was one of my major concerns. I worry about them and only want to help them grow healthy and strong. And of course have fruit. My mom had noticed that the tango, lime and one of the navel trees are protected from one side by my gaming board. They really do not have leaf loss verses the other three on the opposite side. They don't have a barrier as in wall next to them. So those two lemon and that other navel trees are the one losing more leaves. So I'm wondering maybe they are getting some sort of draft. Once I place the pallets I will be able to tell if that Is helping. Which I hope it will. Because now my navel that had the one fruit had dropped it. Thank you poncirusguy for your input. I will give that a try too. To see if it will help my trees. Right now I just want to help them stop dropping their leaves and fruit. The two so far that have been doing well with holding on to the fruit is the lemon that you saw in picture and my tango with the bigger fruit....See Moresalvia newbie-need help please
Comments (6)The rule of thumb for pricking out seedlings is to replant them when they have two pairs of fully developed leaves. It is more important to have fat, sassy, robust seedlings. This means having the growing tops near the light source, but not touching. Bottom heat at 70-75 degrees helps. Fertilization should begin about the same time the second pair of leaves is halfway developed. The internal supply of nutrients will begin to exhaust at this time. There is a special formulation for seed starting. Light applications are done at first. I would do the same with cuttings. Once these have begun to root, they withstand transplant shock with some fertilization at least one day before replanting. I like to let my seedlings fatten up in the greenhouse for a week before transplanting. Here is a link that might be useful: Peters 8-45-14 Plant Starter...See Morefigsinhawaii
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agofigsinhawaii
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agofigsinhawaii
7 years agofigsinhawaii
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agofigsinhawaii
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agomyermike_1micha
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agofigsinhawaii
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agofigsinhawaii
7 years agoUser
7 years agoAtheen - 7a - in Maryland, USA
7 years agoLaura LaRosa (7b)
7 years agofigsinhawaii
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agomyermike_1micha
7 years agofigsinhawaii
7 years agomyermike_1micha
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoLaura LaRosa (7b)
7 years agofigsinhawaii
7 years agofigsinhawaii
7 years agoLaura LaRosa (7b)
7 years agoUser
7 years agomyermike_1micha
7 years agoLaura LaRosa (7b)
7 years agocory (Zone 7a, NJ)
7 years agoLaura LaRosa (7b)
7 years agomyermike_1micha
7 years agoLaura LaRosa (7b)
7 years agofigsinhawaii
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoUser
7 years agofigsinhawaii
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agomyermike_1micha
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agofigsinhawaii
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agocory (Zone 7a, NJ)
7 years agoLaura LaRosa (7b)
7 years agoAtheen - 7a - in Maryland, USA
7 years agomyermike_1micha
7 years agojersey21
7 years agocory (Zone 7a, NJ)
7 years agofigsinhawaii
7 years agofigsinhawaii
7 years agofigsinhawaii
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agofigsinhawaii
7 years ago
Related Stories
GARDENING GUIDESHow to Keep Your Citrus Trees Well Fed and Healthy
Ripe for some citrus fertilizer know-how? This mini guide will help your lemon, orange and grapefruit trees flourish
Full StoryHOUSEPLANTSMother-in-Law's Tongue: Surprisingly Easy to Please
This low-maintenance, high-impact houseplant fits in with any design and can clear the air, too
Full StoryPETS6 Ways to Help Your Dog and Landscape Play Nicely Together
Keep your prized plantings intact and your dog happy too, with this wisdom from an expert gardener and dog guardian
Full StoryHOUSEPLANTSHow to Create an Indoor Landscape
Apply principles and elements of design to help your indoor garden flourish
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESCalifornia Gardener's August Checklist
Share the veggie wealth, help plants sip smartly and don't forget to enjoy the simple pleasure of relaxing in your garden
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDES5 Weed-Smothering Ground Covers
Let these landscape plants do the dirty work of choking out weeds while you sit back and enjoy the view
Full StoryEDIBLE GARDENSA Formerly Weedy Lot Now Brims With Edibles and Honeybees
Photographers transform their barren backyard into an oasis filled with fruit, vegetables, honey, eggs and more
Full StoryFARM YOUR YARD4 Farm-Fresh Chicken Coops in Urban Backyards
These Atlanta henhouses are worth crowing about for their charming, practical designs
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESGarden Myths to Debunk as You Dig This Fall and Rest Over Winter
Termites hate wood mulch, don’t amend soil for trees, avoid gravel in planters — and more nuggets of garden wisdom
Full StoryEDIBLE GARDENSGarden BFFs? Why Your Vegetables Are Begging for Companion Plants
Foster friendships among plants for protection from pests, pollination support and color camaraderie
Full Story
Laura LaRosa (7b)