Any reason you don't want to just plant them normal?

No matter how good of soil, how perfect everything is, it's still basically a container. Bottomless has benefits, but planting directly into the ground eliminates the plants reluctance to go from the soft rich soil into the ground. It's like mixing compost in the hole when planting in ground but much worse. And mixing into the hole is definitely not recommended. Also let's the plant make "breather roots" or shallow roots easier as the ground would be one depth not one initially and another once it outgrows the bed and goes into the surrounding soil.

Unless your ground is extremely horrible it's better than the raised bed. And even then if it can be "fixed" it's worth the time.

but as far as what soil if you do do it, I wouldn't worry too much as long as it's not extremely water holding or water repellant. Probably a mix of garden soil (the stuff you buy not dig) and compost if you want.

Hi pip313, thanks for your reply! The reason we built the 18" high bed is that this area (3' wide) is very sunny, but right against our house and we don't want the root or moisture damage our foundation. Next to the area is paver pathway that we use to walk through and my kids ride bikes. The two small citrus tree would look nice here and this is a good warm sunny spot for the trees. Would the trees be too thorny for this area? Our soil is not bad, I planted 3 other citrus trees on the other side of the house near south facing fence last spring, they are all alive. Should I fill the raised bed (at least these two sections) with native soil and put compost on top as multch /fertilizer?

Thanks steve. I have one of these tools to cut the thorns. Any idea what I should put in the planter and when to transfer them?

Pip, your good advice tugged at my heart strings. I have a raised bed for an avocado and I chose to not put it directly into the ground because I thought my soil was just too bad and too hard to be put directly into the ground. I was reluctant to put my new Meyer tree into the ground because the soil was so hard and thick; it looked like plastic or a solid chunk of dark chocolate. A friend of mine became tired of my fretting over it and he put it in the ground for me; he assured me the tree would be ok and it looks like it has so far. However, from what I understand, avocado roots are still much more sensitive and absolutely NEED well-draining soil, so I researched and decided on a raised bed. One million times over, I would have rather had it in the ground.

Steve, wow, do you really prune off all thorns on your citrus? Let me ask, wouldn't pruning the thorns leave an unnecessary "open wound" that would invite disease or pests in?

Summer, sorry, I wish I had proper advice for your citrus in raised beds. I only have an avocado in a raised bed and I've only been at that for less than a month myself. For my avocado, the advice that I was given was a mix of native soil and garden soil, plus anything to help drainage, such as cinder rocks or perlite. My 4x4 raised bed has tons of perlite in it.

I usually transplanted my trees on cloudy days. I prefer fall insted of spring because the sun is so low and days are short. This makes it easy to shade the tree and stresses the tree much less. I raised bedded all of my tree including my citrus trees. I a hard pan yellow orange clay. by having the trunk and 2 feet around up 12 inches I am assured that the trunk will always be high and dry.

I never clipped my thorns untill I got help moving my 30 gallon 150 pound tree. I never got stuck but my friends and family were always chewed up. I clipped all the thorns and the tree sealed them over much quicker than any stem wounds. The trees that are in-ground have all their thorns.

6b Steve

Thank you Steve, it's learning these little tips that are helping us all along the way!

Hi steve,

do you put native soil in the raised bed?

My soil is better in the raised bed than below. I will do a transfer from good to mediocre to bad by the time I hit the original soil. Make sure to really rough up the clay so the roots don't bounce off and grow up A tree grown outside in clay will do better than that same tree would have done in a pot of 5-1-1.

6b Steve

"properly cared for citrus trees are thorn free"

poncirusguy- my australian finger limes shame me if that is true. Their names are "Poke" "Shiv" and "Shank" for a reason...oops.

Hi figsinhawaii, how is your avocado tree doin?

i have not transferred my citrus trees yet, maybe tomorrow. Now thinking about plant a avocado tree, wondering in ground or planter. The reason for planter is it is next to grass.

Chris I love those names. I have a new Zealand lemonade tree on US897 root stock I named Tom Dooley. his head almost touches the ground.

My 4 Poncirus Trifoliata seedlings took off in orange/yellow hard pan clay. My biggest is turning 5 years old from seed.

6b Steve