I use Jack's Professional water-soluble fertilizer 25-5-15 HPF (High Performance Formula) made by the J. R. Peters Corporation. Citrus trees absorb nutrients through their roots in a 5-1-3 ratio (5 parts N, to just 1 part P, and 3 parts K), which is the exact ratio of the above fertilizer. I have too many trees to use Foliage Pro, it would be just to expensive to use. If you have just a couple trees, Foliage Pro, although not having the perfect ratio, certainly would be OK to use.

Silica, how often do you apply? My trees are already showing one inch new growths from being outside in the sun a couple of hours a day.

Sammers510, that's what I am doing right now. I mix it up by the gallon and give each about half a gallon once a week. It drains so fast that I get scared they aren't getting the water hahaha!

I've been using regular "all-purpose" fertilizers, first has 13-7-20(I know, awful ratio) and the second one has 6-1,3-5(a little better). I've been looking for a true citrus fertilizer, but havent found any yet. Means that when I run out of these,I will have to sticn with the second one mentioned.

Then I add iron sulphate in the top soil and magnesium sulphate in water if needed, and seaweed extract now and then, when I remember.

When we eat eggs, I dry the shells in oven and grind them with coffee grinder and mix in the soil.

So far so good, my trees are still small but growing pretty nicely.

Jontte, I keep eggshells too! I have old ice cream buckets full of used coffee grounds and eggshells that I use in my blueberry and tomato gardens! My plays are soooo finicky that I think they would die if I put eggshells on the. Haha. Sometimes I feel like if I look at them wrong they drop a leaf or two to show me who is boss! :-D

Here is what The Citrus Guy does for his plants.. what do you guys think?

http://thecitrusguy.blogspot.com/search/label/Fertlizers

Amanda,

Can you post photos? Are we assuming that your trees are in containers? Trees planted in the ground would have a different regimen.

I personally know Darren, AKA the Citrus Guy, and have been in his "greenhouse". He is a nice enough guy, just a little bit different than most.

I bought fish emulsion and have been using every 6 weeks here in the winter and I already have miriacid for my blueberries. Maybe here soon I should try to use it on them? I'm just worried I will kill them! Maybe start off with a half dose? My calamondin and first Meyer are 1.5 years old but the rest are babies.

Sorry the second is a bad pic, and the one little stick Meyer has started sprouting again. My trees are out in the back of my property right now catching sun in a wind protected area. Im studying for my anatomy class right now ( ugh nursing school, I need my gardening to relieve stress!). I'm mostly just curious what others are doing that has made them successful.

My newest Meyer!

My calamondin has never flowered and I'm hoping this spring it will!

Say you mix up a gallon of treated water, how much of that fertilizer water do you apply to a single potted tree?

I mix my fert in washed out 1 gal milk jugs (free and re-purposed) and my trees usually get a whole gallon each. Mine are in 5 gal pots. I water until water runs freely from the bottom of the container which is usually is by the time I'm getting to the end of the jug. the water will continue to drain for the next 5-10 minutes after watering. So with your large tree start with a gal and the smaller trees start with a 1/2 gal and see what that ends up looking/draining like. I used to be worried about wasting water/fert but the roots really appreciate the flush of water/oxygen/fert that gets more evenly dispersed when watering this way.

Sammers510- Maybe I am underfeeding, I give them only half a gallon with a tablespoon of Dyno-Grow. Thanks for your advice! I am going to up my fertilizing game :-D Every plant is just so different. Tomatoes need all the fertilizer you can throw at them, blueberries only need fertilized 2x a year. I am just trying to find that sweet spot for my citrus

Amanda, I use FP and the Peter's fertilizer that Silica mentioned (he recommended it to me btw). I like them both. The FP is much more expensive though and I have lots of trees. I still have FP from the last order I made a while ago and have been alternating between the two this winter at 1/4-1/2 dose for my trees. They seem happy. Over the summer, I will switch to full strength like I did last year. I cannot wait to take the trees out again. They are fine, but I know they will be much happier outdoors.

I know Cory and Steve on this forum also have used Peter's. The thing is that you have to buy a 25lb bag. Even with all my trees it will take me a long time to go through that bag. However, Steve pointed out that you can use Peter's on all your plants.

I'll def look into the peters! I have a ton of plants. I need to convert my garage to a greenhouse because we want more citrus trees but we are running out of space by our sliding glass door!

Laura, do you fertilize once a week?

My 2 cents I use Miracle Gro 24-8-16 and add grass feed 28-0-4 half strength to get to 38-8-18. When I run out of my MG I will get a 50 pound bag of the peter 25-5-15. I feed in the spring an summer full strength every watering rarely more than once a week. I use a heavy soil that is much heavier than the 5-1-1. I can leave my trees in 90F weather for a week and come home to a thirsty tree that is in good shape. I over water so that a lot drains out into the garden soil/vegetables below. In the winter I still feed at full strength 24-8-16 every time but my tree only needs water every 4-8 weeks so I foliage feed a lot. I would like to find a 1-1-3 ratio feed for winter. A feed with the same micros where one is a 24-8-16 like mine and other like foliage pro of 9-3-6; The foliage pro gives 2.7 times the micros for ever N-P-K of my Miracle gro.

If you go with a heavy soil like mine you will need a root ventilating system to keep the roots healthy in the winter. A bucket with more than 600 holes.

Greenhouse and bucket lights · More Info

Greenhouse and bucket lights · More Info

New Zealand lemonade on US897 rootstock. · More Info

Wow that is an awesome system! I like the holes in the side idea! My original Meyer suffered because the soil was too heavy. I had 20 holes in the bottom but holes on the side are genius! Thanks for the advice! I have definitely learned that I need to fertilize more. No wonder I don't have any blooms.

Amanda I forgot to tell you, You will find that raising citrus trees is a lot harder than raising children. If you thing children make demands wait till your citrus trees start screaming.

6b Steve

Haha! Yeah im in nursing school as well and figuring out how to properly care for citrus is just as complex as caring for people! We only have fish as pets so the trees get a lot of love from kids! My twins love to mist them for me!

Hi,

I use Jack's Classic Citrus FeED 20-10-20... the analysis is quite different (even the trace elements) compared to the high performance 25-5-15. You can also purchase 1.5lb (680g) containers of the Citrus FeED off amazon.com. My citrus are thriving using this fertilizer. I HIGHLY recommend it.

JR Professional High Performance 25-5-15

Nitrogen...25%

10.75% ammoniacal

14.25% nitrate

Phosphate... 5%

Potash... 15%;

Magnesium... 0.1000%

Sulfur... 0.1300%

Boron... 0.0250%

Copper... 0.0125%

Iron... 0.1250%,

Manganese... 0.0630%

Molybdenum... 0.0125%

Zinc... 0.0630%

Jack's Classic Citrus FeED 20-10-20

Nitrogen...20%

2% ammoniacal

3% nitrate

15% urea

Phosphate... 10%

Potash... 20%;

Magnesium... 1%

Sulfur... 4.9%

Boron... 0.02%

Copper... 0.05%

Iron... 0.15%,

Manganese... 0.075%

Molybdenum... 0.0009%

Zinc... 0.05%

Citrus FeED 20-10-20

Description & Key Benefits

Citrus FeED 20-10-20 is designed to provide the optimum combination of nutrients needed by plants in the citrus group. This formula with enhanced micronutrient levels will produce vibrant green leaves, strong branches and more fruit. Our advanced formulation uses the highest quality nutrients available, delivering professional results to your home garden. When used as directed, Jack’s Citrus FeED will allow your plants to uptake the nutrients through both its roots and leaves.

For use on

Tropical fruiting plants like Meyer lemons and dwarf varieties, other lemons & limes, oranges, grapefruits, mangos, kumquats.

http://www.jrpeters.com/products_/16491/16403-jack-s-classic/16296-citrus-feed-20-10-20.html 

Thanks! I think I will get both. My trees have been slow growing and I am looking to get them moving

Wooooowzers those are expensive!

Yes, but if you want enough to not buy any for a good long time or have a lot of trees then the High performance should last a while or if you want a more manageable amount then the Citrus FeED is a lower cost/size option. I wouldn't get both unless you want to do an informal experiment on which works better for you. I will be ordering the High Performance and using it on my citrus and soon my new obsession Brugmansias, Which I am hoping will do OK with the Jacks. Its hard to find any consensus on whats good for Brugs. though I've seen quite a few people suggest tomato fert.

Yeah at this point I just want my trees to grow. I ordered the citrus FeED. Since I have a ton of miriacid for blueberries I gave some to my trees this week. They are really showing growth so I wanted to give them something! I didn't realize the NPK on miriacid is 30-10-10. I want these trees to grow big and strong!

Brugmanias are such pretty flowers! Hopefully you get tons of flowers!

For my limited number of citrus in containers, I try and give them a fertilizer solution every week. Keep in mind that the roots can uptake the nutrients better in warmer temperatures (...so its just starting to approach my feeding season with this week's days forecast to hit 60-70F while nightly lows still in the 30-35F range).

Any well balanced liquid fertilizer (Foliage Pro and Liquid Gold from Master Nursery have worked well; as has dissolved Ammonium sulfate with low N liquid) will work. I always add 3/4 to 1 tablespoon of vinegar per gallon (reason for me is the irrigation water is pH 9.2-9.4 - MEASURE YOUR WATER).

Good luck - George

I have been adding vinegar as someone else told me to. I tested my tap and it runs 8-8.5 so I have the feel down on how to get it to the 6 range. I also use slightly warm water to help the roots absorb the vitamins. They are right by a vent, my palm breaks the wind from it but all the citrus around it are warm too. I love getting on this forum and learning! I grow lots of plants but citrus by far have been the most difficult!