I have a couple of comments. But my main question is at the end. Quote: "If you have ever spent time on any plant forum you know the common advice is to keep your plants root bound, or at least when you repot give the roots only an "extra fingers width" on each side the pot." I have never seen anyone recommend that you keep a plant literally 'root-bound'... In so small a pot that the large roots are circling the pot, and having the root mass pretty much completely fill the pot. But it's also true that more non-pros have killed plants from serious and stupid "over-potting" than any other cause other than perhaps persistent over-watering. Take a small plant, put it is a much bigger "pretty" pot with a lot of cheap potting soil, water it once a week, and the small, shallow plant roots are trying to survive in a desert while the bulk of the pot-soil is moist. I *always* advise people to pot-up very slowly... after making sure that I have looked at the roots, and that the plant is not root-bound. I suspect that nursery staff start their plants in small pots because it eases time and labor, and reduces the expense and the watering, and allows them to toss cheap any that do not propagate or thrive. Those that do, they pot up a level. And perhaps again. But I strongly suspect that they hope to *sell* them before they become literally root-bound. And they don't, so things become root bound. There are some plants that like their feet a little more constrained, while others want to grow wild. But are you saying the there is some folk-practice among pro-growers that it is somehow *good* to keep the roots seriously constrained? I would be interested. LindaS

Hi justaguy!!! How are you? I see you have a great question,because I too had the same problem every year. But I am have putting all my wealth of info in my head together from this site and my friend is studying to be a horticulturist, then doing what works for me. It is true, plants , especially Citrus have a tough time taking up nutrients when the soil is cold, especially in the forties. They survive and hang on, but they just don't grow until the pot warms up. I actually had some of my trees on heat pads in the winter, and they were so much healthier than the ones that were not. So I guess it would be safe to say that they starve when cold, and eat when warm..Lol I have been able to avoid for the first time leaves that look yellow or anything less than very light green form cold temps . My method. I would bring them inside until night time temps stayed aboved 50. If I left them out, then I expected nutritional problems. I also sprinkled a little CRF osmocote with minors "NEW" fertiizer and at every watering, feed Foliage pro from Dyno-gro at a very week dilution in a gallon of water. I also bought Ironite and use as directed. This takes all the guess work out of what they need , because everything is supplied, and if I get alot of rain, or water by hose, the CRF is a great back up in missed doses of liquid fertilzer. I feed all the acaid loving plants I have, once a month , with a dose of Miracid. I do all this becuase I too grow in a very fast well draining soil as you, and all these nutrients are so needed. If you keep your plants in a greenhouse, of course they will be constantly eating,at constant warm temps, but outdoors,depending how cold it gets, they will miss doses until soil warms, but the nutrients will always be there for when their warm enough to feed. You will notice how well they will look, as summer approaches!! Mine look really nice for the first time in history, growing in Al's soiless mix. In some of my mixed soils I did use gypsum and use a good fertilizer that Al's made for me to compliment it. But then in the ones that I left out gypsum, I use Foilage Pro and CRF and they look just as healthy. FYI....Just got back from the Carribeans, and I desperately looked for a nice green Citrus tree in my yard and surrounding neighborhoods, and they too looked yellow as yours and not the best of color. Actually, mine here looked better. So I think the soils even in the south lack the nutrients they need to grow at their full dark green potential...Encouragement for us hey. You don't have to live in the south to have great looking trees. Justaguy, I think even in the fall and winter we will run into the same problem unless we find a way to grow our trees in contant warm temps.That is why I pray to be able to have a greenhouse someday!! That is why mine are in full sun, and until the 40's appear again, I can keep them out at all times while they constantly bask in a buffet of foods.;-) Hope I helped you. It was great chatting with ya..Mike

I got some really good advice about applying horticultural oil in my area of CA from a local nursery and thought I would share it! They even have it published online to make it easy! http://www.aldenlane.com/dormant-winter In this area, a January dormant spray application is considered optional if pests have not been a huge problem in the past (it's a good preventative measure). Most fruit trees and roses benefit from one or 2 sprayings to control insects (smothering overwintering eggs). I will be doing my second application of horticultural oil this weekend, which is a little less than 2 weeks from my first application. 2-4 weeks apart is recommend. My schedule just works out best this way. I also have a lot of roses. Horticultural oil is great for them too. There's a few extra tips for roses in my area though. Basically, the roses in our area don't go dormant, so we can help force them into dormancy in January by removing their leaves. January is the time to prune them, strip them of leaves, and spray them with the higher dormant season rate. The roses will thank you soon by pushing out new growth. For all season oil, like the one I used, you can use the stronger dormant rate when spraying leafless, dormant roses. But use a lighter rate when roses are pushing out new leaves. Hope this helps others looking for the same info. It's specific and local though.... in different areas it may be completely different advice!

The seville sour orange is the most versatile rootstock and it produces the best tasting fruit until it is wiped out by tristeza. The Smooth flat seville resist Tristeza but produce inferior fruit. Might as well use the superior Poncirus trifoliata. Chinotto May produce superior fruit like Seville or may do no better than lemon rootstock. I cannot find info on fruit quality/Chinotto rootstock. Unfortunately being a sour orange offers no promise of good fruit. I wish you well on this one. Steve