Suzy,
I must say it doesn't look that bad at all...looks about as good as mine, actually :-)

The watering is going to have to be done in multiple passes at a slow trickle.
Bottom-watering is not something that I like to recommend, but it may serve to get this
mix moist again. Managing moisture levels with this kind of mix is going to be difficult
because of the uneven drying.

Lukewarm water will help penetrate the peat, as will lightly scratching the soil surface.
You might also try poking a thin skewer down into the mix to create channels for water
to get to the center of the root-mass.

Josh

To add to josh's advice. sometimes I had issues similar to yours and i would submerged the entire pot in a bucket of water and just let it soak for 20-30 mins It wont hurt the tree at all and should let the water penetrate the entire mix. I have also added a bit of fertilizer to the water when i do this. Figured it couldnt hurt.

Mike

This post was edited by mksmth on Mon, Jan 7, 13 at 16:04

Oh yes, that's what I meant by bottom-watering.
As I mentioned in the other Thread with the same advice, I would only do this once,
just to wet the soil volume. Thereafter, try to keep on top of the moisture levels
so that such tactics aren't required.

The other caveat that I mentioned was that the roots may very well be dead in the dry soil,
and by saturating that volume of soil we may be inviting root-rot. Also, if there are no roots
in that area of the soil, there won't be nearly as much moisture removed....which means that
the soil could stay wet for a very, very long time.

Josh

good point Josh. I have only done this in dire situations where for what ever reason I couldnt get my mix to get wet.

Mike

Thank you both I will try it.. Will the yellow lemons and leaves just fall off and the tree be okay?

Will the yellow lemons and leaves fall off
. I gave the tree coffee grains a week ago

Will the yellow lemons and leaves fall off. I did give it coffe grains last week

Will the yellow lemons and leaves fall off. I did give it coffe grains last week

Sorry about Multiple messages

What does the yellow mean??

Suzy, the yellow lemons will most likely fall (many fall off regardless).
The yellow leaves, likewise, will be shed. In the pic provided, you can see
that the yellow leaves are low and, thus, old. Trees naturally shed the oldest leaves.
If the entire tree were yellowing, I would suspect two things: overwatering, lack of nutrients.

Now, however, let me address the latest issue:
please scrape away any coffee grounds that you can, and don't add them to a container plant again.
Coffee grounds are fine in the yard, garden, compost pile, or as mulch in the beds. But coffee grounds
are too fine a particle in a container, and will cause drainage issues. Secondly, coffee grounds
may contain excess salts that can accumulate in your soil over time. And thirdly, coffee is a very
small source of nitrogen and acidity and not worth adding for the return you get. Save it for the garden.

Josh

Any idea what the Yellow lemons are from? Should I use a fertilizer now since it does have 3 green pretty big lemons?

Yes, fertilize. Lemons are heavy feeders.

What fertilizer do you have available?

Josh

Suzy, did you ever scrape away the grinds?

Mike:-)

Hi josh and Mike at home we only have Holly Tone and Miricle Grow. iIn the next few. Days I hope to get a citrus and ovacoto fertilizer. Mike no I did not scrap it. It has been
over a week.. Do you think that I still need to? The baby is now dark brown. Should I pick it off?

Yes, please remove the coffee grounds...they're bad for a container mix no matter when you added them.
The longer they stay in the container, the more detrimental the impact on the mix itself.

Miracle Grow is probably just fine. Start with a 1/4 strength dose.

Hey, Mike!

Josh

Okay. Should I remove the brown lemon?

Either way.
It'll most likely fall off on its own.

Josh

Hi Josh how long do you think I have to wait before I could use The miracle grow?

Suzi, first off, it looks to me? like your lemon is potted in a nursery pot in nursery soil? Or, have you potted it previously in a well-draining potting medium? If you absolutely cannot re-pot (in a larger pot with a good potting mix, like 511 mix), in order to rehydrate your tree quickly, I'd simply take it to the bath tub, and soak it well, to rehydrate the potting mix where it has become hydrophobic. Not sure why you would but coffee grounds in, not really recommended. You can add coffee grounds to your compost pile, that's okay, but would not use coffee grounds in any container plant. Also, you might want to consider buying Dyna Gro's Foliage Pro. It has just the correct ratio of NPK as well as micronutrients. And, you can also add Osmocote Plus (it must be the "Plus" formulation of Osmocote, and there are 3 or 4 different formulations, so be sure to purchase the "Plus" as the NPK ratio is more optimal for citrus, plus it has the micronutrients, hence the "plus"). You mention MiracleGro, so I'm assuming you mean their "All Purpose Plant Food" formulation? That has a 24-8-16 (3-1-2 ratio), but no micros, so I would try to switch when you can. It's not a bad ratio, close to the ideal ratio of 3-1-5, but again, no micronutrients, and citrus do need those, as well as the macros (NPK). As long as your tree's soil is well saturated, and has no dry spots, you can start fertilizing. 1/4 to start is fine, then next time (as long as the soil is not dried out), you can then go to 1/2 strength.

Patty S.

Hi Patty no i never repotted my tree. it is in It's original soil and pot. I would trransplant it now. But it was 3 pretty big Green lemons. I have scraped the Soil but it's hard to see the coffee grains. I remember you mentioning the 2 fertizers before. Do you use them together and how? I Use coffee grains because I read that they would good But I never will again. I have noticed that the Soil in the top of the pot is kind of compacted so I have to Somehow Break it apart

Suzy, by the way, coffee grounds can repel water more than peat if left to go bone dry.

Hello Josh and Patty!

Well, I would still try to re-pot your tree. It sounds like it's root-bound, and although it's looking good now, it is more important to protect the overall health of the tree, than worry about a couple of lemons it has :-) I would get it in a much larger pot with 511 mix. And, I apply the Osmocote Plus twice or three times a year, but your applications may be different, as I have my potted citrus outside year 'round. Check with the Mikes & Josh, they both do container citrus very well, they can give you better guidance than I on fertilizing for indoor citrus :-)

Patty S.

And, hi Mike!!

Thanks Patty. What about DYna Gryro? How often? The tree is outside. In Summer. Do you lived in the warm south?

Thanks Patty. What about DYna Gryro? How often? The tree is outside. In Summer. Do you lived in the warm south?

I live in S. California, in San Diego county. And, I will defer to our more expert container growers for the frequency with DynaGro. I would think once a month would be adequate, but Mike, Mike or Josh can better advise you.

Patty S.

The last 2 times after I have watered and the draining stops I go to bed. By the next day Moore water Has drained

Okay thank you very much Pattyz. You were a very big help