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Transplanting a grapefruit tree

13 years ago

Hello all. Under my grandparent's 30 year old Ruby Grapefruit tree in Arizona there were several baby trees, each about 15" tall. I dug up two of them (most of the soil fell off the roots which I wrapped in a damp towel and put into a ziplock), and Fed-exed them to my home in Los Angeles. I flew home the same day and transplanted the two trees into 2 large clay pots with outdoor planting soil and packed the soil well. I then watered them down.

Am I doing this right? I have planted a couple of lemon trees that were 4 years old that came from pots into my yard. But going from a naturally grown young tree in the ground to a pot and then someday I hope to put in the ground...is this the best method?

We just sold my grandparent's house and i LOVED that tree, so this is my way to keep those grapefruits alive.

Thanks for any insight.

shaun

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Comments (5)

birdsnblooms
13 years ago
Shaun. This is a very difficult question to answer.
When a plant is potted in Clay, soil dries out must faster.
Did you say these pots were previously used? If not, I hope you soaked them..new clay absorbs water. In some cases, when watered, roots don't get enough water because of clay.

Garden soil. Was the soil dug from your garden? Most garden soils are either too heavy, too sandy, etc. Garden soil should be baked to rid disease, insects and weeds.
Is the soil well=draining? When you watered, did water absorb in the soil or linger on top? Toni
meyermike_1micha
13 years ago
I would go to your local nusery a.s.a.p., and ask them what type of soil they pot theirs in and grab some...

Those questions toni asked are good ones! If you can say no to well draining, and yes to linger on top, then your tree will be dead as fast as you can blink an eye..:-(

If your looking for a long term potting mix, and plan on keeping the tree in a container for a while, then I would go to the "container forums" and look for what best suits you for your growing area.

Happy growing..

Mike
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Neo - thanks for your research. I contacted my county agricultural office and they also think it's psorosis. Sirous - maybe this will help you too, here's their diagnosis: I believe your grapefruit tree has citrus psorosis virus (CPsV). If this is the case, then the tree has had this virus its entire life. It may not have been obvious until now because it is the type of virus that can be dormant and then emerge. The severity of symptoms can also vary from year to year depending on how healthy or stressed the tree is. This type of virus tends to take advantage anytime the tree is in a weakened state. It is not curable. As the tree ages and becomes weaker, it will not be able to defend itself against the virus. General information about the disease: http://idtools.org/id/citrus/diseases/factsheet.php?name=Psorosis http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/r107100100.html While it is not curable, there may be some things you can do to help support the tree's health and prolong it's life and fruit production. If you are interested in learning how to manage your tree's disease, I would reach out to a specialist who can assist you. You can also research the disease on your own and attempt treatment. Information about treatment: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4188200/ http://fshs.org/proceedings-o/1929-vol-42/110-118%20(RHOADS).pdf
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silica
13 years ago
First of all when you dug up a citrus tree in Arizonia, and shipped it to California by Fed Ex,you broke the law. It is illegal to ship citrus trees into the state of California. I suspect the reason you sent it via Fed Ex, instead of bringing the tree with you when you flew back to California, is because you knew it was illegal. If I knew who you were, I would report you to the authorieties.
acamb_yahoo_com
11 years ago
@ Silica, if you want to be a busy body, stay in California. Citrus Snob.
mksmth zone 7a Tulsa Oklahoma
11 years ago
you do realize this thread is almost a year old.

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