Myself I don't fertilize newly potted citrus until new growth. I add Magnesium (Epsom salt) every 2-3 months.
I do feed my citrus between 200-400 ppm of nitrogen with every watering. I stay away from fertilizers that contains high amounts of Urea as a source of nitrogen.
I also found that giving a containerized Meyer lemon bottom heat will greatly improve the success rate in producing a fruitful tree as well as a fast flowing soil mix.
I do not know anything about using Citritone or what it is. Peerhaps you can help.

I myself would not use "epsom salts" since you are already adding the "dolomite" which provides the Mg you need anyway..If I am not mistaken, it also provides calcium..

If you start going over-board on the Mg, then you will inhibit the balance of both Ca and Mg..There is a fine balance needed for one nutrient not to offset another..If you start adding to much Mm, or salts, you will start seeing your plants respond to a defficiency to calcium..

I would make sure your fertilizer provides both Mg and Ca while at the same time provide all the other nutrients to sustain your plants, in a balanced way..That is why I use FP..This fertilizer rpovides it all..No guessing..

If I were to use ES, then it would be in a mix in which I have added gypsum to balance the plants need for both..

Mike

If you start adding to much "Mg"..Sorry..

Thanks for the feedback plant54 & meyermike.

BTW, what does "200-400 ppm" mean?

ppm = Parts per million of nitrogen per gallon of water.

I just realized when I said "Citratone" I meant to type "Citrus Tone" by Espoma. It's a 5-2-6 organic fertilizer...

I personally stay away from unreliable organic fertilizers that can take forever to get utilized by a plant. By the time bacteria breaks them down to be readily avaible to the plant, my plants have already suffered, then get whalloped all at once with to much fertilizer, if conditions are favorable for a plant..I have used them for years, and to me, they are nothing be desired when it comes to clogging up your soil in any container..In fact, I myself have a bag of "citrus tone" that I use for my azeleas now..

My plants would always show signs of defficiency before that stuff ever worked. It would cause rapid decomposition of the mix, and qick compaction around the roots, bringing on "funas gnats", further decline, and eventual death......

I do use the organics in the garden bed I have and in my outdoors soils though..That is the only thing I use...

Meyermike,
What do you mean FP for you fertilizer? I've got some Citrus Tone that was recomended by the nursey that I got my last Satsuma orange from. I'm willing to switch since I've only started it last month.

Charles

To prevent overfeeding or underfeeding micro-nutrients and to avoid over fertilization in general isn't it better to feed a complete dilutable plant food at half the recommended rate? And not to critsize, but not being a chemist how much is 400 ppms nitrogen/gal of water in general terms? 1-2 tsp/gallon of water?

Myself I don't use organic fertilizers either. I recently started using 25-5-15 HPF water soluble as it does not contain any Urea. All my citrus are in containers that contain a fast flowing soil mix.
Urea takes time to break down one reason I dont like using it for my container citrus.
Charles you could use Citrus Tone to see how it works for you. You can always try some else.
I used Miracle-Gro 30-10-10 for a year or so. and it worked well. I think youll be happy with your Satsauma
I have a Owari, Dancy, Ortaniqe and a few others in the green house.

Fp stands for Foliage Pro..

Since citrus are heavey feeders, especially in the N.P.K, Ca, Mg, Fe, and other minors and macro's, this provides all, and takes the guess work out.

It has the Ca and Mg needed that they need to be healthy and grow vibrant in color too, since most fertilizers do not..

Also, citrus are heavy "Nitrogen" feeders, in which organics can not provide fast enough in containers, for them to absorb, or the amount "high" enough to satisfy their appetites in a rapid manner..Believe me, these are self gratification plants, and when they want nutrients, they want it now...

I used "citrus tone" on many of mine in the past, and had good results in the first month, never knowing if it was because of that, but lost several to Nitrogen absorbtion and root rot problems..They died an ugly yellow..

They are also Fe lovers..Using organics, I had to constantley suppliment with Fe, which at certain points became toxic..

If you do not know what you are doing,such as a chemist might, by providing many different organics and or chemicals,or organics and chemicals without the other nutrients required, you can cause a difficiency to develope in one area by providing to much of a certain nutrient in another..Sort of a antogonistic thing..

All the guess work is taken out of feeding citrus in containers, by using a well balanced fertilizer readily available in a perfect ratio at which it is easily, and readily absorbed in a balanced manner.

I no longer wanted to play "God" or "mother nature" for these, my favorite plants, always trying to guess what they needed for nutrition and if I was providing enough in the right amounts..I lost several in the past trying.

You should ask what the nursery feeds their plants or citrus. I can bet you it is not what they are telling you to use or buy..All chemicals for them, their own mixes..

Riceke, has it right, but I use even less at each watering..I use 1/4 tsp per gallon, with a capful of vinegar to keep my media on the acidic side....

Plant54,
We know you are a chemist, but I too am curious about the same recommendation you have made, but in a simplistic manner...:-)400pms per gallon? Thank you..;-)

Mike

Here is a link that might be useful: Here is a helpful article..

Mike, No I'm not a chemist, just a simple old man that enjoys growing citrus. A few years ago I was lucky enough to come across a site that would do this. Unfortunately GW will not allow me to link it. The ppm of nitrogen is based on the amount of nitrogen in your fertilizer.

Well no matter what, you are a big help here and thanks for sharing what you too have been learning with us then..

I always enjoy your posts and way of growing citrus..Thank you!!

Mike..:-)

plant54 and myermike,
After reading and thinking about what you two have said, I think I'm going to stay with what worked good last year. That is all purpose Miracle Grow (24-8-16). It seemed to work really good last year.
BTW plant54, I have a MIHO and added an Owari we love the fruit. Now looking for a dwarf lemon to go with my improved meyers.

Charles

That too a great ratio mix suggested by many!I think it was recommended in the article provided above..

I never use that it though. Does it have Ca and Mg in it?

How do you supply both these?

Thanks Charles...;-)

meyermike,

The Ca comes from the water around here. No Mg, though I thought it had some. Trying to do this from memory. Out of it right now. Several sources I've read seem to indicate something in the neighbor hood of 25-15-15.
I mix it 1/2 Tbs to about 1 1/2 gallon of water. I feed aobut every 7 to 10 days.
As I said it seems to have worked well the last year or so, then again with the micro-neutrants (sp) I think it would take a while to show up.

I'll think about the Foliage Pro. See if I can find some around here.

Charles

I'm currently using the all-purpose MG right now too. We are over lime rock bedrock so hopefully I can get Ca and Mg from the water as well (not sure of how to test it. I do plan on getting FP in a few months so I will be keeping a close eye on them for deficiencies.

Charles I use Jacks Professional 25-5-15 25# bags and use a little less than 1 Tsp per gallon of water, this gives about 300 ppm of nitrogen. I use this for each watering. Every 2-3 months I add (MG) 1/4 tsp. of Epsom salt per gallon of water. My citrus are grown in containers using a fast flowing soil mix. I like using 25-5-15 because it does not contain any Urea. Fertilizers that contain a high amount of Urea takes time to break down in order to convert it as nitrogen.
In the past Urea has been associated as a human waste product. Although I'm told this is not true. I still would not use any fertilizer that contains a high amount Urea for container citrus.
Charles I'll send you a mail.

This is fantastic thread...Thanks everyone for the info, and alternative fertilizers in case FP ever goes out of buisness...;-)

Mike

plant54,
I'll look forward to it...

Charles

Mike. Whats FP? Maybe it was a typo meaning (JP) Jacks Professional. I never looked at the long runs to whats available. If jacks run out this mix. I will look for another that is low in Urea and something close 25-5-15. I'm no professional in growing citrus but always willing to learn. Can you give us your fertilizer mix and name of the company. I'm always willing to learn.

Sure..:-)

It is called Foliage Pro....I think you can google it and see the ingredients it has..It also has Calcium and Mg in the mix, which in my case, most fertilizers around here do not....Wait until you see the nutrients in this stuff. It is the ONLY thing I need to feed all my plants, and have peace of mind that not a trace of mineral is missing in the rite ratios in which plants utilize nutrients..

The company that makes this product is called Dyna-Gro and you should have no problem aquiring it..For me, it is the "gold" of fertilizers, priceless, better than anything I have ever used..I even use it on my orchids which blossom like crazy..I will post the end results from this product tomorrow here..Be on the look out..:-))))

Plant54, you seem to feel the same way as I feel about your mix, and I love that! They say the key to success for citrus is the mix the roots sit in...

Mike..

Momma:
About using Epsom salt. It is magnesium sulfate with water crystalyzed in (no calcium). It is often necessary to use on citrus if the water contains excess calcium (lime) which will show up as hardness in the kitchen and bath.

Our city lies about the water. If you know anyone with a pool get them to test your water if you think you have hard water. Or get test kit yourself. Alkaline is pH above 7 (aka basic). Acid is below 7 pH. Most citrus are comfortable on the slightly acid side, about 6-7.

Do not go treating with acid blindly and meters can be unreliable

When I say comfortable I mean the actual roots of the tree perform well in absorbing nutrients. A grafted tree, is usually adapting the fruiting top to a local soil and water type by using a rootstock determined best by trial and error. However big box stores today dont care about that and sell you whatever they can.

Try to find out if your tree is a cutting or grafted. Cuttings can handle a wider range pH than many rootstocks.
They may need staking though.

If you keep your tree in a outside in in z9b I reccommend an outer container with an air gap to avoid overheating the roots. Or some other shade on the roots can be helpful. Sun on the roots will cause huge problems. Roots like to be in the mid 80s max but that is impossible.

Only after strictly controlling water pH and root temps can we discuss your original question. My pots are all outside in z9a/b and I try to keep modified organic program. My mix is based on pine bark and sand and is an attraction to earthworms. I tried perlite but our humidity is just too high. So I have to use a lot of water with a fast draining mix. I use 1 tbs Microlife 6,2,4 every 3 months in a 7 gal std nursery container. And 1/4 tsp/ gal potassium nitrate in the water twice a month along with 1/2 tsp / gal Epsom salt. I adjust the pH to ~6.5 with vinegar every time I water.

I do not have the problems Mike has because the earthworms take care of the mix.

It is O.K. to use a fertilizer or soil ammendment with urea if it says for citrus. That means they have taken out the impurity toxic to citrus which commercial urea contains. You can also use very small quantities of regular urea if it is in an ammendment because the impurity is small, the microbes will handle it if you
use microbe promoting techniques.

In hot dry periods when I have to water extra, I add nitrate and Mg more often. I stop fertilizing after mid Sept. to induce cold hardiness. In the spring my trees are looking starved but they can take 25 deg prolonged and never blink.

One more thing, your lemon will be more likely to bear if you dont over pot it. That is, 5 gal -> 7 gal or 10 gal max. When these container plants feel constricted they respond with fruit, when you over pot they respond with vegatative growth. This is reason to go slow on the the fert. You cant be certain of how the thing will react to
repotting.

If I went over your head, pls ask on any point. I tried to not get too deep on any so you can catch up.

Welcome to the wonderful world of citrus.

Mike:

Ppm / gal is incorrect. Use ppm. Or use Quantity / unit vol or unit weight.

Larry

Sorry Mike. I meant #54 on the /gal thing.

Larry

Thank for the explanation..:-)

Hoping you are well,

Mike