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Potting My First Citrus Tree!

17 years ago

hmm. first off i suppose i should ask a crucial question in regards to said citrus tree....does anybody know how big a Lemon Drop lemon tree gets? I've purchased for it a 22" diameter and about 2' deep glazed terracotta pot to transplant it into, and am wondering if, ultimately, its going a be big enough to be a permanent home. the reason i've chosen a pot is that my mothers three lime trees (in the ground) seem stuck in a cycle of freezing every winter, and slowly recovering just in time to freeze again. given this i prefer having the option of moving my lemon drop inside should the need arise. Is the pot i've purchased going to be big enough? third question....it has about 7 lemons on it currently. none of the plants i've planted this year have even looked inclined to go into shock, but i've never dealt with citrus before. If i pot it, will there be any adverse effects to the fruit? Last question...it is currently in the pot i bought it in, and i've watered it with an miracle gro mix shortly after i purchased it...maybe tuesday? anyway, i have some citrus tree fertilizer spikes. when i transplant it, can i use one of those in the pot?

all in all i'm not too much sure about anything, as i've been gardening a total of about three weeks. ANY advise would be appreciated!

thanks,

Katie

Comments (7)

  • 17 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Here is a brief description & depiction of your tree:

    http://www.montosogardens.com/garcinia_intermedia.htm

    Make sure the soil mixtures you purchase & mix are very well draining to prevent root-rot. Be sure and mix in some sphagnum peat moss in your soil mixture. Make sure you have adequate drain holes in bottom of the container.

    Purchase some Osmocote/ Outdoor & Indoor plant food which is 19-6-12 and apply a few tbls. to the top 3 inches of your soil mixture. Then you can purchase some water soluble fertilizer such as Miracle-Gro all purpose plant food that is 24-8-16 and mix up a few gallons and use this every month around a normal watering schedule. Do not overwater the tree and only when you observe the top 3 inches of soil to be dry.

    Most veteran citrus growers do not suggest using citrus spikes for fertilizer.

    Check the soil temperature after a few days and do not place containerized tree in direct sunlight if soil temp is below 60F degrees in the container.

    Regards & Good Luck with your new tree.

  • 17 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    thanks so much for your advice! am going to see about potting it sunday or monday. am currently being laid to waste by a nasty cold :( life is cruel indeed to make me horribly sick while we're having such lovely weather!

    Anyway, i'll see about the sphagnum peat moss and the Osmocote possibly tomorrow. i've heard good things about it but i don't believe we have any.

    and just to clarify, do not place my potted tree in direct sunlight if soil temp is above or below 60F?

    should be fine for now but it does tend to get dreadfully hot in the summer round these parts.

    thanks!

    Katie

  • 17 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    During the winter months most citrus trees are somewhat dormant when the soil temperature drops below 60 degrees. If in the spring the soil temperature is still BELOW 60 and some folks actually say 65 then the plant is still in a dormant state and the root system will not feed the tree with nutrients. So if you place the tree in direct sunlight exposing the leaves to direct sun then you may experience yellowing of the foliage & leaf-drop. If you can find a thermometer around 10 inches stick it down in the container. If you cannot find Osmocote in your area then any slow release pelletized fertilizer close to the ratio of 5-1-3 will be fine.

    Regards

  • 17 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    I've never heard of a lemon drop tree. That being said, is the tree you're getting in the ground or already in a pot?

    I'm asking because you're suggesting the diameter/depth of the pot you're planning on putting it into. This depends a lot on where you're taking it from...

    As far as potting mix, I've always heard to incorporate some bark/pine chips and perlite, not so much any type of moss because you want the mixture to have excellent drainage.

    Also, as far as fertilizer, they do sell an organic vine/citrus mix available at most nuseries.

    I've had very good luck with my tangerine, lemon, and lime trees & I hope this helps!

  • 17 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago

    Katie, congrats on your new citrus, I as well just got my first citrus in the mail today! Mike and Toni, just to let you folks know, it is indeed a Meyer lemon (not grafted). Its about a foot and a half tall and already has a good amount of buds forming. I potted it using equal parts Miracle Gro for citrus growth medium, perlite and orchid bark which seems to be draining well according to my first watering. As for a fertilizer I just bought a bottle of Dynamite All Purpose (18-6-8) w/ micro nutrients which is ok, but I would like the potasium to be a little higher and the phosphorus to be a lil lower. Unfortunately it was the best fert Home Despot carriers (nothing worse than having to bring myself to go into a big box...), no other stores around me carry Dynamite brand (except Lowes as the Garden Select label, but the formulation on the one kind they had was 14-14-14 I think which didnt sound good at all). I am just about ready for the weather to get consistantly nice here in Chicago but unfortunately we only get teased with the 70 degree days. They simply will not last here until the end of May. Also, the guy that sold me the Meyer also sent me a few calamondin fruits as well, so I peeled back the seedcoats on the seeds and have started 5 cups w/ seeds. I am pretty excited about all of this right now!

    Joe

  • 9 years ago

    Wow, this is a great bit of advice. Thank you.