Jerobi..I've 20 citrus here in IL, all growing in soil. It's possible, even with the orchid bark, the soil you used was too heavy..
I use a mix of Black soil, Peat, Sand and Perlite. It's well draining, and so far, no problems,
Also, because 4winds sends bare-root plants, sometimes it's difficult choosing a proper size container..What size did you use? You don't want one too large.
Were you satisfied w/the plants u got at 4winds? If not, you should send them back and locate another nursery that sells larger trees at more reasonable prices.
I don't agree w/them about using rose soil. I saw the post you mentioned, and had to chuckle..for one thing, I don't know how safe rose soil is to use on indoor plants..I'm not sure it's sterilized like regular houseplant soils. Toni

A mix that is surely one of the MOST popular citrus mixes on this Forum is CHC (Coconut Husk Chips) and peat moss. I blend 4 parts CHC and 1-1/2 parts peat moss. I use either 1/4 inch or 1/2 inch (or a blend of both) depending on the size of tree that I am transplanting. To this mix I add Osmacoate slow release fertilizer, STEM (Soluble Trace Element Mix) and Dolomite. Some other forum members also add manure. I would never ever ever add actual soil (dirt) to any container medium. Soil is much to dense and easily compacts. You can find hundreads of threads written by the many container citrus growers on this forum concerning their use of CHC/peat moss. CHC's hold up to seven times their weight in water and release it to the roots as required, and naturally gives a medium pH of 6.4 which is the exact pH required by citrus trees. CHC/peat moss is an excellent growing medium. Lastly there is an excellent thread by Lisa concerning Coconut Husk/peat moss/manure blend on this forum. Look for it.- Millet

Follow up...You can substitute pine chips, other wood chips for the Coconut Husks, and they would give you much the same qualities as the CHC's. The main problem with using pine or common wood chips is that they degrade rather quickly when mixed into a moist planting medium and then tend to form a mat with the peat moss and the medium loses the aeration and fast draining. Also they do not absorb as much water as CHC's and do not give the proper pH. Cedar chips and Red Wood chips might possibly last as long as CHC (I really do not know as I have never used them) but again they do not hold as much water as CHC's. CHC last approximately 5 years, - Millet

I do not see any reason to spend a small fortune on CHC's..The shipping alone is outrageous.
Citrus have been planted in soils for hundreds, thousands of years..
Also, if you have small children/pets, and your citrus will be placed indoors in winter, be cautious of STEM. I went to a site that sells it, and there are several warnings. Toni

Well, I just switched over to Orchid mix, blended a bit with mulch, and a handful of composted manure- i DO seem to need to keep an eye on her a bit more.

Ive got my Calamondin in part sun since transplanting, and she wilts a bit quicker now (I think watering every 2-3 days is ideal.) But, I now know I am not risking root rot. (its been raining a lot here, and the potting soil was getting really soppy)

Since CHC lasts that long, Im strongly considering giving it a try.

Just for fun, do you know if its the big usually green looking outer husk that is processed, or the brown, 3-holed cocunut shell? it might be time for a pina colada party if a gal could smash it up herself....?

Garnetmoth,

It is the husk. Fibrous and thick, it's a by-product of the coconut processing. I think they mostly come from Indonesia. The best part of using CHCs is, it is physically impossible to overwater (as long as your pots have drainage holes that is).

Casa your certainly correct. The particular CHC's that I purchase, from the Crystal Company of Saint Louis, come from the island of Sri Lanka. - Millet

As more places start to sell CHC, the price will come down. I got mine from a place called Roberts Flower Supply (www.orchidmix.com) and even with shipping it wasn't that expensive.

I'm new to citrus, but have been gardening for years. I love the characteristics of CHC. It drains well, but holds a lot of water. I also used coco peat (coir) in my mix. My reasoning is that it won't decay as fast as peat moss, but has the same texture.

Stuart

Here is a link that might be useful: CHC Source

I just went to a mix of 2.5 parts of SunGro Metro Mix 500 and 0.5 parts Shcultz orchid mix (Lowes, Wal Mart). Seems to drain well yet retains decent moisture. All six plants putting out new flushes of leaves and blossoms.

So far, so good.

If I could find someone local that sells the CHC I'd try them, but I do not care to mail order them.

.....Alan.

Alan, I don't know much about Metro Mix or Schultz products, so I cannot fairly make any comments. I would just say, that just about every freshly made growing mixture, no matter what its ingreadients may be, has good aeration and good draining when first made. However, many start to compact or "Cake" down after repeated irrigations. Hopefully, your mixture will give your tree good service over an long extended period. Thanks for the information. - Millet

I've been using the Metro Mix for a while and have not seen it cake or settle very much. The Schultz stuff is really chunky, way more than I'd have thought you'd want to plant an orchid in, but I know nothing of orchids. Were we not getting so much rain this year the Metro Mix would have suited me fine, but this year we have spells where it may rain two or three times a day. Another system suddenly popped up off the Bahamas as a matter of fact so my weekend plans may take a sudden hit.

.....Alan.

Thanks for the great advice! I'm glad to hear that wood chips will be a suitable substitute for the hard-to-find CHC's. I'm going to leave out the STEM since I don't want to any risk to my cat (there have been warning on this thread over it). Millet, how much Osmacote should I go with? Which blend? And once I add that, should I continue using the the soluable Miraclegrow For Azalias once a month, or is that overkill with the Osmacote?

Also, is buying the Dolomite worth it for one small tree?

I'm not looking forward to losing some of the roots, but I plan to be as careful as possible, and probably go with the water-dunking method to see if I can clean most of the soil off.

Alan, I've used the Orchid mix too, and liked it very much. The only downside is that it won't last as long as CHCs and the Perlite is messy, but it does a good job of keeping the soil airy, and easy draining. I always have my husband look for it when he goes to Walmart and if it is on sale, he'll get as much of it as he can. I'm using it in mixes for rare Palm seedlings and so far they are liking it.

Where are you getting Metro Mix? I've not seen it around Palm Beach county. Is it a peaty type mix? I noticed today that the last few potted fruit trees on the patio that are still in MG potting soil need repotting ASAP since the soil is compacted and is both hard to wet, and slow to drain.

I use the CHCs for my favorite plants that are in big pots, and the orchid mix for smaller ones that I know I'll have to repot within the year.

Lisa

Eventually, orchid mixes that are sold in stores will probably contain CHC as more and more orchid growers are using it.

Jerobi, To think STEM is a dangerous chemical is just plain silly. Every time a person uses a fertilizer containing trace minerals, (and citrus certainly requires trace minerals) they ARE using STEM. Most every fertilizer, commerical nursery, greenhouse, grower/shipper and landscaper use STEM. Concerning Osmacote, when I am making up potting soil I add 5-oz./cu. ft., or 8-lbs./cu.yard. As a top dressing for containers, the rates are 1-gal pots 6-grams, 5-gal containers 104-grams (about 4-ounces). I add dolomite at the rate of one cup per 5-gallons of potting mix. It is usually recommended to still use regular fertilizer when using a slow release fertilizer. Take care - Millet

I would agree with Millet on the STEM. I use it when the local garden center has it in stock on both my inground & potted citrus. I have two Rott's & a cat and have never had a problem with it. I also use Osmocote on all my citrus with great results.

In lew to one of the above postings pertaining to CHC and the use of Stem. One can draw his or her own conclusion on using either or..

Myself I bought a 7cf. of CHC chips for less than $50.00. That gave me more than I need. Buying the small bricks can add up. I understand because I started out with them..They can be costly..

My cheapest tree is $20.00 the most is $56.00. My opinon is.. dirt is cheap.. more problems with it. to wet to dry compacting repotting

CHC do a 4-1,,3-1 with peat..No troubles No over watering No compacting,, dry not much of a problem never had that problem..If one had two citrus trees in pots both outside one in CHC the other in potting soil,,And it rained for say five days one would be more concerned with the potting soil than the CHC..After doing CHC I would never put any of my Citrus in soil again!!!

As far as stem go's My wife an I have a Grandson running around here 5yrs He knows that the fert.along with the Stem isnt kool-aid..Although as far as Stem go's I got some last and just started using it to early to say but one week after no neg. Millet would not recommand it. If he didnt use it first..Dale