Hi! I just started reading this thread today. You've gotten really good advice and your trees seem to be doing well. As to the yellowing leaves: I think you're getting some die-back just from the whole process, plus, you have a lot of tree for the small, new root mass you've grown. The roots just might not be able to supply sufficient sap to all parts and so it will be the older leaves that will go first. You have nice green young growth, and that's good.

Mike: should he pick off the blossoms this year? I think I would.

My plan was to pick off any small fruit that may form. Do you think I should repot with 5-1-1?

Uh oh! My first yellow leaf dropped off the tree this morning. It was one of the VERY yellow ones

Hi Stick...I'm sorry for not being around, ben a little side tracked)

I see your tree is doing ok considering all that you have been able to do for it. I would stick it right back into NON direct full sun until it seems to be ok.

I would also up the fertilizer to 1 tablesppon when you water..It's hard to judge from my vantage point because I can't work with that kind of mix. I am use to feeding at every watering and or giving more than the recommended dosage because I don't have to worry about my mix drying out or collecting disolved salts..
The fact that it takes that long to dry out concerns me...Roots can die back quickly if wet for too long. They suffocta every quickly.

Pick the fruit off for the time being and as for the blossoms, I would leave them and enjoy the fragrance...The fact that they are not dead yet is a good sign)

Yellow leaves and falling off the main trunk is common for citrus in shock mode even if the roots are healthy.
But yellowing from root rot is not, so please make sure you now that the roots are ok.

Mike

Mike, I hope all is well with your mother. Family always comes first, no apologies needed. So, I have not repotted into the 5-1-1 mix yet because I have been concerned about "over shocking" them. So I wanted to wait for your oppinion on that matter. Although when I noticed the leaves began to yellow again, I started misting the foilage in the morning with water and low dose of foilage pro and they almost instantly greened up again!

Another....
This pic seems yellower then they actually are? Maybe the sun light? Not sure. But still no where near as yellow as the last pics I took a few days ago

This post was edited by StickString on Sun, Sep 14, 14 at 17:10

Blossom pics

Blossom 2

Blossom 3

Stick holy crap!!! I can't believe how good they look...I am so excited for you)))

Listen, don't repot them...Leave them as is and continue to fertilize...ok..
Just keep doing what you are doing and fertilize fertilize..If you have a problem with your mix drying out, use the wicking method to draw moisture away from the pot or use the pot in pot method...This will hold you over until next spring...awesome. They are looking so nice..Love it.

Mike

Mike, thank you for the compliments! After reading your response earlier this afternoon my wife and I ran out and purchased all ingredients for the 5-1-1 mix. Should I skip repotting into the 5-1-1? Or should I just go ahead and do so considering I have all ingredients?
Again, thank you so much for taking the time our of your day to help me with these two tree's. I have learned ALOT!

Mike, I don't think I have a choice but to repot Into 511 mix. Last time I watered was 9/9/14. So it's been 6 days, I checked the mix and it is still very damp. No where near being ready for another watering....
Your thoughts ?

Stick, what's your real name by the way?

Listen, do you have access to bark mulch? Let em know.

I don't mind helping you at all)

MIke

Mike, my name is Nick. It's very nice to meet you.

Yes, I have access to plenty of pine bark. I can make my own, or purchase at most local hardware stores. I actually have all ingredients here in my home ready to be screened and mixed together.
I have :
Small Nugget Pine Bark
Coarse Perlite (#3)
Miracle Gro Brand Sphagnum Peat Moss
Garden lime
Oscomote Plus

If you feel I should go ahead and re-pot, then I will start screening the bark tomorrow and will try to get a 5-1-1 batch made.

Mike, should I soak all ingredients prior to mixing together? Or should I mix all ingredients dry and then lightly mist and mix every few hours for a couple days until all ingredients are well moistened and mixed thoroughly?

Thank you

Lime - 1 Tablespoon per gallon
Oscomote Plus - 1 Tablespoon per Gallon

Is this correct for the 5-1-1 mix?

This post was edited by StickString on Wed, Sep 17, 14 at 15:26

Hey Nick...You jumping ahead of me but I love the enthusiam))

DO NOT REPOT...YOu can do a simple little trick that will drain your pots of moisture to keep your rots very healthy..

Fill the bottom of a bigger pot that the ones your trees are going to be set into temporarily...Then set your pots on top of that bark mulch..

Fill in around the pot until it fills the pot up...That mulch will wick away any water that you have sitting in the pots your plants are in. It will make a huge difference with dry out time all the while drying your plants outevenly..Moisture is good, and in fact constant evenly light moisture is perfect..

You trees will do just fine until the spring when it's the best time to repot..In fact, if those were my trees, I would not fiddle around with the roots until next year.

Unless after this or the wick method and your mix is still staying too wet, then follow through with a repot as an emergency.

Mike

Ok mike, I will fill up a larger pot with the same bark I was planning to use for the 5-1-1 mix and place this pot in the center.... Just bark? Nothing else? Do I pre-moisten the bark? Do I water pot while inside of the bark filled pot or do I have to remove it at every watering?

My only fear is the problem I am having is due to the soil mix and perlite have seperated. As I seem to have a lot more perlite on the top of the container, and the bottom half of the container seems like 90% soil. Not the way I originally mixed it up.

This post was edited by StickString on Wed, Sep 17, 14 at 17:42

No. it;'s called bark MULCH... Do they sell pine or hemlock bark mulch in a bag for under 5 bucks at Home Depot Lowes or any other place?

It's what you use on your garden beds...It's got a lot of fine peices in it that will suck the moisture from the bottom of your pot...The kind of sifted bark you woud use for the 5.1.1 will not do that...Even dirt in that pot would do you will put the pot in would do.

Let me know.

Mike, yes I can get bark mulch. I will run to the hardware stores tomorrow and pick up a bag. I will keep you updated.

Mike, I had a question. The wooden dowels that I have been using for watering. Is it ok that I have been leaving them in the pots and just pull them out once a day to check for moisture? Or should I leave them out of pots until I need them and then stick them into pots?

Thanks.

Mike, I hope all is well. Just wanted to update you. The tree's are doing great. Showing signs of new growth everywhere and I have been removing 3-5 baby lemons everyday. I will snap some pictures for you soon.

I did have a question for you, would it be ok to continue fertilizing all through winter to maximize growth? Or would it be best to let it be through winter?

Mike, when I returned home from work today, I walked out back to take a look at my meyers and I noticed some yellowing that I have not seen before. Almost "spotty". I tried to do my research and being that I have been giving them 1 tablespoon of foilage pro per watering (every 2-3 days) instead of the 1 teaspoon that I may be in need of a fresh water flush.
So I ran a lot of clear water through pots in hopes of removing any built up salt that may have accumulated. I also read that if the PH level has dropped below 5.0 then this can also cause the blotchy yellow issue from lack of magnesium. As seen in the picture above, my city water has a average PH of 7.4. Should I be adding white vinegar to my water with the foliage pro. I was under the assumption I should, so I have been adding one cap full of vinager per 1 gal of water / fertilizer. Should I not add the vinager as I read your goal is to obtain a PH of 6-8, which I fall well within that.

Thank you again for everything you have done for me. These tree's would not have made it as far as they have without you

Another

Another

Another

Last picture

Hey Stick!@ I am so sorry I have not kept up with you(

I have been distracted and I will be back tonight to take a look at what you have to say. I also received your e-mail the other day and feel bad about not getting back yet. My intention has been to get back since I read..I will make the time soon..Don't panic over a leaf here and there.

It;s hard for me from my vantage point or not being there to watch your daily activities with these trees to determine what t do at times. but let me think about it and I may have to come back with more questions..We will try our best.

MIke

Mike,
Thank you very much, last night I flushed out their pots as stated above and asked my wife to update me on their conditions this afternoon. She has sent me a few pictures and they seem to be "wilting" or saggy. Can the problem be overwatering? I check them with a wooden dowel before watering and I always wait until where I believe the rootzone is to be dry although the bottom third always seems to be moist at the time of watering. I may not be reading the dowel correctly and could be over watering I suppose.

The other

Before I knew better I grew citrus in pure miracle grow citrus nothing mixed. I lost 2 trees but 3 trees did fine point is Miracle Gro citrus soil is bad but not a death sentence for all trees. It looks like to me the root system is to small for the trees and is struggling to cope. When your tree sprouted new growth the root system wasn't ready for it yet. But for a few weeks your trees look great until the sap demand for new growth tapped out the root system. This stressed the tree out and when u flushed the pots it overwatered it stressing it more. In a nut shell if u let the soil dry out a bit. And carefully water and care for it as Mike said the trees will recover. You will lose a lot of the old leafs but the new groth will replace it. Citrus trees store their energy in their leaves the trees suck energy from old leaves for new growth. That's why the older leafs are yellowing and falling off. I had this happen to a lemon tree once not rooted cutting but a lemon tree. The pot Blu over and it lost like 90 percent of its roots caused the pot broke. Needless to say it did the same thing that your trees are doing it did make a full recovery though and then still live.
Trace

Stick, I am thinking that the temps are getting too cold at night to have a wet mix sitting at the bottom of your trees...?

Then too, the stress of temps below 55 at night causes yellowing..Are your temps consistently remaining abouve let's say, 50 dgrees?

Tracy also made many good points.

MIke

Mike, I attached a weather report for this week, as you can see, it's obviously not the most accurate report but a general idea. Our low's are averaging 55 with a couple colder nights as of now.

Mike is right along with what I was saying also if the soil is too cold the citrus roots will not grow big enough to support the tree. Roots hate the grow in cold soggy wet soil I would try a plant heating pad under them to raise the soil temp. Citrus roots stop growing and taking up nutrients if soil is under 55 degrees. Citrus really never goes dormant but it kinda does under 55 degrees.
Trace

Would wrapping the Christmas tree lights around the pots accomplish warming the roots, or would a plant heating pad be a better idea?

Thank you

I use heating pads your can get them on Amazon for cheap. Christmas lights u can't control the heat as well. Provided link to one I have.
Trace

Here is a link that might be useful: seed mat

How are your trees doing.
Trace

Tcamp,
Thank you for checking in. Tree's are doing well. Our nights are begining to cool down. I believe we hit 43 last night. I moved my two small meyer cuttinhs inside for the winter and I ordered a mini greenhouse for the two tree's which should arrive tomorrow. I have been trying to baby them along hoping they do well until spring. I will take a picture of them when I get home from work.

How are they doing now stickstring? Any pictures? ;)

Bahamadan and all,

here is a update photo of my air layers. They r doing great. They are in 15 gal AirPots. I used Josh's advice and made a 5-2-1 mix (5 parts pine bark, 2 parts ocean forest potting mix and 1 part coarse perlite). They have been in these pots since April or May and have been doing great. I haven't let them fruit this year, and won't let them fruit next year either.

It has been a long time since I have updated here in regards to my air layered Meyer lemons. They are doing great. Had a rough summer, they were neglected BIG TIME, never watered for 3+ weeks due to an asbestos issue at our house and being forced to leave until everything was contained and cleaned. They were in very rough shape but bounced back quickly.

My question, I have been giving them 1 tsp per gal of FP at every watering (every two days). I've noticed a lot of my new growth seems to be hanging down more then growing up. Could the amount of FP have something to do with this?

Meyer lemons are more of a bush so if the shoots come out low and to the side they will curve downward.. No problem. your trees look great. Glad to hear from you on these trees.

6b Steve

I would increase the FP to 2 Tsp/gal.

Thanks Steve!

Vladimir,

I was under impression 2tsp per Gallon at every watering (every other day) would be a little heavy on the fertilizer?

Just wanted to post a update picture of my air layered Meyer Lemons. It has been a long road keeping these trees healthy and alive the first year, but have thrived since.

They are gorgeous, congratulations!

You have done an excellent job. There are few potted Meyer's that look that nice.

6b Steve