That looks like a good soilless mix from here...Is it a light mix? How long does that mix take to dry out?

Transplanting and bare rooting my citrus trees is usually done at the most optimal time of the year, right around when summer starts...But that does not mean it can't be done now..

Do you know how to make the 5.1.1 mix or something like that?

If they were my trees, I would stick them in another bigger pot that will hold that tree once you place it on top of bark mulch or a mix until next spring..The mix in the bigger pot will pull moisture away from the pots it's in, like a wick and prevent your mix from staying wet too long..

From the looks of it, it looks like that mix has not compacted yet and will allow oxygen to the root through the winter..Am I wrong? Can you take a close up pic of that mix?

If that mix is not that great, then a re pot into the 5.1.1 mix is a must for you)

It is funny,I bought a Page about 6 or 7 years ago at Lowe's at the end of the season for $2.00. It is now growing in a 25 gallon container.

What am i using? Walmart sells a brand call Ecoscrap in 30 lbs bags. It is now on sale for $3.00 a bag,a couple of weeks ago it was $2.00. For me it is perfect medium,small bark etc...I have now about 20 bags for next spring up potting.

Make sure your tapwater ph is not high,7 is high, and not water too much only as needed. Your pot is small so be careful.

Persimmonbob, I have a bag of that stuff too..I am trying it out...I am just concerned many here will not know how to handle a mix that holds much more water than the 5.1.1 mix....Can you share what your cultural habits are if one was to use it?

Like, Do you get lots of sunlight? Do your trees grow all winter long under lights? Do you over size your pots? Do you only plant one size up from the root ball? How warm are the temps all year long your trees are exposed to? What kind of pots you use? How do you know when to water? Do you water until water runs through or in sips? Do you use a greenhouse? How long do you leave yours outside?? Do you summer your trees outside? How often do you re pot, the most important question..?

There are a select few that could get away with using a mix that holds much more of a perched water table than others, so explaining how to use this mix might help others to determine if it's right for their trees..

Most of us are either heavy handed with the watering can, of don't have enough light or heat to dry out our containers at an appropriate rate. Most of us can't use a mix that will condense in a short period of time...

Using the 5.1.1 mix or similar helps prevent mistakes, quick compaction and over watering issues...It's let's just say' more forgiving' than bagged mixes..Even this one for most.

Thanks )

Hi, thanks for all the advice so far

The mix is a soil less mix - and I don't think it has decomposed too much yet. My citrus are usually fine in the nursery potting mix until Feb - right before I can take them outside again - they start to suddenly lose leaves and twigs die back. (maybe its the temp near my windows?) I've bare rooted the half-dead citrus trees during the summer into potting mix + perlite without any transplant shock and good growth afterwards.

I've made repibark 5-1-1 for my smaller plants (cost isn't as bad), and they all seem very happy in it. I just think that I am awful at gauging when my citrus needs water indoors... I've tried the moisture meters, sticking a chopstick in the potting mix to see how dry/wet is it... For people like me, I thought the 5-1-1 may make it simpler not to over water during the winter months. I may just spend the extra $$$ for less citrus grief later on.

If that is what your gut is telling you, then go for it..To this day, yes, me, I still have a problem of when to gauge watering in anything but a good draining mix..I am so afraid to use a bagged mix on any of my trees because I never seem to get it right.

There is a member here, specifically Brian that uses a peatier mix and has great success with it. His trees are beautiful and I can tell you from knowing him all this time that he re pots very often, never allowing his mix a chance to compact.

The 5.1.1 is great for people that don't like to have to worry about compaction so often and can be very forgiving in the winter for us northerners..Even southerners...

You are right, once you have bare rooted into a fresh mix your trees take off because you have opened up the mix and allowed the roots to breathe..The 5.1.1 mix allows that all year long.

P.s..Twig die back and loss of leaves is not always due to over watering you know...You might want to figure out if you are providing enough sunlight while you keep your trees warm all winter. Or if you have pests.

Ecoscrap has a wetting agent but last only for a short period(3 months at best) it is gone already. I am not the cheapest person on the face of the earth but i don't go apesh.... either about soilless soils. How you water and fertilize your tree's is more important. 3 bags per container and a bit of perlite and some oildry good enough for 3 years.

So you amend it? That's what I figured...Great...

I wish you would of answered all my others questions, but I'll take what I can get. Thanks )

My index finger is what i use for moisture check, open some mulch, stick your finger 3 or 4 inches deep, if it feels moist wait a few days.Weeks of high temps like low nineties to high you have to check more often.

Btw,i also bought 10 bags of citrus/avocado fertilizer,Espoma brand that was on sale at Walmart,from all places, $4.50(8 lbs), and a bag of ironite, it has sulfur in it too.

I like Espoma products,it is good stuff to be use in spring and late summer in conjunction with my normal citrus fert.

Some of my citrus tree's and persimmons.

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the helpful comments - I like the sound of a 'forgiving' mix! I know that it's late in the season, but I may just repot it now in 5-1-1. Do you know how often Brian repots with his peaty mix?

I also have a owari satsuma (Unshuu) mandarin, meyer lemon, calamondin, and an ambersweet orange needing to be repotted!

my unruly... owari satsuma (unshuu) mandarin - grows in every which direction possible.

Persimmon bob -

Looks like a great collection! What citrus and persimmons do you have?

Chiranui, xie shan, 3 Meyers, Blood orange, Kumquat,and several seedlings from an old citrus forum moderator(Laaz) ,also a dozen Flying Dragon rootstock.

Persimmon, maybe nine different ones,all Asian and some europeans.

Persimbob, looks like you are using the ground for some pots to keep the roots warm and for wicking..Great job...

Mike, what i do during the late fall months, starting late fall bring in my citrus first in the garage when temps are around 35 *. Citrus do not need to go dorment, but they do need a resting period of about 2 months then they go under lights in my workshop till around April 15. The resting period is temps between 55 and 65 degrees.Sun is at a premium maybe 7hrs at best. No, i do not have a greenhouse. I use 3 coffee cans fertilized water every 4 days when temps are in the nineties and flush a 6 gls container of rain water every couple of weeks. i have 500 gl of collected rain water. My ph of well water 7.5 so i do not use it.

Growing citrus is a pita for sure!!! Btw that little Xi shan tree has 42 mandarins on it, i should not let it bear anything yet.

Persimmonbob..Not bad....I like it!

By the way I couldn't agree with you further..I think my trees like to rest, even for three months..That is why I keep them that cool for that long..They may not grow much, but they do focus of flower development and staying pest free)

Persimmon Bob,

Great collection! I wish I could have my citrus trees rest over the winter. I live in an apartment and I can't have the temps that low! Although I would dare to live at 60F for my citrus, my housemate would certainly kill me!

By any chance, are any of your persimmons in containers? I'm wondering if that's manageable... I really want to try yuzu and persimmons (in containers), but there's this Japanese proverb my parents repeat to dissuade me...

'Peaches and chestnuts take 3 (years), persimmons 8. Yuzu is a gigantic a** hole of 18 years.'

It's referring not only to the long time it takes to fruit, but the amount of care it takes to grow them. Maybe Ill give it a try...