Here it is...

Our soil is very sandy and full of rocks. I keep picking them out as they pop up.

Are the roots supposed to be this far up? I just noticed this. I think the soil might be washing away some...

Please help me help my tree.

That soil looks way too dense for anything to grow in…..I would gently remove it and pot it in a nice pot with a gritty mix or with my tangerines I buy an organic potting mix and amend it with bark chips. Tangerine trees do great in pots. I give them a fertilizer called "Apples and Oranges" I bought on ebay and the tangerines love it. I also use humic acid mixed in with the fertilizer.

Our soil is extremely sandy, the further I dig the sandier it gets. Since I had no idea about root pruning, should now be a good time to do that? Yesterday I got everything I need for Al's 5-1-1 mix: Repti Bark, perlite and sphagnum peat moss. I never knew you can grow a citrus, or any tree, in a pot. This is a whole new world for me. It's pretty neat.

Thank you for the help.

Yup, you can and it will do great so as long as you feed it well. Just use a quarter of the fertilizer reccommended and use at every watering. It's a great looking tree by the way so make sure you take good care of it!

Thank you so much! I've never owned a tree before. Now I've got three, just because of this forum. Lol

One more question: see the base of the trunk in the second picture, is that normal looking? Is that part supposed to be under ground? It looks like it's trying to get out of the dirt and run away. Lol

DO NOT LISTEN TO THE OP, your tree is fine where it is. DO NOT REMOVE IT FROM THE GROUND IT LOOKS FINE!!!!!!!!!! I have all of my trees planted in sandy-loam soil. Citrus does great in that type of soil. Do not remove it, you will cause more damage than good. Just be sure to feed your tree enough to account for the sandy soil. That part that that you refer to is the graft line where the roots start and your cultivar ends and is perfectly placed, do not touch your tree for gods sake!

Evan

In ground trees will always do better than a tree in a pot, even in sandy soil, here are a few of my trees that are in sandy soil.

Key lime tree on C35 · More Info

Blue sky's · More Info

Oro blanco on macrophylla · More Info

Freshly painted trunks · More Info

Evan

I put it in the ground 3 weeks ago. When should I start feeding it? And what is the appropriate amount of time between watering? I've learned here that citrus doesn't like wet feet but it's starting to get real hot over here.

Wowww, those trees are beautiful! I can only hope my little Miranda grows that nicely. (Yes, i named my tree. Lol)

You should start feeding your tree when you start to see fresh growth above Ground. Until then don't do anything.

Evan

I totally agree with Evan -and he's an in ground citrus expert. There's a reason FL produces citrus - the soil and climate are great for them. The variety you have is a great cultivar for your area. Leave it!

I also agree with Evan.

Vladimir! I've seen you in a ton of discussions. It feels like a celebrity sighting. Lol

Question: I've bought the ingredients for 5-1-1 for a few other plants. Do I mix it and let it 'sit'for a while? I need to soak the bark before I mix? I've read so many threads my head is spinning. I appreciate any help.

Yayi, follow Evan's advice and do not dig it up! I am not sure if your other question was addressed... that of the roots at the very bottom. I'd add a bit of soil to cover them (critters can nibble of them - no need to entice them) and then add a layer of mulch to retain some moisture. Keep the mulch a couple of inches away from the trunk.

Lastly, in my opinion, no need to wait for it to start growing before feeding. Its ready to grow! - George

Good stuff!

Oh and yayi, I grew up in S FL (I'm Cuban) and many years ago (about 20) planted a Glen mango at my parents home. I moved to MD 19 years ago and the last time I visited Miami, drove by their old house (they've since sold it) and could see my beautiful mango tree huge and healthy. Enjoy!

Yayi, for the 5-1-1, I don't pre-soak the bark because I moisten the mix once all the ingredients are added and let it sit for at least a day. Just make sure it is really moist and mixed well after adding water.

Yayi, I don't think the type of mulch matters very much... but if its wood chips you will likely need to bump up the N feeding to compensate for the N tied up in decaying wood.

BTW: what is your spray / treatment plan for ACP and HLB infection delay?

Mole, I thought wood chips on the surface of the soil didn't tie up nitrogen? I heard that was a myth.

Yayi, I beleive Mole is referring to "citrus greening" which is a pathogen carried by certain insects. Its a serious threat to citrus trees, especially in citrus growing areas such as Florida, Texas and California.

Usually its prevented using Neonicotinoid pesticides. Personally I wouldnt se these as they are systemic, may harm the bees and can stay in the soil for years screwing up the soil food web. However, because you're in Florida you may have to by law do some sort of treatment.

Yayi, Asian Citrus Psyllid and Huanglongbing ... I suggest that you research them.. I am surprised that they are not in your headline news as south Florida is ground zero for HLB. HLB has pretty much destroyed Florida's Citrus industry. An HLB infected tree usually dies ~ 5 years.

Thank you. I will definitely do research.

Since your soil is sandy and you get a lot of rain, I would sprinkle some fertilizer around the plant, a small cup full, about 3 foot around the tree. The soil may be low in nitrogen due to large amounts of rain. Keep the bermuda grass away from the tree. It will use up the nitrogen before the tree can take it in.

I would fertilize once a month until mid summer. Then stop fertilizing to give the tree a chance to slow down before winter. The citrus experts here say to stop fertilizing in July, but you may be able to go a little longer since your winter is so mild.

The roots around the tree is actually a good thing. It shows you did not plant the tree too deep. Almost all new gardeners plant their first trees too deep, so you did very well.

If you want to feed your new plant addiction, blueberries and figs do well in containers.

Thanks so much Gary!! I've since put mulch around the tree, about 8 or 10 inches from the trunk. Do I need to rake it back before I apply fertilizer? Or is over the mulch ok?

I would just put it over the mulch and water it in.