In Michigan, your talking strictly about fertilizing container trees. A container tree should be fertilized at a very minimum once a month. I fertilize my container trees once every two weeks. I always fertilize using Jacks 25-5-15 water soluble fertilizer (5-1-3 ratio). If you only have a couple trees, you could also use Foliage Pro.

Silica yes I do fertilize every month and just wondering if a fruiting tree needs different concentrations depending on cycle of the year. If I only push for growth, I might miss out on fruits. Yes I do want nice trees but foremost growing them for the fruits.

Susanne, my inground trees can't get enough nitrogen! Especially my little finger lime! I sprinkle some AS around it, and a week later, it is budding again! The other trees are settling down to a couple of buds opening every week. (Except my navel, wonder if the limes and lemons are liking the nitrogen more than the navel!)

I do alternate with Jack's so I am hoping that gives the trace minerals that the AS doesn't. B

KC

I feed my trees every 10-15 days mostly 1/2 or 3/4 strength of the fertilizer and I also give them compost tea. So far so good. They are all still young trees.

For in ground trees, all commercial growers foliar spray a urea solution two months prior to the tree's expected bloom date. This is done to both increase the bloom and to aid more of the small fruitlets to remain attached. Probably doing so would also help on container trees. I spray all my in ground trees, but don't bother with the containers, however it should also work on them.

I fertilize my plants every watering except the third watering when I flush them good. My biggest citrus which is the calamondin, has been flowering constantly the whole summer all the way from may. And it's pushing out the only flush for this year of growth. I was hoping for it to grow in size instead of blooming the whole time.

Besides the water soluble fertilizer I use slow release fertilizer with NPK ratios close to Osmocote+. And Epsom salt and iron sulphate a couple of times per year. Or it's my plan to do so. Eggshells too, about every six months or so.

Silica that was what I was looking for. If you do that for your in ground trees, why not for the container?

Jontte what are eggshells doing for the trees and how do you apply it? This is the second time I heard this.

My fertilizer does.t have calcium so I run egshes through a blender to powder them an give a little to my trees.

6b Steve

Steve how much do you use per tree?

1/4 teaspoon for a 12 inch potl.

I just googled the soil in my city, and I find that local gardening groups suggest adding gypsum to the soil. Apparently we can go from acidic on the east bay to alkaline on the west, but they recommend adding granular gypsum and letting the calcium break down and filter through either way. They also suggest blending your eggshells but we don't eat enough eggs to generate enough to make a difference. I guess I should look into getting my soil tested! Thanks for this discussion, Susanne, it's making me think!!

KC

You are so very welcome. I like this group a lot, finding help and learning. I only wish people would add their zone as sometimes I see big beautiful trees with lush new greens. Would make me feel a little bit better as this is just not happening in MI. Everything goes slower. I don't mind getting huge trees but at least get some fruits :)

Moro starting to get new growth. Would be big enough to bear some fruits.

Beautiful varig. Eureka. This is still a tiny tree and needs two more years. But that is okay as the leaves are so beautiful and the new growth with the dark margenta such lovely combo. But of course I want to grow it for fruit too.

And finally the Meiwa that totally surprised me. Repotted and expected her to drop everything out of protest. But nope. Got more tiny flowers and now some fruitlets :) I'm wondering if she was sprayed with something that made her so willingly put on some more flowers and now fruits without letting go of any one of them

Susanne, I too wish people would add their USDA zone and/or location to their name.

Your moro is growing liking crazy! My variegated eureka has been giving me trouble for a year now. I moved it out of 5-1-1 last winter because it dropped almost all of its leaves and put it into gritty mix thinking it might have had root rot. All it has done since then is put out one blossom. Leaves curl when it is out in the sun, so I keep it in semi-shade all of the time.

Sometimes I wonder how important it is to have the right root stock. I believe mine is on flying dragon but not sure. Variegated is in full sun as much as possible. So is my variegated Minneola (harris ensured me that this tree will not be picky as others told me) I have some that are rolling leaves when in full sun but back to normal following next morning. Our growing season is so short that they can not be picky and take the sun when she shows up.

Susanne, I've always fertilized with FP, Oscomote Plus, and now use mostly Peters (plus Oscomote). I know for in in-ground tree, it is nothing, but I do get fruit - especially from the Meyers. I have a variegated eureka and it also drops fruit, even though it has grown well. I think it is a problem with the variety since it is a weaker cultivar. Most people grow it for the foliage - although Evan has good luck with it - but he is an incredible grower and his trees are in the ground.

Laura I'm determined to get fruit on my Eureka. Harris assured me the variegation is not a weaker cultivar but just a mutation ( I think called bud sport ? ) and should grow/produce no different then the green variety. Time will tell.

Susanne, I hope Ruth is right...she certainly knows her stuff. That said, I have had no problem whatsoever with any of my lemons bearing fruit except that one. Perhaps bc Harris sell grafted trees, theirs perform better.

Is your variegated lemon on its own roots?

I don't know if adding eggshells is necessary, but my fertilizer doesn't contain calcium, so I think it can't hurt the plants though. I do sometimes even add dried coffee grounds and water sometimes with 50/50 coffee/water solution.

So to simplify things; my plants receive a lot of things. I must be doing something right because they haven't died yet :D

Edit. darn thunderstorm, it's midnight here and it keeps me awake. Because I love them and won't get asleep, we do have thunderstorms pretty rarely around here.

Enjoy the thunderstorm Jontte. I like them as well. Susanne, mine is on its own roots. I'll take a pic for you in a min.

Here is mine. I was going to start a post about it but maybe I'll get my answer here. It is growing a totally albino branch. Should I leave it? Seems weird.

No wait till bigger then send to me ;) Honestly, no clue. I would leave it on for now and see what happens

It's interesting, Laura! The branch and the leaves are white ( I should say creamy in colour). I have never seen anything like that before.

Yeah sunshine, the entire branch has no green at all. I think I may have seen something about this a while ago but do not remember what it was.

Does the variegated grow at the same rate as non variegated one, giving that they both receive the same amount of sunshine?

Laura, I was browsing old threads on variegated lemons, as mine is having some immature fruit, about the size of a pea turn yellow and fall off, and I found this: http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/2189121/interesting-variegated-pink-lemon-question-w-pic 

So apparently it happens, and will die back? Maybe you should cut it off before it dies, so there is no branch rot at the end?

Laura (or anyone else who uses Peters),

Which Peters do you use? I can't find 25-5-15. I'm wondering if it is Peters Citrus which is 20-10-20? I currently use Osmocote Plus and FP and my plants are all in containers. Thanks.

Nancy

No it is not 20-10-20. The fertilizer 25-5-15 is manufactured by JR. Peters, Inc. of Allentown, PA. The name on the 25-lb. bag is....Jack's Professional Water-Soluble Fertilizer 25-5-15 HPF. This fertilizer might be hard to locate in retail stores, because the Peters company markets to professional growers, not to the general public. It is sold only in a commercial sized bag (25-lbs.). It is an outstanding fertilizer.

Laura where do you find this fertilizer?

I got the peters HP 25-5-15 at A.M.leonard online. They offer free shipping on occasion, often around holidays. (I have no affiliation with either company.)

Thanks so much Hibiscus and Silica. It's a great price Hibiscus at $39, but the price for shipping to my area right now is $22. Can get it on Amazon for $52. Have to find out if it would work for plumeria as that is the bulk of what I'd be fertilizing. Works out to be less than FP in the long run. Love to give it a go.

I got it off Amazon last year. I can try to find my order for the exact link if you like.

J R Peters Inc Jacks Prof 77900 High Performance Fertilizer, 25-5-15 Fertilizer, 25-Pound https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008JSIKCU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_OhoKzbQHJAY7Q

Thanks Laura. Wish I could get in smaller size but for the long run vs. cost of FP, a good deal.