Unknown lemon with a ton of new growth

Genoa Lemon with new growth after doing nothing for so long

VPE still hanging on after losing half to 2/3 of its root system to rot. I really hope this tree recovers

And lastly, my Tarocco

My eureka and Bearss lemons are the only two not doing anything above soil, but still appear healthy.

(Sorry for multiple posts - houzz wouldn’t let me post longer comments)

First four pictures are seed grown Meiwa kumquat tree 17 months old.

Picture 5 left to rightValentine pomelo on US897, Fukushu kumquat on C35, New Zealand lemonade on US897.

Pic 6 Fukush on C35. T-budded grafted August 2017

Pic 7 In ground NZL on C35.

Pic 8 Seed grown in ground Fukushu.

Steve

The Valentine Pomelo, from Tom, seen above

Is now outside in ground on the south side of my house.

Steve

We had 3.5" of rain between around noon Sunday and 7 am today (Monday morning) - about 19 hours... making it over 5" for the month so far. Yikes. Have been trying to deal with yet more nightmarish changes to GW and trying to get pics uploaded in the "Houzz Ideabooks" (the only way it would work until now), but here are a few June pics (trying the direct photo posting)...

My Shiranui, which is covered in flower buds -

A couple Shiranui open flowers closeup -
Tango mandarin (slowly coming back from the dead) - with flower buds -

ST (newest growth are the lighter tip leaves) -

Australian Red Centre lime -

And its new little fruit (getting a few of these on some branches)!

And my poor Eureka lemon that is mostly without leaves but has had some flower buds and has fruit (the little yellow one will probably drop because the branch it is on is dying back -

Eureka fruit in pouches to protect from squirrels!

The biggest fruit are about 2.5" from stem to tip (so far) and there are 6 so far that still appear viable.

https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=squire%2Cll+vs+rat+trap&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Jenny, do those pouches really work? Where did you get them?

https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=squire%2Cll+vs+rat+trap&sourceid=opera&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

LOL @ Steve! :-D :-D :-D There is one particular squirrel here that uses the complex's privacy fences like I-95 and is an expert dumpster-diver. I have found half-eaten pieces of a brownie "hidden" in some of my plant foliage.

Vladimir - those little bags are fancy party favor bags (made with organza, which is silk) that I used for Christmas stocking stuffers. They are about 4" x 5" in size with a drawstring at the top. Since I had a huge pile of them left over, I decided to try them for this purpose. Here is where I got them - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017KSDVSM/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I was going to buy some actual fruit protection bags but figured I'd give these a try and save some money. The mesh allows sun/air/water to reach the fruit and the bags have so far "hidden" the fruit. However since it has been so rainy here and critters tend to bother fruit (including tomatoes) when they are thirsty, I will have to reserve judgement for effectiveness for whenever the rains stop (probably later this summer if I ever have any other fruit needing protection). I do have a bird bath out there too for water.

Jenny lol I have a neighbourhood squirrel like that too! Let me know if those bags actually work.

wow looks like everyone’s trees pulled through :)

here are are some of mine

This is my Santa Theresa it’s reallygone nuts in the spring with new growth

Oro Blanco grapefruit

Kumquat grows like crazy but never flowers

Ponderosa

Lisbon or eureka lost most leaves in the winter

So excited this one I just got from floraexotica my shiranui! No flowers yet

Will do Jan! One of the bags is around a cluster of 4 lemons so at some point I may have to take that one off. lol

And your ST is doing nicely with a bunch of fruitlets on it. :-D

What a gorgeous shiranui Jan! Is it on cleopatra? Mine is and is very vigourous!

Beautiful trees everyone! I really love this season. Our trees are filled with new growths and blossoms! I can stay in my gardens for hours just looking of my trees!

Here are a couple of mine.

Cocktail mandalo just came in from phoenix perrenials

Sugarbelle on us897 with lots of new growths

Valencia orange. I thought that is a goner but amazingly, it came back with flowers and lots of new growths!

Persian lime cutting!! I did it myself last fall. Very proud of my little experimentation!

Great trees guys! It’s nice to see them green and lush! Mine are well also. I won’t bore you guys tons of pics but will show you one I’m very proud of:

Three little grafts...two on left, twigs from store mandarin, the one on the right with dark red new growth is a ST! The middle one is another ST graft; it is flanked by more mandarins from store. The rest of my forest is well...lots of growth. I will say though that I finally exhausted all my ripe lemons and was annoyed at having to buy a store lemon for my pesto today. I still have some Rangpur limes in fridge that I use for salmon and one more on my tree.

Thanks Amy! I can’t believe that large dark green Persian lime is from a cutting that’s amazing congrats! :) I never actually paid attention to the rootstock until now when you asked me and as a matter of fact my shiranui is on cleopatra rootstock! I’d love to see yours I’m glad to know it’s a compatible pair :). I checked most of my other ones and they’re mostly on swingle (SWG) and a kumquat on c35 which I know nothing about!

anyone else’s rootstock SWG or c-35?

Laura - congrats on your grafts! They are doing great and have all summer to build up little canopies. :-D

Thank you Jenny! They’re my little citrus babies!

Here are a few of mine I took today. Thank you

Wanted to share a couple more and an extra )

Mike - which ones are in your rootmaker pots? The one in the top pic looks like a thai lime (keffir) and the one in the 2nd pic has a little fruit! Awwww.... :-D

Mike beautiful trees!!! That is one gorgeous cactus and all your citrus are amazingly green! :) I'm envious! How are those root pots? I've been contemplating buying them myself, it's either that or fabric pots because I repotted a nzl lately and half it's roots fell off with what looked like root rot which is weird because they're in the 511 and I don't water for two weeks and once every month in the winter! Let me know how you like those pots!

Laura I didn't see your pics before for some reason! Nice!! One day I hope I'll learn to successfully graft! :)

Jan that sounds like you decciated the roots. That is way too long between watering for something in 511. Right now in the sumer heat here in Canada i water every 3 or 4 days.

Hey Charles yeah that's what I'm worried about too! I'm not sure what happened though I know it's not my mix I use reptibark and Coarse perlite so I'm stumped! Maybe it's just the tree I do have lots of trees that are thriving in 511 although I haven't looked in the root zone but I assume they're healthy if the top is growing. But all trees get the same watering and fertilizer regiment. And none are in too big of a pot either. I did start a thread on a miracle grow garden soil experiment. Stuck a stagnant satsuma in there and the things actually growing now where it did nothing before! Maybe it was a coincidence I also stuck a stagnant sour orange in Brian's mix this past winter and the things been growing too where it did nothing in 511 for over a year maybe it's just some of my trees are odd :/

Hello. Just a few more pics and hoping everyone is well and enjoying summer. Brian if your seeing this please check in. Miss you buddy ))

Hi Jan, you really should give the root maker pots a try, at least one anyways and see if you like them. I have found GREAT success in one for the past couple of years and so I broke down and bought more, one a month so it can be affordable for me. I suppose I could stick all my trees in paint pots or some other drilled with a ton of holes, but I like to keep them pretty in appearance for all the company I get and to match my yard, OCD I have. They are not just holes either, but the inside protrudes out which is yard to explain but I will take a pic of one from that angle if you'd like.

Jenny, how's it going!? Yes, the kaffir lime is in that kind of pot and loving it. I use both the 5.1.1 and the great quality bagged mixes, in particular one Brian told me about and a product that has lots of bark and perlite. I got tired of having to worry about watering some of my trees every day and at times I like the thought of being able to water every day with a worry. So I am always conflicted as to whether use the 5.1.1 or a good quality bagged mix. Each one has to be watered differently but both do work great. I use to be dead set against using bagged mixes but they have come a long way if you know what to look for and how to work with it. The conditions ones subjects their plants to has a lot to do with what I use now.

I will never stop using the 5.1.1 mix in some sort but I have gravitated towards good quality mixes now in ways hard to explain.

That picture just above is a Michellia Alba one of the hardest trees to keep happy up here all year especially winter. But I finally figured out it either loves the 5.1.1 mix with composted bark in a clay pot, or a good quality mix in that air pot. Neither have disappointed me at all..

All my plants in those smart pots or root maker pots, not sure what they are really called are planted in a very good quality bagged mix doing fantastic. The other trees in other containers are in the 5.1.1 mix or some sort of variation of it.....

Laura......... always a fantastic job! How you mustered up the courage to give grafting a try is beyond me. What a nice looking set of trees and to think you did that. Proud of you.

Mike - thanks for the update! I grew michelias (alba and champaca) about 15 years ago (2003) and don't remember what happened with them although that summer was record-breaking in temps and I probably had to water often, so probably root rot... but this was before I had access to Promix. They are tricky and I believe they do best as an understory shrub. At the time, I was going for the fragrant (exotic) tropicals and had them with a stephanotis & bouvardia (in the below, the michelia alba is on the left, bouvardia on the right) -

It's funny but since I moved, I actually have more room inside to put these plants to overwinter than outside, where they would prefer and could thrive during the summer (compared to when I had my balcony which actually had more square footage than what I have now). I would love to try them again but we'll see! lol

Mike, beautiful plants, as always! Please remind me which commercial mix you use and where you get it it. Which mix do you use in the Rootmaker pots? Do you have to water the Rootmaker pots more often?

Jenny, thank you. Yes, you should try one again..I got mine at One Greenworld. Love that place. It is my 5th one believe it or not I have tried to get through a winter. This time I did it. This one is from last year and thriving although I almost lost it due to poor conditions. Hey, if you can keep a gardenia happy all year, then you can do well with this one)

Vladimir, thank you. Hope yours are doing just as well in these great days of summer. I use a Sun Gro and or the one that Brian uses. I can snap a pic some time. Notice they are full of perlite?

Lot's of small pieces of bark too. I water them almost everyday all summer but don't have to. They stay lightly moist for quite some time depending on the temps and sun which is great and dry out evenly. Love them! It's just very easy with no worry. During the winter same.

Like I said, there are times I like to water some of my plants every day without a worry, then there are times when I get tired of it and like to water less often. The 5.1.1 containers I have to water as soon as they dry or it's too late, but with the good quality bagged mix, there is no rush or harm done if I go a bit longer than the dried out 5.1.1 at times. Both the 5.1.1 and these smart pots ones allow me to water as often as I like. Hope that makes sense.

Mike, which Sun Gro mix do you use and where do you get it?

seedlings, less common varieties

from left to right: mandarinquat, page mandarin, shasta gold mandarin

Hey mike I would love to see the root maker pots up close! I would probably need to get one every month too to make it more cost effective they're are quite pricey but worth it if they work! I wonder if they'll be difficult to take out of the pot if the roots take on the spikey shape? Beautiful green plants you have there im envious :) Have you ever tried a wooden planter? Saw a square wooden planter that looked beautiful I wonder if it breathes well? I love your michaela alba I tried one too not too long ago and they're so difficult to keep alive. Mine died within a month it got these black spots on their leaves and started dropping all leaves before dying. I actually have a friend that's kept hers outside the whole winter even during last winters snow storm and it actually survived while mine died! Go figure :/

Yes where is brian! Hope you're well Brian! Miss seeing your ginormous trees! :)

Jan - the root maker pots come flat and you roll them up and screw them together. You just unscrew and unroll to remove the plant. The idea is that all roots growing in the edge of the pot, where it’s spiky, will be exposed to air and therefore die. Thus causing additional smaller roots to branch out.

I was scared off my the price too, but I found knows how offs online. It’s also way cheaper to by 6packs or 12packs, them individually. I bought from Maxx yield power pots. The customer service was responsive and you can usually get a 10% off coupon. If you buy 6packs, the price per pot is roughly

1 gal - $4

2 gal - $5.8

3 gal - $7.5

5 gal - $10

7 gal - $12

It’s still a lot of money. I usually buy all of my pots used at garage sales or craigslist, but I wanted to give it a try after all the research I did. Supposedly, the trees will be able to grow significantly larger canopies in smaller pots, due to the dense root structure. I can take pictures of mine when I get home from work around noon, if mike didn’t post by then.

I nearly forgot, but here are some pictures, so you can see details of the pots

Meiwa seedlings 17.5 months old

Stands on its own roots

Falls over since its birth

Falls over since its birth

Staked

Staked

New Zealand Lemonade ton US897

Fukushu on C35. 10.5 months old

Seville sour orange seedling

Steve

hi Alanna! Thanks so much for the pics they're super clear! I had no idea that the spikes went on the inside too :) do you find you have to water more in them? Do you find that the canopy has grown bigger for you so far? And you know the price isn't bad at all if you buy a pack since I'll definitely need more than one anyways. I'm going to check out that website thanks a bunch! I can't believe it but so far I've got 20 citrus trees lol I was shocked to count them all today! :D

Steve. Nice pics buddy!!!
Jan. How sweet of her to post the pics. I didn't have time last night to stay on the forums but great pics she posted. I swear I see a huge difference immediately as soon as I stick an ailing plant in one of these. I hope you get one or two. They can become addictive. I also love the fact they very very very light weight. So easy to carry!!

Jenny you have to get another Michelia. I will help you grow it. They are so breath taking in fragrance well worth another try.
Vladimir. Here are a few pics for you. What the bag looks like. The label. And a close up. Lots of perlite and small bark. I get it at Griffins greenhouse supplies in Tewksbury M.a I think 18 dollars a bag.

Jan - 20 trees! I am up to 9 plus 3 small rooted cuttings. If I let myself get what I wanted, I'll have about 24 total. I'm trying to hold off (even though I really don't want too!) because I'll be moving soon and it's probably unwise to have more tries than furniture when trying to find a new place to live. I'm trying to be practical, but I hate thinking about delaying getting new trees, when it's just going to delay me getting fruit!

As far as the rootmaker pots go, I only started using them in late April. I simultaneously bare rooted all of my trees, repotted in 511 and planted in the rootmaker pots. I shocked my trees pretty badly when I barerooted, so it's taken a long time for them to make a come back. I can't really say how well they work yet. I'll check back in as the summer progresses. I can say they are a million times lighter than my terracotta pots (which I had a lot of success with, I don't care what anyone says). I was worried that they would blow over in the wind, since my trees are in relatively small pots for the canopy size, but only one tipped over ever and it's really windy where I live. I don't think they're going to hold up that well long term. The biggest and heaviest tree is kind a of collapsing the pot. I had to add additional screws for support. Also, don't go anywhere near them with a weedwacker...I learned that the hard way. I do have to water them a lot, but I don't know if that's because of the pots or the 511 or because they're black plastic. When it's hot and sunny, I water everyday and the trees are happy whenever it rains.

Mike - How often do you water your trees in rootmaker pots with 511 in the winter?I'm a little nervous how to judge what they'll need when the weather changes.

Alanna, none of my 'rootmaker' pots have the 5.1.1 mix in them. I can tell you that I have had the 5.1.1 mix, the one that is made of peat, composted bark, and perlite in fabric pots supported by plastic, Let me see if I can find a pic for you. These ones..

https://www.amazon.com/RediRoot-Aeration-Container-Gallon-10/dp/B00CJIBC7Q

I have found that they dry out at different rates depending on the the room they are in and how much light they get. I have found that for everyone it's different and for you it will be too. It will be your own experience that you will enjoy and get to know. The ones I kept in a very cool room with little light dried out within the week while those in a warmer room with lighting dried out within a day or two. Then depending on the size of the pot, how active one tree was over the next, that made a difference too. Some you will notice you will need to water just as often as summer, even though it's winter while others you will notice slow down taking up moisture and you will wonder when the mix will ever dry out. Always something to take you by surprise.)

The 'rootmaker' potted one had to be watered once a week or so, depending on sunlight and room temps. It varied all the time. I am very careful with all my potted trees, even the 'rootmaker' one because I don't want to water when the soil is still moist. It's a balancing act pot by pot one by one in the winter that you will get use too.

What version of the 5.1.1 mix do you use?

Mike

So...does anyone know how to create a new post??? I've tried the "start a conversation" thing at the top of each page, but when I go to click "next" nothing happens.

Anyhow, it's 93°F at the moment, and this is what I'm doing....

That reminds me, I need to get a glass of vodka.

Vladimir, why do you ask me questions and then ignore what I have to share with you? I don't understand. I spent a great deal of my time answering your questions and taking pictures. Take care.

Josh, please check this thread out and if you have anything to support there, please do. By the way, I did call you tonight! Hope you are well bud. Very nice too!! Wishing Tapla would see it too.

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5348646/miracle-gro-garden-soil-experiment#n=65

Question Josh. Do you use 'pumice' in your 5.1.1 mixes or mixes for your citrus trees? I ask because I think you do and I find your trees very healthy!!

Mike

Sorry, Mike, I just noticed your post above.

Lol Alanna I know exactly what you mean!! If I let myself loose I'd probably get more than a few more XD but I think this is all I can fit in my 8x12 greenhouse over the winter! Not to mention I have to fit a fig tree in there as well! I'm going to have to try those root pots with my smaller trees! Do you have any in a wooden container Alanna? I wonder if they breathe well as I just potted this huge cara cara in it last week! I'm not sure why the leaves are always cupping on me :/

Josh love that pink lemonade!! Makes me want to make myself a drink! I have one about that size too is that how big they get? And here I was waiting for it to grow bigger lol and yes if you have anything to add to the forum mike mentioned above it would be great :)

Mike - one of my biggest issues is outside space - I only have a 10ft x 17ft patio that is packed! :-P But if/when I do try it again, I will definitely check in with you! :-D The michelias are cool plants.

Josh - there is a thread in the "Using Houzz" forum about the "changes" that is filled with over 800+ posts (so far) about the problems the "changes" have caused including what you describe. It seems that some issues may be browser/operating system dependent, notably "mobile" browsers (vs "desktop" browsers) on some mobile devices. They are still working on fixes.

Some updates - my poor denuded Eureka (bagged fruit still hanging on) is finally getting some new growth on the bare branches! Yay! -

And my Australian red centre lime has a bunch of fruit that continue to form -

Here is a branch with more blooms -

And as a note, have to give Laura a kudos again for hooking me to this little lime ("little", at least at the moment, thanks to the dwarfing rootstock) via her pictures from a couple years ago with the branches cascading over her pot. And she had described the blooms as smelling like "old roses". Having had chance to get a whiff of mine, I would agree that the scent is definitely "rose". Growing up, the house we lived in had what I believe were "New Dawn" roses (planted by the previous owner) that were cascading along and over a wall at the far end of the backyard. "New Dawn" was very popular in the '40s/'50s (and still popular today) as a very fragrant, light pink climbing rose (although when the aging flowers dropped their petals, it was like a carpet of pink snow beneath the bush. lol). But the scent of this lime's flowers is similar to that rose!

Mike and Jan - I somehow missed both of your above posts!

Mike: My 511 started with the basic recipe and then I tweaked it a bit. I used composted pine bark (Agway brand) and I sifted everything below 1/8 and above 1/2. I was neurotic about picking out sap wood (no joke, I spent a month picking through 12 cubic feet of bark, one baking sheet at a time). Then I used peat, but substituted some earthworm castings in equal amounts. I used large perlite (but the bag really had a range of sizes, so I sifted out everything below 1/8). I deviated a bit because I added pumice in place of some of the perlite. In my research I found that pumice holds more water, plus it's heavier. At the time, I was really worried about them drying out so fast and I didn't mind the extra weight because of the wind. So, I split the perlite in half and used pumice for the other off. Overall it had the same proportion of ingredients, I just subbed some like with like. Once I potted them, I added some of the fines on top in an attempt to retain more moisture on the upper most level, but it ended up just mixing in. I wasn't too worried about it since I didn't include any fines and I know most people do include them.

• 5 parts composted pine bark, shifted to remove fines
• 1 part peat/worm castings
• 1/2 part chunky perlite
• 1/2 part pumice
• osmocote

I have been seriously thinking about taking the 511 and mixing it with additional potting mix, to create a really barky mix, but something that acts much for like a traditional mix, but with the increased oxygenation of the larger chunky mixes.

Jan - that Cara Cara is beautiful; it is basically the goal for all of my trees. I've never used wooden planter boxes. They look lovely, but I have no experience with them. Prior to the rootmaker pots, I exclusively used terracotta.