My little tree arrived today from Four Winds Growers in CA. I am so excited... Anyone have any words of wisdom for a lemon-tree grower in NYC ? Let's hope the cats stay out of it (I inserted a few strategically placed wooden skewers in it).
here's the tree...
...and here are the cats...
Hi brooklynbird,
It's probably just me, but...I grow half a dozen different citrus trees, and the Meyer is the only one I have killed...twice. It's a finicky tree, for me, anyway.
Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, I'll stick my neck way out and offer some suggestions. First, use a well-draining mix. I use coconut husk chips, but bark-based mix will work. I would avoid peat-based mixes. Second, shoot for pH of around 6.5, just a little on the acidic side, not too much. Next, and this is for containers, not in-ground citrus, shoot for a fert at a ratio of around 5-1-3. Citrus are heavy feeders. You'll also need a trace element addition, and possibly Epsom salts for Mg++ Next, use treated water and flush the soil 2-4 times a year to prevent buildup of salts.
Finally, with citrus (more than most plants), it is vital to balance temperature, water, and light. Citrus roots don't take up water or nutrients under about 54*F. So if the leaves are in the sun but the roots are shaded and cold, it will drop leaves, because the water demand on the top half of the plant cannot be met by the bottom half. If in the sun but the roots don't function because the mix is saturated and not aerated, or if the plant is dry, it will drop leaves for the same reason.
I hope that this is helpful. Maybe others will chime in with other suggestions.
Thanks stressbaby. Sounds like you've learned a thing or two about the trees. Hope you'll try again.
Meanwhile, mine is one day old and going strong!!! Let's keep our fingers crossed, and I'll keep everyone informed about my citrona's progress (see, I've already named her).
brooklyn- I noticed that you left your sheers closed.
does the plant receive the benefit of the sunlight through the sheers?
i ask because i have a bunch of plants by my window and i have opened the sheer under the assumption that the plants needs the direct sunlight.
if my assumption is wrong i will close my sheer
ps i'm in brooklyn too!
im trying to keep an orange, a tangerine, and a gardenia tree alive inside thru the winter.
Hi gg. There's an overhead gro-lamp (65w) on for ten hours a day, plus the light through the curtain. I guess I'll see how it goes. Is this the first winter for your trees?
yes first winter- if i manage to keep trees alive, will buy a lychee tree- i am obsessed with lychees.
I bought the orange and citrus trees in the spring from the terminal market in brooklyn- i took them inside in november- to my suprise, i actually got about 8 tangerines from the tangerine tree- and 1 small orange from the orange tree- the fruit was great- there would have been more fruit but i am plagued by squirrels- the fu**ers eat everything
here is a link to photos of my "backyard" orchard taken in early spring
http://www.kodakgallery.com/BrowsePhotos.jsp?&collid=17593120406.902205119106.1165548341891&page=1
This message was edited Jan 15, 2007 8:54 AM
gg, not really any of my business, but you may want to consider editing one word in your last post. If you decide to try lychees, post back. I have two, they're tricky...we can share what works.
Yeah, squirrels are more properly referred to as "forkers". By the way, where do they find all those peanuts they plant in the yard?
