I bought (on sale!) 5 fruit trees from HD: three blood orange and two lemons. They are about 4-5 feet high from the floor and are in 5 gallon black plastic pots. The hangtag says they will get to be from 10 to 20 feet tall and wide. I planted one of the oranges outside as an experiment, and when I did, noticed that there is not much of a "root ball" and things kind of fell apart about half way down the plastic pot, which made me think they were just repotted recently. So...I know not to overpot, but I bought 4 HUGE square planters (the resin type), probably about 15 gallons or more from HD and drilled the holes. I plan to put them on an upstairs deck and need lots of weight (dirt, etc) so the wind doesn't blow them over during windy days (I live on a lake). Should I plant the citrus in the plastic containers they are in, then surround with dirt for annuals and wait a year or two to plant directly in the soil in the planters? That's what someone from my local nursery told me but I wanted to get more opinions. Thanks for the hurry as I have tomorrow to get the planting done because of the holiday rush.
Connie
Need quick answer about potting fruit trees, please!
Hi Connie :) I'm not an expert on trees, just my personal experience of buying clearance trees. I know when my HD or Lowes puts their trees on sale they are usually very stressed from lack of proper care through out the spring and summer. Sometimes they have root rot so bad from overwatering that the bottom just falls apart like you described. If it wasn't root rot then that's a good thing :) I would say it would be safe to plant your trees out in your pots. I would put extra compost near the bottom of the pot. That way the roots will reach for the good stuff :) JMHO Be sure to water the one you put in the ground real well just before a freezing night. This will protect the roots.
Connie,
Citrus tress are best planted in the ground in the spring giving them plenty of time to get established before their first freezing weather. We are really not in a citrus growing region so in ground citrus will have to be protected from freezing weather. Mature satuma and kumquats will survive light frost once they reach maturity and have developed a good root system. Other citrus are frost tender.
If the root systems of the trees you purchased are that small, don't re-pot now. Wait until spring to do it and you need to pot up gradually to a larger size — no more than 2 inches all the way around. Do not use regular soil in pots. It is too dense. If it dries, water will tend to drain around the edge of the pot, leaving the rootball dry. Use a potting mix that drains well. If you need to improve drainage in the potting mix, use perlite in a 3:1 ratio. Citrus roots are fine, fibrous and sensitive to over watering. Annuals and citrus in a pot don't mix well. Do not stratify any other material in the pot because that slows down drainage.
I live in Fayette County south east from you. One thing I learned the hard way was not to use dark colored pots. Even terra cotta colored pots tend to soak up enough heat that the roots can overheat. If you have a way to protect the just the pots from direct afternoon sunlight, your trees will fare much better. Overheating will damage the roots and weaken the trees.
While confining the roots will keep the trees from growing full size, they will need repotting every 2 or 3 years because they are large trees and have vigorous roots that grow much faster than their dwarf counterparts. If you had purchased dwarf citrus trees, they could go as long as 5 years in large 25+ gallon pots, more desirable pots for mature citrus trees. Re-potting citrus trees is not fun.
Oops...should have bought dwarf. And to clear things up for Catzgalore, the trees were not on clearance...I just buy lots of stuff there and they gave them to me for about 1/2 price as it's the end of the season. They are gorgeous (I'll try to post a pic today) and very healthy. I just think they were recently repotted to get a higher (and deserved) price, as all nurseries tend to do when plants grow larger. Bettydee, I'll also post a pic of the pots...they are not dark...thank GOD I did one thing right! haha
I've almost (unless I hear from someone else) decided to leave in their nursery pots and plant in the large planters with soil aound then to protect them from the winter. I'll probably plant something that doesn't require lots of water (or plant annuals in the pots, so I can direct water to them and not overwater the trees. I'm a great "waterer" and don't mind babying plants by giving each what it needs.
How often should I water these in the pots? Let dry out between waterings?
I think if I manage to keep these alive for the winter I'll plant them in the ground in a few years and buy more for these deck pots.
Thanks to both of you!! Happy holidays and Merry Christmas!!
Citrus need moist soil at all times. However, because the roots are fibrous, they will rot if the soil is too wet. That is why I recommended fast draining potting mix. Stick a finger down about 2" into the potting mix. If it's barely moist or feels dryish, water letting some drain out the bottom to make sure the whole root ball has received water.
My Meyer Lemon was always the first to bloom, usually in February. So toward the end of January, use a citrus fertilizer and feed them using the recommended dose. Potted citrus need to be fed more often. Citrus grow in spurts. Observe your other citrus trees to see when their growth spurts occur in your area. Feed them 2 or 3 weeks before their next growth spurt.
Are you going to keep them outdoors during winter? The only potted plants I have ever left outside were apple and peach trees that needed winter chill, but that was during the years between 2003 and 2009 when we didn't get temperatures below 25ºF. The trees were already in the ground when our temperatures went down to 18ºF and stayed below freezing for a few days. Left outside, the soil in the pots will freeze killing the roots.
e I'm so glad bettydee came along and gave you some great advice, as I gave you some really wrong advice. I just assumed that they were clearance trees because of the time of year. You know what happens when you assume...... ;) Hope they do well for you :)
I agree.
Keep them in pots and bring them inside when it drops below 30F.
Those trees are not really meant to be planted outside in zone 8b but it is do-able with the Lemons if they are the Improved Meyers Lemon. The regular Meyers is not as hardy.
In late March, I would plant them near the south facing portion of your house for the most sun and warmth in the winter. Sadly, they probably are grafted on Sour Orange rootstock which is bad for the Austin area. Is it Brazos Nursery on the tag?
If you are lucky, the tag says Creekside which is a company that grafts on Trifoliata and is much better suited for our area if you plan to plant in the ground.
If you really want to put one in the ground longterm, you need to buy a Meiwa Kumquat, Miho Satsuma or Seto Satsuma. They are all hardy down to 14F. You should be able to get them with Trifoliata from Creekside at It's A Jungle Out There, It's About Thyme or Emerald Gardens. Call first to see if they have those varieties from Creekside. They will be winners and stay smaller than a full size citrus. Another option is Changsha Mandarin which is sold as a rootstock sometimes from "Its A Jungle Out There" and is extremely cold hard and produces excellent fruit that is very seedy.
Good luck.
Well, I planted in the original plastic tubs...inside the huge pots. I'll try to post pics soon. They are all blooming and putting on new growth like crazy! I want to keep them on the roof as I spend lots of time there 10 months of the year. And the price I paid....if they die they will die and I'll try something else! ;-)