Spot on. Very usefull video. I’ve been testing citrus potting mix for +5 years. Few recommendation to dial in your mix further: Replace peat moss with coco coir. I found coco coir stay airy and does not compact, more pH stable, and less likely to become hydrophobic. Add bio char, 10% by volume. You will notice significant reduction in yellow leaves or mineral deficiency.
Thank you! Thats what I do, less watering in winter, indoors, a plenty of sand into the soil, but I am also spraying warm water onto them every day to keep spidermites away. By the way: Today I did my first crossing with Citrus. Motherplant: A Calamondin (Calamansi), crossed with pollen from Citrus aurantium 'canaliculata'. My goal here is a fragrant variety with a rainbow of aroma. I know, both are polyembryonic, - but as a biologist I am gonna deal with that difficulties. Your Videos are always a pleasure to me! Greetings from Germany! 😊
@@ArnoSchlick You're welcome, and greetings! I do the same, spraying the plants with water and a little soap to prevent spider mites. That sounds like a fascinating cross! I want to cross Calamondin with Citrandarins and see what comes of it. I have heard of people using Calamondin as the mother plant, and although the odds of a hybrid are low, it is not impossible! Best of luck with your breeding.
@@themulberries Adding soap is someting I will also consider. You do a great job in pushing forward with cold hardy citrus, unfortunately I do not have access to good varieties of interest. So I focus on other themes, like aroma & flavour. 25 years ago I began to cross Roses. I learned a lot, in doing this. There is a great US Rose breeder, Ralph S. Moore, & his most inspiring saying has been: "The Rose will find a way!" And this sentence is really true, i love it. You can even get seeds from a pentaploid and a triploid cross in Roses. 😅
@ArnoSchlick Thank you! I hope some of these varieties become more accessible in your country too. There is still plenty of room for new flavors and aroma with citrus! That's amazing about the pentaploid roses, wow.
@@themulberries Thank you & much further luck within your way! And: Never read a paper about the "Allele-specific transcription in pentaploid dogroses". Your mind will be blown, as mine had been. 😂 And, yes, the second elephant in the room, beneath cold hardiness, of course, is the inherited aroma & flavour.
my lime tree is in a big pot in 7-20mm pumice. it's doing great after a few months in this new medium. it struggled for several years to do much in organic based media. it was never really healthy before.
@@themulberries : I guess a high proportion of perlite might work however, in lower concentrations it tends to pack together with other media. i like pumice as it's the most water retaining, whilst still providing a lot of air to roots. has to be the chunkier size though, as 1-4mm pumice can still be too wet for many indoor plants.
This is all great and in line with what I know. Appreciate the mention that some folks may have to tune their soil for them -- some may have to watch their trees and figure things out. Some "citrus" soils aren't ideal out of the bag with no modifications, different regions and event container selection can impact water retention. I feel this way about Miracle Grow's Citrus and Cactus mix, on its own its not as well draining as citrus would prefer in my region. I'm glad to hear you highlighting the benefits of immediately bio-available chemical fertilizers. Containers are subject to wider temperature swings, dry/wet cycles, all in a smaller volume of soil that as a result may not be as friendly to microbes as ground soils. When used too heavily organic ferts can contribute sludge that limits a containers ability to shed water. I guess the one gotcha is just being aware of salt buildups and doing freshwater flushes periodically to avoid salt concentrations from impacting trees. For me this usually isn't even a concern until the 2nd or 3rd year in a pot depending on how much chem ferts its been given. In Seattle we only get 27-60 days above 80F per year (optimal temps for sub-tropical citrus metabolism active growth/ripening) so seeking an edge in other areas is one way to compensate, and one of the things we can easily control in potted citrus are to fertilize as much as we can (all year for these evergreen trees, slowing down in winter if trees are kept warmer, but ESPECIALLY dumping on the fert through the peak summer months to jam in as much growth while you can).. My preferred fert regiment is Miracle Grow Citrus & Cactus Shake n Feed (basically Osmocote formulated for fruiting plants) every 3-4 months but also included in fresh soils when up-potting trees, and Jack's Classic Citrus Feed (same 20-10-20 stuff mentioned in the video). Even if I feel too lazy to get out the water soluble fertilizer my trees still get some food from the slow release chem fert from a normal watering. Then if trees show signs of deificiencies I also keep Southern AG nutritional spray, and some a bottle of CalMag to use as needed. The foliar spray is an interesting way to get some food into trees when their roots are cold and you don't want to increase soil moisture very much but see some discolored foliage and its warm enough to warrant starting to remedy the issue (Spring is warming things up). I've found that spray to be pretty powerful stuff and at full/high doses it can burn leafs of certain plants, so I prefer to ease back to a half dose.. I'll have to give this mix a try sometime, I assume this is similar to "Al's Gritty Mix"? One pain about 5-1-1 is sourcing the aged/composted pine bark fines of the correct size so you end up getting bark mulch and screening it. Sand is pretty to get and you are right -- its less organic material that can break down. Sand is a heavier material. In northern latitudes I'm a fan of black plastic pots + perlite soils for keeping weight down and trees more mobile. While its not necessary I personally use Superroots (specifically this brand for their sort durable recycled food safe HDPE plastics) air pots for all my potted citrus, pineapples, avocados. They have a built in air gap under the pot that cloth pots lack unless they are put on wire shelves. Cloth pots develop a sludgy green algae on the exterior I don't like carrying against my body, but air pots only seem to collect salt deposits which are good to keep an eye and can be brushed off my clothes. Changing pots with cloth pots is fussy inverting them like a sock, roots getting caught in the fabric, but air pots you just undo a couple plastic screws with your fingers and the rootball is exposed. In theory air pots have similar root pruning benefits as cloth pots so roots wrapping and the need to up-pot or do root prunings is delayed/less frequent.
Great points, there's a lot of different mixes that can be successful, all depending on people's personal styles. There's a good chance that someone can still kill their trees with the ratios I mentioned in the video. Sounds like you have things down to a science, and I'm glad you guys mentioned flushing with water! I didn't even think to mention this.
Thanks. This helps. I guess I will be killing a few citrus trees because I use compost in my mix for the very same reason you say they plants aren't doing well with the organic fertilizer. Organic fertilizer obviously won't be as effective without life in the mix as you noted. A fun in seeing what is possible. Thanks again.
@@growingoutthebox You're welcome! It takes a bit of time to learn what works and what doesn't. We grow our in-ground Citrus 95% organically, top-dressing with compost, wood chips and coffee grounds. Potted citrus however tend to have much different needs.
My usual mix for citrus soil is 3 parts perlite (sifted over a screen first to remove the fine stuff) 2 parts fine pine bark and one part peat moss. If I'm gonna be leaving the citrus in the pot for multiple years I'll go with 3, 1, 1 proportions, so the soil won't start to get mucky when the pine bark rots. One up/downside of this mix is it's really light, so you can easily move your pots, however even a moderately windy day can knock over trees outdoors. One thing I've been wanting to try is adding finely crushed scoria in the mix to add another non-compactable absorbent rock that's a bit heavier than perlite.
@@brianmccarrier1605 That sounds like a very good mix as well! It reminds me of 5-1-1 which I had trouble keeping up with watering when it was 95°F outside during the Summer, but the root development was nice. Scoria would probably work well for that purpose! I like using heavier pots and potting mixes for our patio plants because we can get some really strong winds that knock over lighter/top-heavy plants.
Your mixture will rot within a year and start producing hydrogen sulfide as well as removing the available oxygen. Use mineral mixtures instead of plant debris and detritus.
I like using lava rock granules. I prefer it over sand because it is very porous and therefore holds water and nutrients better (at least thats what I read somewhere) while being not as heavy as sand. It also does not float on water like perlite wich can be annoying when watering.
This is just what I was looking for from you. My potted citrus medium is a mixture of a premium potting mix( with slow release fertilizer), some sand and perlite,and ,finally a scoop or three of my native red clay Tennessee soil with ,hopefully,some living soil organisms in it. I try not to over water the pots with citrus and so far the young citrus plants are doing ok inside this winter under gro lights. My next worry is are these indoor citrus getting enough micro nutrients with just the potting soil slow release fertilizer and an occasional liquid feeding with an all purpose Miracle Grow type fertilizer!? Time will tell. Meanwhile,I eagerly await future citrus videos from you that both educate and entertain this old citrus fanatic. I wish you all the best in 2025!
What about flushing? As long as the mix drains, it won't remain overly saturated and flushing will pull in oxygen and flush out bacteria and salts if you use water-soluble nutrients. I'm a hydro grower and I literally grow in water often so I look at things from the perspective of ensuriing plant roots getting oxygen stand-point. Thoughts?
Flushing works well like you said for salt build ups, and I have done it a few times. As long as the right mix is being used, I see no problems with doing so!
After 3 years of gardening with all my soul, i am starting to realise that most plants that I have killed (particularly in pots, and a lot of tropicals) are from overwatering. I am in a hot climate too! zone 10 USDA with nonexistent rain for 9 months of the year. my soil, even when amended, likes to keep water for ages which is a great thing for dry climates, but not a great thing for overzealous gardeners.
@@unpopuIaropinion Wow, I would be that type of gardener too 😂 It's good once you realize though, because then you can adjust your practices accordingly!
- Did you also watch the videos regarding growing mediums, made by Gary Matsuoka, owner of Laguna Hills Nursery? - If you want to use organic fertilizer with inorganic soil, you need to leave room to make a thick layer of compost/mulch/fertilizer on top. (Or use liquid organic fertilizer) - Do you not use deeper pots so the taproot can develop? I use nursery pots that are 23cm (9 inch) deep and would use even deeper ones if I could find them available here.
@@Edwardo5000 Yes! Gary has very good advice about soil that I apply to our mixes as well. Compost/mulch on top is certainly still a good idea. I found that for our personal potted trees, we preferred a rock mulch and inorganic fertilizer for the best results. I do like to use larger pots as you mention too, these quart-size pots are just a convenient size for our micro-grafted trees that are
@@themulberries Yes I think the 'topsoil' method of mulch+organic fertilizer works best in larger containers. I'm also not against inorganic fertilizer for containers plants. For in-ground growing, I do think it's nice to use organic, and only use inorganic to optimize and balance the total NPK and micronutrients if necessary.
@Edwardo5000 Definitely, it's much easier in-ground, we seldom use inorganic fertilizers for in-ground plantings unless we notice a given plant needs a quick boost.
Isn't poncirus more tolerant of damp conditions ? Would you say it's still better to give it a well draining citrus mix, or to maximize the organic matter in the mix ?
Poncirus is definitely more tolerant however in side-by-side comparisons I've still observed it growing healthier in a well-draining citrus mix. Perhaps I'll do a long term experiment this year!
@themulberries Okay, I'll have to do more repotting than I expected in spring then ! That would be a very interesting experiment, I'm eager to see the results !
I live in zone 8b in oregon. I recently got 2 wase varieties of mandarin. I plan to plant them in ground against the south wall of my house in spring. I plan to cover them in winter with a temporary greenhouse. How would you prep the soil? I plan to plant them above grade to help with our rainy winters.
Sounds exciting! You may receive different advice for this, but I've found it best to just plant in your native soil, above grade, and mulch generously around the tree.
i am also a soil nerd! especially after doing hydroponics. one thing i have noticed is that even if im growing in a completely inorganic medium, bentonite clay(oil-dri) for example, you can still get fungus gnats. they must make their way down the side of the stalk/trunk of the plant and make it to the roots. also, what type of sand do you use?
@@derekfarealz That's awesome, and man, fungus gnats are the worst! Last time we had a bad infestation I topped the pots with sand, cut back on watering, and set up bug-zapper lights that plug into the outlets. People often recommend coarse sand, but I like to use fine, pre-washed play sand. It's easy for me to find it and it's clean and ready to use for rooting cuttings or making my own potting mixes.
@@themulberries yep i just started a trail of sand for rooting some fig cuttings. ive never grown citrus or even tried a mulberry but your content crosses boundaries so thats why im subscribed. definitely want to give citrus a go for indoor/semi-outdoor eventually. have indoor and outdoor bananas currently(zone 5). maybe you would be interested in trading in the future? thanks for the content!
@@derekfarealz That's very cool! Mulberries are quite the treat if you ever get to try a native one. Red mulberry is hardy to your zone from what I know. In a good microclimate you might be able to experiment with different strains of trifoliate orange too. Of course, thanks for subscribing!
@@3moirai Thanks! Coarseness doesn't seem to be too important, I just use pre-washed fine play sand and that has always worked great for me. Cuttings root very well in it too with little rot.
Just use your local dirt. Citrus doesn't want to be potted in plant matter and detritus. All plants want exclusively mineral soil. I plant everything in a half sand, half local soil mixture. They can sit in water for days and aren't bothered by it due to the oxygen rich environment around the roots. It's rich in oxygen because nothing is rotting.
@themulberries im not sure when it happened I found it last week but I've also got a 10 degree tangerine and a 942 and both of them look ok. But we did get some cold weather the last week of November. Im not sure if it will save it but I wrapped grafting tape around it all the way up untill it warms back up
@Billy.t.94 Interesting, Yuzu performed better for us than the 10 degree so far but both have survived quite well without splits. I'm not sure what could have caused this but hopefully it heals!
What is your tree's rootstock ? Also, how cold did it get ? I've only seen such damage on my citrus after really harsh, sudden and unexpected cold. I have yuzus that survived below 10F just fine, but they were dormant thanks to poncirus rootstock. I lost citrumelos in the same conditions as they weren't dormant ; the bark split as you described.
@@theplantburglar Thank you, and yes! Especially at this age, over 50% of the stem cambium remains so it should heal over. If this plant was larger I might attempt a bridge graft over the wound as insurance.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
Spot on. Very usefull video.
I’ve been testing citrus potting mix for +5 years. Few recommendation to dial in your mix further:
Replace peat moss with coco coir. I found coco coir stay airy and does not compact, more pH stable, and less likely to become hydrophobic.
Add bio char, 10% by volume. You will notice significant reduction in yellow leaves or mineral deficiency.
@@SamMTL514 Good suggestions, thanks! I've used coconut coir for my figs before with good results.
I do like the idea of sand. I have been using either small wood chips or soil conditioner, but they both disintegrate after some time. new friend
Thank you! Thats what I do, less watering in winter, indoors, a plenty of sand into the soil, but I am also spraying warm water onto them every day to keep spidermites away. By the way: Today I did my first crossing with Citrus. Motherplant: A Calamondin (Calamansi), crossed with pollen from Citrus aurantium 'canaliculata'. My goal here is a fragrant variety with a rainbow of aroma. I know, both are polyembryonic, - but as a biologist I am gonna deal with that difficulties. Your Videos are always a pleasure to me! Greetings from Germany! 😊
@@ArnoSchlick You're welcome, and greetings! I do the same, spraying the plants with water and a little soap to prevent spider mites. That sounds like a fascinating cross! I want to cross Calamondin with Citrandarins and see what comes of it. I have heard of people using Calamondin as the mother plant, and although the odds of a hybrid are low, it is not impossible! Best of luck with your breeding.
@@themulberries Adding soap is someting I will also consider. You do a great job in pushing forward with cold hardy citrus, unfortunately I do not have access to good varieties of interest. So I focus on other themes, like aroma & flavour. 25 years ago I began to cross Roses. I learned a lot, in doing this. There is a great US Rose breeder, Ralph S. Moore, & his most inspiring saying has been: "The Rose will find a way!" And this sentence is really true, i love it. You can even get seeds from a pentaploid and a triploid cross in Roses. 😅
@ArnoSchlick Thank you! I hope some of these varieties become more accessible in your country too.
There is still plenty of room for new flavors and aroma with citrus! That's amazing about the pentaploid roses, wow.
@@themulberries Thank you & much further luck within your way! And: Never read a paper about the "Allele-specific transcription in pentaploid dogroses". Your mind will be blown, as mine had been. 😂 And, yes, the second elephant in the room, beneath cold hardiness, of course, is the inherited aroma & flavour.
@ArnoSchlick Thank you! Haha, I'm going to have to read that now that you mentioned it! I'll brace my brain for it 😂
I do like the idea of sand. I have been using either small wood chips or soil conditioner, but they both disintegrate after some time.
Give it a try! It works good for us, and the citrus look a lot healthier than when we have used wood-based ingredients.
my lime tree is in a big pot in 7-20mm pumice. it's doing great after a few months in this new medium. it struggled for several years to do much in organic based media. it was never really healthy before.
@@Chris-op7yt That's great! it's amazing how much of a difference it can make.
@@themulberries : I guess a high proportion of perlite might work however, in lower concentrations it tends to pack together with other media. i like pumice as it's the most water retaining, whilst still providing a lot of air to roots. has to be the chunkier size though, as 1-4mm pumice can still be too wet for many indoor plants.
@@Chris-op7yt That's good to know, I want to try it in a future mix since it seems superior to perlite in those ways.
This is all great and in line with what I know. Appreciate the mention that some folks may have to tune their soil for them -- some may have to watch their trees and figure things out. Some "citrus" soils aren't ideal out of the bag with no modifications, different regions and event container selection can impact water retention. I feel this way about Miracle Grow's Citrus and Cactus mix, on its own its not as well draining as citrus would prefer in my region.
I'm glad to hear you highlighting the benefits of immediately bio-available chemical fertilizers. Containers are subject to wider temperature swings, dry/wet cycles, all in a smaller volume of soil that as a result may not be as friendly to microbes as ground soils. When used too heavily organic ferts can contribute sludge that limits a containers ability to shed water. I guess the one gotcha is just being aware of salt buildups and doing freshwater flushes periodically to avoid salt concentrations from impacting trees. For me this usually isn't even a concern until the 2nd or 3rd year in a pot depending on how much chem ferts its been given. In Seattle we only get 27-60 days above 80F per year (optimal temps for sub-tropical citrus metabolism active growth/ripening) so seeking an edge in other areas is one way to compensate, and one of the things we can easily control in potted citrus are to fertilize as much as we can (all year for these evergreen trees, slowing down in winter if trees are kept warmer, but ESPECIALLY dumping on the fert through the peak summer months to jam in as much growth while you can)..
My preferred fert regiment is Miracle Grow Citrus & Cactus Shake n Feed (basically Osmocote formulated for fruiting plants) every 3-4 months but also included in fresh soils when up-potting trees, and Jack's Classic Citrus Feed (same 20-10-20 stuff mentioned in the video). Even if I feel too lazy to get out the water soluble fertilizer my trees still get some food from the slow release chem fert from a normal watering. Then if trees show signs of deificiencies I also keep Southern AG nutritional spray, and some a bottle of CalMag to use as needed. The foliar spray is an interesting way to get some food into trees when their roots are cold and you don't want to increase soil moisture very much but see some discolored foliage and its warm enough to warrant starting to remedy the issue (Spring is warming things up). I've found that spray to be pretty powerful stuff and at full/high doses it can burn leafs of certain plants, so I prefer to ease back to a half dose..
I'll have to give this mix a try sometime, I assume this is similar to "Al's Gritty Mix"? One pain about 5-1-1 is sourcing the aged/composted pine bark fines of the correct size so you end up getting bark mulch and screening it. Sand is pretty to get and you are right -- its less organic material that can break down. Sand is a heavier material.
In northern latitudes I'm a fan of black plastic pots + perlite soils for keeping weight down and trees more mobile. While its not necessary I personally use Superroots (specifically this brand for their sort durable recycled food safe HDPE plastics) air pots for all my potted citrus, pineapples, avocados. They have a built in air gap under the pot that cloth pots lack unless they are put on wire shelves. Cloth pots develop a sludgy green algae on the exterior I don't like carrying against my body, but air pots only seem to collect salt deposits which are good to keep an eye and can be brushed off my clothes. Changing pots with cloth pots is fussy inverting them like a sock, roots getting caught in the fabric, but air pots you just undo a couple plastic screws with your fingers and the rootball is exposed. In theory air pots have similar root pruning benefits as cloth pots so roots wrapping and the need to up-pot or do root prunings is delayed/less frequent.
Great points, there's a lot of different mixes that can be successful, all depending on people's personal styles. There's a good chance that someone can still kill their trees with the ratios I mentioned in the video. Sounds like you have things down to a science, and I'm glad you guys mentioned flushing with water! I didn't even think to mention this.
Thanks. This helps. I guess I will be killing a few citrus trees because I use compost in my mix for the very same reason you say they plants aren't doing well with the organic fertilizer. Organic fertilizer obviously won't be as effective without life in the mix as you noted. A fun in seeing what is possible. Thanks again.
@@growingoutthebox You're welcome! It takes a bit of time to learn what works and what doesn't. We grow our in-ground Citrus 95% organically, top-dressing with compost, wood chips and coffee grounds. Potted citrus however tend to have much different needs.
My usual mix for citrus soil is 3 parts perlite (sifted over a screen first to remove the fine stuff) 2 parts fine pine bark and one part peat moss. If I'm gonna be leaving the citrus in the pot for multiple years I'll go with 3, 1, 1 proportions, so the soil won't start to get mucky when the pine bark rots. One up/downside of this mix is it's really light, so you can easily move your pots, however even a moderately windy day can knock over trees outdoors. One thing I've been wanting to try is adding finely crushed scoria in the mix to add another non-compactable absorbent rock that's a bit heavier than perlite.
@@brianmccarrier1605 That sounds like a very good mix as well! It reminds me of 5-1-1 which I had trouble keeping up with watering when it was 95°F outside during the Summer, but the root development was nice. Scoria would probably work well for that purpose! I like using heavier pots and potting mixes for our patio plants because we can get some really strong winds that knock over lighter/top-heavy plants.
Your mixture will rot within a year and start producing hydrogen sulfide as well as removing the available oxygen. Use mineral mixtures instead of plant debris and detritus.
I like using lava rock granules. I prefer it over sand because it is very porous and therefore holds water and nutrients better (at least thats what I read somewhere) while being not as heavy as sand. It also does not float on water like perlite wich can be annoying when watering.
I've heard good things about lava rock granules! Definitely worthwhile if you can find them, sand and perlite are just cheap and easy.
This is just what I was looking for from you. My potted citrus medium is a mixture of a premium potting mix( with slow release fertilizer), some sand and perlite,and ,finally a scoop or three of my native red clay Tennessee soil with ,hopefully,some living soil organisms in it. I try not to over water the pots with citrus and so far the young citrus plants are doing ok inside this winter under gro lights. My next worry is are these indoor citrus getting enough micro nutrients with just the potting soil slow release fertilizer and an occasional liquid feeding with an all purpose Miracle Grow type fertilizer!? Time will tell. Meanwhile,I eagerly await future citrus videos from you that both educate and entertain this old citrus fanatic. I wish you all the best in 2025!
@@howardfowler2255 Thank you very much and I wish the same to you!
Like you mention, time will tell, but your potting mix does sound pretty good!
What about flushing? As long as the mix drains, it won't remain overly saturated and flushing will pull in oxygen and flush out bacteria and salts if you use water-soluble nutrients. I'm a hydro grower and I literally grow in water often so I look at things from the perspective of ensuriing plant roots getting oxygen stand-point. Thoughts?
Flushing works well like you said for salt build ups, and I have done it a few times. As long as the right mix is being used, I see no problems with doing so!
After 3 years of gardening with all my soul, i am starting to realise that most plants that I have killed (particularly in pots, and a lot of tropicals) are from overwatering. I am in a hot climate too! zone 10 USDA with nonexistent rain for 9 months of the year. my soil, even when amended, likes to keep water for ages which is a great thing for dry climates, but not a great thing for overzealous gardeners.
@@unpopuIaropinion Wow, I would be that type of gardener too 😂 It's good once you realize though, because then you can adjust your practices accordingly!
Same, the tropicals don't like wet soil at all. Had to start adding lots of sand and perlite and granite. Need lots of drainage!
There is no such thing as over watering. Your potting mixture is rotting and robbing the roots of oxygen. Use local dirt.
You didn't add drainage, you removed areas prone to rot and therefore increased the available oxygen to the roots.
- Did you also watch the videos regarding growing mediums, made by Gary Matsuoka, owner of Laguna Hills Nursery?
- If you want to use organic fertilizer with inorganic soil, you need to leave room to make a thick layer of compost/mulch/fertilizer on top. (Or use liquid organic fertilizer)
- Do you not use deeper pots so the taproot can develop? I use nursery pots that are 23cm (9 inch) deep and would use even deeper ones if I could find them available here.
@@Edwardo5000 Yes! Gary has very good advice about soil that I apply to our mixes as well. Compost/mulch on top is certainly still a good idea. I found that for our personal potted trees, we preferred a rock mulch and inorganic fertilizer for the best results.
I do like to use larger pots as you mention too, these quart-size pots are just a convenient size for our micro-grafted trees that are
@@themulberries Yes I think the 'topsoil' method of mulch+organic fertilizer works best in larger containers. I'm also not against inorganic fertilizer for containers plants. For in-ground growing, I do think it's nice to use organic, and only use inorganic to optimize and balance the total NPK and micronutrients if necessary.
@Edwardo5000 Definitely, it's much easier in-ground, we seldom use inorganic fertilizers for in-ground plantings unless we notice a given plant needs a quick boost.
Isn't poncirus more tolerant of damp conditions ? Would you say it's still better to give it a well draining citrus mix, or to maximize the organic matter in the mix ?
Poncirus is definitely more tolerant however in side-by-side comparisons I've still observed it growing healthier in a well-draining citrus mix. Perhaps I'll do a long term experiment this year!
@themulberries Okay, I'll have to do more repotting than I expected in spring then !
That would be a very interesting experiment, I'm eager to see the results !
They had the jacks line all in powder including citrus at my local nursery. Probably cheaper thab the liquid too
That's awesome, Jack's is good stuff!
I live in zone 8b in oregon. I recently got 2 wase varieties of mandarin. I plan to plant them in ground against the south wall of my house in spring. I plan to cover them in winter with a temporary greenhouse. How would you prep the soil? I plan to plant them above grade to help with our rainy winters.
Sounds exciting! You may receive different advice for this, but I've found it best to just plant in your native soil, above grade, and mulch generously around the tree.
i am also a soil nerd! especially after doing hydroponics. one thing i have noticed is that even if im growing in a completely inorganic medium, bentonite clay(oil-dri) for example, you can still get fungus gnats. they must make their way down the side of the stalk/trunk of the plant and make it to the roots.
also, what type of sand do you use?
@@derekfarealz That's awesome, and man, fungus gnats are the worst! Last time we had a bad infestation I topped the pots with sand, cut back on watering, and set up bug-zapper lights that plug into the outlets.
People often recommend coarse sand, but I like to use fine, pre-washed play sand. It's easy for me to find it and it's clean and ready to use for rooting cuttings or making my own potting mixes.
@@themulberries yep i just started a trail of sand for rooting some fig cuttings. ive never grown citrus or even tried a mulberry but your content crosses boundaries so thats why im subscribed. definitely want to give citrus a go for indoor/semi-outdoor eventually. have indoor and outdoor bananas currently(zone 5). maybe you would be interested in trading in the future? thanks for the content!
@@derekfarealz That's very cool! Mulberries are quite the treat if you ever get to try a native one. Red mulberry is hardy to your zone from what I know. In a good microclimate you might be able to experiment with different strains of trifoliate orange too.
Of course, thanks for subscribing!
Great video to know what you use for soil. What kind of sand do you use? Any particular courseness?
@@3moirai Thanks! Coarseness doesn't seem to be too important, I just use pre-washed fine play sand and that has always worked great for me. Cuttings root very well in it too with little rot.
Coarse sand is recommended
Great video. Do you have any Thomasville citrangequat for sale?
@@edmonpierre4562 Thanks! I do not, but Stan McKenzie had some in stock last time I saw him.
@themulberries Thanks for the quick response as always. What's the best way to order one from him?
@edmonpierre4562 You're welcome! You can contact him here: mckenzie-farms.com/contact.htm
Tell him Avery sent you!
Just use your local dirt. Citrus doesn't want to be potted in plant matter and detritus. All plants want exclusively mineral soil. I plant everything in a half sand, half local soil mixture. They can sit in water for days and aren't bothered by it due to the oxygen rich environment around the roots. It's rich in oxygen because nothing is rotting.
Good point! If you check out our first video I actually talked about using our local top soil. It has worked really well!
I have a yuzu in ground and from the graft almost all the way up to the top the bark has a split what would cause this
Did it split recently? This tends to happen when the plant is not dormant and sap is still flowing during the Winter when it is freezing.
@themulberries im not sure when it happened I found it last week but I've also got a 10 degree tangerine and a 942 and both of them look ok. But we did get some cold weather the last week of November. Im not sure if it will save it but I wrapped grafting tape around it all the way up untill it warms back up
@Billy.t.94 Interesting, Yuzu performed better for us than the 10 degree so far but both have survived quite well without splits. I'm not sure what could have caused this but hopefully it heals!
What is your tree's rootstock ? Also, how cold did it get ?
I've only seen such damage on my citrus after really harsh, sudden and unexpected cold. I have yuzus that survived below 10F just fine, but they were dormant thanks to poncirus rootstock. I lost citrumelos in the same conditions as they weren't dormant ; the bark split as you described.
@@Hydreii not sure the root stock but it come from stan. And we got down to 19 but alot of rain and 60s the few days before
SImilar to garys best top pot soil but that has biochar in it
Yes, it's like a simplified version 👍
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Awesome video! In your experience, will citrus survive/grow out of that amount of rodent damage? Thanks!
@@theplantburglar Thank you, and yes! Especially at this age, over 50% of the stem cambium remains so it should heal over. If this plant was larger I might attempt a bridge graft over the wound as insurance.