Soil Volume Needed for Container-Grown Myers Lemon

Q. I plan on building a wooden planter for a Myer's lemon tree and would like some guidance on how many cubic feet of soil the tree will need to live to a ripe old age.  Also would like your recommendation on what to mix with screened desert dirt.

Citrus planted in 24 inch box container. 24 inch wooden boxes are available from Viragrow for $25. 

A. keep in mind that soils in containers become exhausted of nutrients and organic matter in a few short years. In other words, these trees need to be repotted or a portion of the soil replaced every year two.

You can do this by either pulling the plant out of the container, removing some soil, replacing the plant in the container as well as adding some new soil or you can dig some of the soil out of the container and replace it or add one or 2 inches of compost to the top of the soil in the container and lightly rake it into the surface.

 

Vermiculite is available from Viragrow for $10 per cubic foot which equals about 30 quarts.

It also helps if the soil surface in the container is covered with a mulch that will decompose adding organic matter back to the soil.

 

Organic ground cover or OGC is available from Viragrow for $60 per yard or $2.50 per cubic foot. OGC is a wood chip mulch that decomposes over time adding organic matter back to the soil. Apply 3 to 4 inches.

I guess what I'm telling you is you cannot just put a plant in a container and expect it to be healthy and live a long life. You have to do something to add nutrients and organic material back to that soil. The soil mixes here are rich in sand mixed with compost and eventually become mostly sand as the compost breaks down. Plants do not live a good life with their roots in 95%+ sand.

Citrus fertilizer is available from Viragrow for $20 for a 20 lb bag. Apply half of it in January and half again in three to four months.

It isn't a question of just soil volume. However, I would tell you that the volume of soil should be as large as possible. How is that for not answering the question?

First I will tell you what is best for the tree. Then we will be realistic. Nearly all of the Myers lemons are grafted onto rootstocks that keep them smaller than their 10 to 15 foot height grown on their own roots. They should reach a size of 6 to 10 feet in height in a container.

 

Biosolid Free (BF) compost is available from Viragrow for $55 per cubic yard or $3.00 per cubic foot. Viragrow Compost is available for $43 per cubic yard or  $2.50 per cubic foot. Mix this with native soils 50/50 for soil improvement and as a soil mix.

The minimum size container would be a 24 inch nursery box used for landscaping or as close to that size and volume as possible. 24 inch boxes are 24 inches wide.

It is more important for trees that containers are wider than they are deep. So wide containers are better for a tree than deep containers.

 

Garden Gourmet Planter Mix is a ready to go fortified container soil mix in a bag available only from Viragrow for $4.00 per cubic foot bag.  Use this product straight as a container soil mix.

Realistically, we make the plant fit the container. So this means that periodically we do some root pruning and some annual top pruning to keep it smaller.

When planting in containers, weight of the weight is always a concern. Other concerns are drainage and water holding capacity. We should also take into consideration how well it holds fertilizer so you don't end up washing most of the fertilizer out the bottom of the container.

 

Viragrow has a bulk container soil mix called Grower Blend Soil Mix available for $45 per cubic yard used by commercial nurseries. It can be purchased by the cubic foot for $2.50 per cubic foot.

If money is no object, I would use a soil mix of one third sand, one third compost and one third vermiculite or perlite. The vermiculite or perlite helps to make the soil mix lighter and easier to move around. Sand adds inert bulk to the mix. Some people might put sphagnum peat in the mix but peat moss is not environmentally sustainable and doesn't add much in the way of nutrients.

Soil pH a problem? Organic Magic lowers soil pH quickly. It is spread over the soil surface and watered in. It retails for $30 for a 30 lb bag.

Compost is a sustainable product that adds nutrients as it decomposes over 2 to 3 years and has many of the same properties of peat moss. Compost should be added back into a soil mix on an annual basis. The sand and perlite or vermiculite are pretty permanent in the mix so they do not need to be renewed but compost must always be added back the soil mix. 

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Are Biosolids Safe to Use?

Viragrow sells compost made with about 15% biosolids. Viragrow also sells compost made totally without biosolids or any animal manures. Why? Because about 10% of our customers asked for it.

Compost made without biosolids is called BF (biosolid free) compost. The soil mix made by only by Viragrow and used in raised beds and fruit trees is called Rejuvinate. It also contains rock dust for added plant nutrition.

Visit Viragrow Composts

Viragrow EQ Compost contains about 10 to 15% biosolids and must be submitted to testing by the EPA and meet their very tough standards. No other compost is required to do this.

You can't tell by looking at it but this compost is biosolid free. We call it BF Compost. It is totally free from animal or human byproducts. It is 100% recycled plant products. It is used n our Rejuvinate soil mix.

Which Fertilizers Should I Use for My Fruit Trees?

There are basically three types of fertilizers that you should pick from; 

• fertilizers with high phosphorus, 
• fertilizers with high nitrogen and a 
• balanced fertilizer with equal or high numbers of nitrogen and phosphorus. 

Apply fertilizers to fruit trees where water or moist soil is present. Never apply fertilizers closer than 12 inches to the trunk of the tree.

Remember these points:

About eight handfuls of fertilizer equals a pound. For smaller hands, 10 handfuls might equal a pound. Stay in the 8 to 10 handful range for estimating how much to apply you will be fine.

Never apply any fertilizer within 12 inches of the tree trunk.

It is not necessary to bury a fertilizer in the soil or under mulch but it must come in contact water.

Applying Compost to Fruit Trees

One cubic foot of Viragrow compost costs $2.50. One cubic foot of BF compost is $3.20.

There are numerous advantages, too many to list here, when you apply compost instead of a conventional fertilizer to fruit trees. Apply compost to the base of fruit trees and this will substitute for an application of fertilizer.You will have to apply a much higher volume of compost than concentrated fertilizer from a bag. If you have wood mulch at the base of the tree, rake it out of the way when making this application. Reapply it after the compost has been applied to the soil. It is possible to apply the compost on top of the wood mulch and wash it through the mulch onto the soil if you want to.

For young fruit trees up to two to three years of age, apply 1 cubic foot of 100% compost (not soil mix) to the base of the tree. For fruit trees that are four to six years old and entering production apply 2 cubic feet per tree. Trees larger than this, apply 3 cubic feet per tree.

Compost applied to fruit trees Irrigated in a basin before reapplying the mulch and watering it in.With drip emitters you must wet the compost so that it is in good contact with  soil wetted by the emitters. Wood chip mulch helps alot to keep the soil wet.

Size and color of persimmon leaves after early spring application of compost.

Applying Fertilizers to Fruit Trees
Conventional fertilizers are concentrated plant nutrients in a bag. Some of these nutrients are manufactured and some of them are mined from the ground.A lot less concentrated fertilizer is applied than compost to achieve similar results.

Fruit and nut fertilizer is a concentrated formulation for fruit and nut trees that are in production. It provides enough nitrogen for growth and enough phosphorus for improved flowering and fruiting. This 20 pound bag is $20.

Dry fertilizers such as the one above can be applied directly on top of mulch or on top of the soil and water it in with a hose. It should be applied within a foot of drip emitters or any source of water to the tree. It should never be applied closer than 12 inches to the trunk. It does not have to be dug in to the soil if you are making applications every year.

For young trees 1 to 3 years old, apply 1 pound of fertilizer. Fruit trees that are 4 to 6 years old, apply 2 pounds of fertilizer. Trees older than this apply three pounds.Broadcast the fertilizer in the wedded areas under the canopy of the tree and wash it in with the hose or incorporate it with a garden rake.

The fertilizer can be applied in a single application in very early spring or split into two applications; half in the early spring and the other half after harvest is finished but no later than August 1.

Other fertilizers which can be substituted for a fertilizer marketed as a fruit tree and not fertilizer include fertilizers for roses, flowering plants and tomato fertilizers.

Fertilizers to Use When Planting Fruit Trees
If you are mixing 50% of the soil volume surrounding the roots (backfill) with compost, you will not need to add additional fertilizer.Viragrow compost is high in phosphorus. If you are not using a significant amount of compost in the backfill, you should add a pre-plant or starter fertilizer to the backfill before planting. This will put phosphorus around the roots where it is needed.Use one half pound of fertilizer for every cubic foot of backfill.

Starter or pre-plant fertilizer comes in a 20 pound bag and sells for $20. You can use it as a starter fertilizer for vegetable transplants, vegetable and herb seeds, starting a new lawn and around trees and shrubs that are heavy bloomers.

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How Much "Plant Tonic" Should I Apply to My Bushes?

Q. We fertilize our bushes early spring and mid fall with a "plant tonic", a 5-10-5 liquid.  Hopefully this isn't too much nitrogen.

A. Actually, I would not worry so much about the nitrogen, the first number, as I would about the middle number, phosphorus. I usually apply fertilizers with a high middle number to flowers, flowering trees and shrubs, fruit trees and vegetables that produce fruits such as tomato, pepper, eggplant, melons, cucumbers, beans and peas. If I want leaf and stem growth I use a fertilizer higher in nitrogen.

This is labeled a 'Starter Fertilizer" or "Starter Fertilizer" because it is high in phosphorus, the middle number, which promotes root development in seedlings and transplants. Use it whenver you are planting anything. Because it is high in phosphorus it can be used for promoting flowers as well even though it is marketed for "starting " plants. It retails 15 lb for $18.00

Phosphorus also encourages more root development in plants. So it is a good thing to apply when planting seeds or transplants. In some soils, phosphorus can concentrate with frequent applications and cause  problems over time. So applying fertilizers that contain phosphorus over and over and over may cause problems. Apply phosphorus a week to two weeks before it needs it.

This is a water soluble fertilizer (granular that dissolves in water) which has 16% nitrogen, 16% phosphorus as an oxide  and potassium as an oxide. It is called a 16-16-16 water soluble fertilizer.$6.65 as of July, 2015. It makes about 100 gallons of fertilizer solution. Promotes growth, flowering, rooting and general health. So it is considered an "all around" fertilizer.

 I usually apply a phosphorus fertilizer only once during the growing season just before flowering or planting and then supplement frequently with small amounts of nitrogen the rest of the season.

Those three numbers, 5-10-5, represent the percent nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium present in this "plant tonic". It may be called a "Plant Tonic" but the word "Tonic" is a marketing term and not based on any science. It is supposed to give you a warm fuzzy feeling for a conventional fertilizer.

This is an interesting water soluble fertilizer because it contains no nitrogen but focuses on phosphorus (roots, flowers, fruit) and potassium (general health). This is a water soluble concentrate that pushes flowering or rooting but relies on the nitrogen already present for growth. Used in hydroponic growing for encouraging new cuttings or seedlings or pushing flower development. Hence called "Grow Bloom". Sells for $8.00 and makes about 150 gallons or more.

Nitrogen doesn't last very long after an application and doesn't cause the problems phosphorus can. Nitrogen is either picked up by plant roots, bound onto soil particles, washed through the soil below the roots or escapes into the atmosphere when converted to a gas. Nitrogen is really good at pushing new growth of leaves and stems and creating dark green color. If there is not enough nitrogen, the lower leaves will yellow and may drop from the stems creating plants that look weak, yellowish with poor growth. Applying too much nitrogen at one time can cause the leaves to burn around the edges and, in some cases, even kill them. Nitrogen fertilizers have a high salt content.

Lack of nitrogen causes plants to grow slowly, appear in poor health and, in particular, have the older leaves turning yellow or dropping from the plant. Use a high nitrogen fertilizer on this plant with low phosphorus since you are not expecting it to flower or produce fruit.

Always adjust your phosphorus according to the needs of the plant. Heavy bloomers and new plants require more phosphorus. Plants that don't bloom and are established require very small amounts.

Always add potassium when possible. Apply high phosphorus fertilizers or "tonics"two weeks before  bloom or immediately before planting. The rest of the time concentrate on high nitrogen and low phosphorus fertilizers.

Two fertilizers are all you need in most situations unless there are some special problems. One should be a high nitrogen low phosphorus fertilizer. The other should be a lower nitrogen and high phosphorus fertilizer. Potassium levels should be medium to high in all fertilizers whenever possible.

Green-Up is an 8-4-4 fertilizer that has a higher percentage of nitrogen which will help plants "green up" and grow leaves and stems. 10 lb bag is $7.95. 20 lb bag is $14.95.

Take a look at our fertilizers on our website and now practice which fertilizers can be used on what.
Click here to visit our fertilizers arranged in alphabetical order.

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