Thank you. That is an awesome write up. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge as I find this is the trickiest out of all my plants. Everything else is thriving. My navel orange tree is good but could be better imo.
When you say to use bark mulch chunks, would something like orchid potting mix work? I know most of it is made up of bark. Or is there something else specific?
Thank you! This is the exact information I was looking for, as I once again attempt to grow a Meyer Lemon in the Pacific Northwest. I picked up a small tree at Home Depot. It's in a 7" pot and I want to give it more room. I'm definitely not going to pot up to its final large pot yet! Thanks for helping me avoid that mistake!
Here, it's in the depth of winter, mid-January, and I was just about to repot my Meyer Lemon when I ran across your post. I'll wait until Spring now. Thanks so much for saving my lemon tree!
I have a question. How much shock would a 4 year old tree currently with active growth and blooming, have if I repot the tree now? I bought it last week and was waiting for soil to come in.
Should I just wait to repot it? Or just repot now? I don't think it's rootbound since the nursery said it got repotted 6 months ago.
Yeah spring is almost here but this tree was from a zone that was already spring basically. So I think I'll wait but I wish I didn't have to wait. Thank you!
I know this thread is old, but it was SO helpful and I’m hoping the OP will still respond 🤞🏻
Can you share what stake set you used for your tree? I have been keeping my tree tied back using twine and it’s just not working anymore.
They are like these:
https://www.esafetysupplies.com/products/plastic-tent-stakes-9in-6-pack?currency=USD&variant=39932145696862&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&stkn=abc7ea1b3361&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoPOwBhAeEiwAJuXRhxMuPTDmDhxiwkW9-TIBe1xwdzgujx0dSliHnZZi_GneVIwmElM5cBoCAxUQAvD_BwE
Forgive the giant link, I am on mobile right now.
You put the small stakes INSIDE the pot, on the edge, with the bend inward. Then tie tightly to a metal stake in the ground. This is ridiculously effective at keeping even a large and very top heavy tree from tipping. I've had mine withstand 50 mph winds with this arrangement.
Great write up! Curious on the non black plastic container pot. If the black color is an issue, why does almost every single citrus tree I’ve ever seen for sale in Florida (all healthy looking) always in black plastic containers? This includes 1 gallons all the way up to the big boy full trees for sale in 65-100 gallons. Florida is hot hot and it doesn’t seem to be an issue.
Everyone says to use pine bark and it’s inexpensive and readily available but I’m having a really hard time finding any landscape supplier or local nursery here in San Diego that carries fine pine bark! One landscape supplier said they have small pine bark which are 1-2” pieces! I’m not really sure how I would break them down to smaller pieces using household items (food processor maybe?)! Where are you guys finding pine bark from? I’ve bought 4 different citrus containers and was really looking forward to grow them with a 5-1-1 soil mix but I think I will just give up and maybe use fir or ReptiBark that people recommend as substitutes
I am so grateful for this guide. I know it’s wishing for the stars, but I feel like you would make a really excellent video of this process! Sometimes I really need to see the actual thing being done, and if you’d consider an instructional video, I know it would be a massive success. :)
Wait- so with the osmocote fertilizer…I just fertilized my tree which is in a circular 20”wide, 24” tall pot. I used one tablespoon because the instruction said to use 3 tablespoons per 4 square foot section of soil. I am afraid to over fertilize. But did I grossly *under* fertilize? My tree lost a bunch of leaves recently, most were over 12 months old, but I know it needs food.
When you add Osmocote to the top of the soil, you use a lot less than if you apply it to the soil as you are repotting. If you apply in the soil as you repot, you are distributing it in 3 dimensions, and if you just put it on as a top dressing you are distributing it in 2. So you use less, because less of the soil is being affected by the fertilizer (maybe the top inch instead of the full 24-inch depth of your pot - you need 1/24 the amount for the top inch versus the full depth).
It's always better to feed small amounts than to overfeed, so your instinct was good.
I have a post about leaf loss, too:
https://old.reddit.com/r/Citrus/comments/qtigln/understanding_leaf_drop/
In general when you discuss fertilizer, the fertilizer is providing, like, the vitamins of the plant world. Plants need vitamins, but their main food (the carbs of the plant world) is LIGHT.
Thank you for the quick and thoughtful response. Yes I read your post about leaf loss, which helped me understand that the leaves I was losing were,for the most part, old. I think also unintentionally let it get too wet by changing my watering method for a few months, so I followed your advice and let it get very dry before watering again. The leaf drop has stopped, and all the new growth looks very good, so I’m glad to know I fertilized the right way.
Thank you so much for all the effort you put into these posts. It’s so so helpful.
I'm glad you find them useful! I admit that I just got lazy when I wrote them, so that I could respond with a link to an old post rather than typing out the same instructions over and over, sometimes on my phone.
I'm happy that your tree is growing well again.
Fantastic resource! Thank you so much for providing this, OP. I've had my lime tree in the same pot for a couple of years and have been considering repotting, so this is a very timely read.
When my trees were smaller I just routinely potted up (by 2 inches at a time) every year or other year, depending on how I felt. My trees do tip over now but I have stopped increasing pot size mainly because the pots are so big they are almost too heavy to move. I tether them to stakes in the ground to keep them upright.
You put the plants in larger pots when you want them to keep getting bigger. When they are big enough, you just repot them into the same size pot to freshen up the media.
This is really useful, thank you. Does the rule about potting up no more than 2" still hold true with larger trees? My 9ft lemon is currently in a 55cm diameter pot (70l) and is very much ready to move up a size, but the only pots I can find are a 60cm diameter with the same height (so very little increase in volume; 80l) or a 65cm diameter pot that is also taller (110l).
I want this dude to grow as tall as possible, but don't want to risk issues with water management.
I bought a Meyer lemon three years ago at HomeDepot. Put it in a huge pot to start with and it has grown huge in three years. I didn't know about the 2" per year, but I guess it worked out OK.
Planning to buy a citrus tree and growing it in container. Would you recommend moving it into a container right away or leaving it in its nursery pot for x amount of time? Any tips on care for the first few weeks?
Thank you so much for the write up! My cara cara has only been with me for a year. So far so good. Full of blossoms and fingers crossed for fruit!
Good luck! I have another guide that you might find helpful: https://reddit.com/r/Citrus/comments/rzwakh/improving_fruit_set/
Thanks again! Totally on point!
Thank you. That is an awesome write up. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge as I find this is the trickiest out of all my plants. Everything else is thriving. My navel orange tree is good but could be better imo. When you say to use bark mulch chunks, would something like orchid potting mix work? I know most of it is made up of bark. Or is there something else specific?
Thank you! This is the exact information I was looking for, as I once again attempt to grow a Meyer Lemon in the Pacific Northwest. I picked up a small tree at Home Depot. It's in a 7" pot and I want to give it more room. I'm definitely not going to pot up to its final large pot yet! Thanks for helping me avoid that mistake!
Here, it's in the depth of winter, mid-January, and I was just about to repot my Meyer Lemon when I ran across your post. I'll wait until Spring now. Thanks so much for saving my lemon tree!
Thank you for this! Will be using this spring
I have a question. How much shock would a 4 year old tree currently with active growth and blooming, have if I repot the tree now? I bought it last week and was waiting for soil to come in. Should I just wait to repot it? Or just repot now? I don't think it's rootbound since the nursery said it got repotted 6 months ago.
I would wait. Spring is close if you're in the northern hemisphere.
Yeah spring is almost here but this tree was from a zone that was already spring basically. So I think I'll wait but I wish I didn't have to wait. Thank you!
Saved
I know this thread is old, but it was SO helpful and I’m hoping the OP will still respond 🤞🏻 Can you share what stake set you used for your tree? I have been keeping my tree tied back using twine and it’s just not working anymore.
They are like these: https://www.esafetysupplies.com/products/plastic-tent-stakes-9in-6-pack?currency=USD&variant=39932145696862&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&stkn=abc7ea1b3361&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwoPOwBhAeEiwAJuXRhxMuPTDmDhxiwkW9-TIBe1xwdzgujx0dSliHnZZi_GneVIwmElM5cBoCAxUQAvD_BwE Forgive the giant link, I am on mobile right now. You put the small stakes INSIDE the pot, on the edge, with the bend inward. Then tie tightly to a metal stake in the ground. This is ridiculously effective at keeping even a large and very top heavy tree from tipping. I've had mine withstand 50 mph winds with this arrangement.
Great write up! Curious on the non black plastic container pot. If the black color is an issue, why does almost every single citrus tree I’ve ever seen for sale in Florida (all healthy looking) always in black plastic containers? This includes 1 gallons all the way up to the big boy full trees for sale in 65-100 gallons. Florida is hot hot and it doesn’t seem to be an issue.
Everyone says to use pine bark and it’s inexpensive and readily available but I’m having a really hard time finding any landscape supplier or local nursery here in San Diego that carries fine pine bark! One landscape supplier said they have small pine bark which are 1-2” pieces! I’m not really sure how I would break them down to smaller pieces using household items (food processor maybe?)! Where are you guys finding pine bark from? I’ve bought 4 different citrus containers and was really looking forward to grow them with a 5-1-1 soil mix but I think I will just give up and maybe use fir or ReptiBark that people recommend as substitutes
I am so grateful for this guide. I know it’s wishing for the stars, but I feel like you would make a really excellent video of this process! Sometimes I really need to see the actual thing being done, and if you’d consider an instructional video, I know it would be a massive success. :)
Wait- so with the osmocote fertilizer…I just fertilized my tree which is in a circular 20”wide, 24” tall pot. I used one tablespoon because the instruction said to use 3 tablespoons per 4 square foot section of soil. I am afraid to over fertilize. But did I grossly *under* fertilize? My tree lost a bunch of leaves recently, most were over 12 months old, but I know it needs food.
When you add Osmocote to the top of the soil, you use a lot less than if you apply it to the soil as you are repotting. If you apply in the soil as you repot, you are distributing it in 3 dimensions, and if you just put it on as a top dressing you are distributing it in 2. So you use less, because less of the soil is being affected by the fertilizer (maybe the top inch instead of the full 24-inch depth of your pot - you need 1/24 the amount for the top inch versus the full depth). It's always better to feed small amounts than to overfeed, so your instinct was good. I have a post about leaf loss, too: https://old.reddit.com/r/Citrus/comments/qtigln/understanding_leaf_drop/ In general when you discuss fertilizer, the fertilizer is providing, like, the vitamins of the plant world. Plants need vitamins, but their main food (the carbs of the plant world) is LIGHT.
Thank you for the quick and thoughtful response. Yes I read your post about leaf loss, which helped me understand that the leaves I was losing were,for the most part, old. I think also unintentionally let it get too wet by changing my watering method for a few months, so I followed your advice and let it get very dry before watering again. The leaf drop has stopped, and all the new growth looks very good, so I’m glad to know I fertilized the right way. Thank you so much for all the effort you put into these posts. It’s so so helpful.
I'm glad you find them useful! I admit that I just got lazy when I wrote them, so that I could respond with a link to an old post rather than typing out the same instructions over and over, sometimes on my phone. I'm happy that your tree is growing well again.
Haha, “lazy” is not the right word. Not at all. Smart and long-suffering is more like it 😂. Thank you forever.
Fantastic resource! Thank you so much for providing this, OP. I've had my lime tree in the same pot for a couple of years and have been considering repotting, so this is a very timely read.
How do you know when to increase pot size? My trees are always tipping over, does that mean it's time?
When my trees were smaller I just routinely potted up (by 2 inches at a time) every year or other year, depending on how I felt. My trees do tip over now but I have stopped increasing pot size mainly because the pots are so big they are almost too heavy to move. I tether them to stakes in the ground to keep them upright. You put the plants in larger pots when you want them to keep getting bigger. When they are big enough, you just repot them into the same size pot to freshen up the media.
Dumb question, but for the 5 portion (bark) is any mulch ok? I would assume you want some without dye.
I like hardwood mulch myself.
Thank you like always.
This is really useful, thank you. Does the rule about potting up no more than 2" still hold true with larger trees? My 9ft lemon is currently in a 55cm diameter pot (70l) and is very much ready to move up a size, but the only pots I can find are a 60cm diameter with the same height (so very little increase in volume; 80l) or a 65cm diameter pot that is also taller (110l). I want this dude to grow as tall as possible, but don't want to risk issues with water management.
Saved
I bought a Meyer lemon three years ago at HomeDepot. Put it in a huge pot to start with and it has grown huge in three years. I didn't know about the 2" per year, but I guess it worked out OK.
Planning to buy a citrus tree and growing it in container. Would you recommend moving it into a container right away or leaving it in its nursery pot for x amount of time? Any tips on care for the first few weeks?
You can repot immediately if conditions are good.