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Tiggerbow starts with ... Hi All, I am having a problem with my 'Splitzer' citrus tree. It is a grafted tree, half orange/half mandarin. I brought it about a year ago and planted it in a big pot. It survived the summer fine and was growing all be it slowly. I decided to plant it in the garden. Before this I had added dolomite to the soil in the garden in a silly attempt to get rid of some ants. It's leaves started to turn yellow. I did a PH test on the soil around the tree and it was neutral. I panicked as the tree cost $110.00 so I put it back in a pot with some citrus specific potting mix. The leaves are still yellow and the tree has not grown one new one. I was wondering if the problem was the PH in the soil and if anyone thinks that the tree will come good?. Any ideas and help would be most appreciated ! Thanks
| About the Author Tiggerbow Perth, WA 27th July 2009 6:55pm #UserID: 2209 Posts: 30 View All Tiggerbow's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author Jason1 Perth 27th July 2009 7:55pm #UserID: 2491 Posts: 111 View All Jason1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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amanda says... Hi Tiggerbow..your tree will survive provided you don't start throwing heaps of fertilisers and water on it - in an attempt to 'make it grow'.. if that makes sense? If it were my plant I would give it very weak solutions of seaweed or worm 'wee' - little and often until u see new growth (and let it go over the leaves) ..if u put any full on fert's on it now, while it's stressed, u may very well shock and kill it. Be gentle with it as u have dug it up twice now. It is also winter - put the pot in sun to assist nutrient uptake thru' warmer soil. Don't put a dish under the pot - let water drain away. See how u go - when it starts shooting again - take it from there (ie: if leaves are still yellow - then u can start looking at specific nutrients) In our climate - citrus get the winter 'yellows' this is normal due to cold, wet soil. Foliar fert's help with this - particularly Zinc. Hope this helps... | About the Author amanda19 Geraldton. WA 27th July 2009 8:51pm #UserID: 2309 Posts: 4607 View All amanda19's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Original Post was last edited: 27th July 2009 8:58pm | |||||||
| About the Author Tiggerbow Perth WA 27th July 2009 9:13pm #UserID: 2209 Posts: 30 View All Tiggerbow's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author Jason1 Perth 27th July 2009 9:46pm #UserID: 2491 Posts: 111 View All Jason1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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amanda says... Thanks Tiggerbow...I feel the same way about others on the forum 2! Don't forget to let us know how your tree goes. You should be able to put it back in the ground once it gets going again. A neutral pH is good - once it gets alkaline you will need to keep an eye on iron, zinc and manganese. Check the pH of the garden soil again b4 you plant as the dolomite won't affect it straight away. I would have panicked too...that's a hefty price tag hey! ;) | About the Author amanda19 Geraldton. WA 28th July 2009 7:17pm #UserID: 2309 Posts: 4607 View All amanda19's Edible Fruit Trees |
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peetah says... i have the same problem with my minneola tangelo. thank you for helping me! but unlike jason my plant is still very young and has not fruited yet.does this matter?i have put up a mini greenhouse and sprayed seaweed solution but no change. is it just the weather? should i just ride it out? | About the Author 31st July 2009 12:32am #UserID: 0 Posts: View All 's Edible Fruit Trees |
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amanda says... Hi Peetah..where r u? (do u get frost - hence the greenhouse?) Are u spraying regularly and little or just the once? It's quite hard to identify deficiencies at the best of times..maybe if u could post a photo? Tiggerbows plant has an all-over paleness which is suggestive of nitrogen deficiency (but not exclusive) - deficiencies of iron (for eg) will show in the youngest leaves first because iron is very immobile in the plant (ie: the plant can't "take" iron from the old leaves to give to the new ones) Zinc chlorosis is common in cold, wet conditions (looks similar to iron def'y). If in doubt it's best to add small amounts of something gentle until u see improvement. It also helps to know the pH of your soil as this can make a big difference. Citrus are also very greedy plants - in my garden I find they need more feeding than any other fruit trees I have. My Minneola is about 3 yrs this summer (it bore one fruit last summer but I really should have removed it - too young) it will fruit when it's ready - now is the time to prune it for a strong framework in order to carry the fruit later (it's going to be heavy!!) I hope this helps... | About the Author amanda19 Geraldton. WA 31st July 2009 9:24am #UserID: 2309 Posts: 4607 View All amanda19's Edible Fruit Trees |
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peetah says... hello amanda i live in adelaide. i am really the other peter but people were getting us mixed up!!!how often should i spray and what should i spray? i have used a seaweed solution once or twice. i have applied trace elements.what would be a gentle fertilizer to use? what fertilizer should be applied and how often? | About the Author 31st July 2009 11:53pm #UserID: 0 Posts: View All 's Edible Fruit Trees |
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amanda says... Hi Peetah....seaweed solution is fine - just do it every week I reckon - once the weather warms up, spring arrives where u are and u see new shoots - then u might want to look at something a bit more gutsy - it depends on your gardening ethos really - go for a citrus fert if u want - or the organic alternatives if u prefer. Just follow instructions on packet and don't ever be tempted to add a little bit more "just in case" - this is how u can end up with fertiliser burn - amoung other problems. I prefer slow release organic ferts such as blood n bone (which I make up with 10% potash as B+B low in this element), manure, wood chip, straw, dynamic lifter (and clay - cos it's very sandy here). I only address specific nutrient deficienies as they arise - but generally my trees always need zinc and iron. I have recently had a proper soil test done (well worth the $) and found that my general soil is deficient in just about everything - so I will look at manganese now - as it also has a similar chlorosis pattern to zinc and iron. It's a bit of an art to ID deficiencies and there may b someone here that is better at it than me..?? Keep doing the above and see what your new growth tells you. Post a pic if there are still problems with "anaemia" | About the Author amanda19 Geraldton. WA 1st August 2009 11:42am #UserID: 2309 Posts: 4607 View All amanda19's Edible Fruit Trees |
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amanda says... Hi Peetah and Tiggerbow - found this great site with pictures too - hope it helps: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/horticulture/citrus/management/nutrition/nutrition (I'm sorry if it doesn't work as a direct link - I'm not too good at that stuff...:( | About the Author amanda19 Geraldton. WA 3rd August 2009 9:55pm #UserID: 2309 Posts: 4607 View All amanda19's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Tiggerbow says... Good news ! The splitzer has powered back and now is covered in new growth and many many flowers ! I will not let many of the fruit form as the tree is still only a baby but it is very encouraging to see. I will hopefully post a photo soon. Thanks to all that helped with this problem. Problem solvered ! | About the Author Jodie Perth WA 15th October 2009 2:03pm #UserID: 2578 Posts: 28 View All Jodie's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author Jason1 Perth 15th October 2009 4:57pm #UserID: 2491 Posts: 111 View All Jason1's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Tiggerbow says... No worries Jason. I only put them all in this winter. Apple wise we have Pinkabelle, Dwarf Grannysmith, Dwarf Golden delicious, and 3 Ballerinas (Polka, Waltz and Bolero). They are all just sticks but the Pinkabelle is pushing through one single flower. I shall take some more photos and post them on my edibles page. : o ) | About the Author Jodie Perth WA 15th October 2009 6:14pm #UserID: 2578 Posts: 28 View All Jodie's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author Chris23 Illawarra NSW 11th February 2010 6:43pm #UserID: 3369 Posts: 2 View All Chris23's Edible Fruit Trees |
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| About the Author Gladys Cygnet Tasmania 13th February 2010 4:49pm #UserID: 3375 Posts: 1 View All Gladys's Edible Fruit Trees |
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Chris says... Hi Gladys, I have asked the guy at the nursery and he thinks it sounds like it is the root stock and suggested I prune all the the thorny growth back to the main stem. Easy to do with the growth coming off the main trunk but tricky at the banch level. So I will do that unless we hear any different. | About the Author Chris23 Illawarra NSW 13th February 2010 5:45pm #UserID: 3369 Posts: 2 View All Chris23's Edible Fruit Trees |
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