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bodavid Citruholic
Joined: 30 Apr 2007 Posts: 67 Location: kuwait
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Posted: Tue 25 Jan, 2011 6:04 am |
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Temperatures are gradually warming up although it is still winter season. I was wondering when is the best time of the year for inground planting? I have several myer lemon and moroblood oranges in pots that are 1 year old that i want to transplant them inground.
I have also heard that citrus hate soil adjustments ( adding perlite and peat inground before planting) because they will find it difficult to adjust to the original soil. Is this true if yes is it applicable to all types of soil? |
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David. Citruholic
Joined: 09 Nov 2009 Posts: 400 Location: San Benito , Texas
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Posted: Tue 25 Jan, 2011 6:17 pm |
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In my opinion I wouldn't add anything when planting. Only thing I would add is some fully composted compost on top but away from the trunk. And time of planting is always best to when you have your last expected freeze date. I think my last freeze date just pasted so I'll be doing some planting for this year.
Need to replace Palestine sweet lime and all of my lychees. Like 4 varieties on the lychees. They struggled this past year bad and are dying back. _________________ South Texas gardener |
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Millet Citruholic
Joined: 13 Nov 2005 Posts: 6656 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Tue 25 Jan, 2011 6:59 pm |
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Plant in spring when the danger of a frost or freeze is past. Do not add any amendments. The only item that you use to refill the hole is the dirt you took out when digging the hole. Further dig a hole only as large as the size of the tree's root ball, then make a watering ring to hold approximately 5 gallons of water (19 l). - Millet (720-) |
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Tom Citruholic
Joined: 11 Nov 2008 Posts: 261 Location: Alabama [Central]
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Posted: Tue 25 Jan, 2011 7:21 pm |
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Millet- I agree and that's what I have always heard BUT I planted in a raised bed that was much better than my poor, pure sand, bad soil. I think a small bit of an improved soil would limit tree growth because of the bath tub effect but I have wondered about digging out a much larger site and filling with good soil maybe mixed with existing soil....I have done this but I can not say it was a success at all but I think there were other problems, all me and bugs and deer. Which by the way the deer found all the plants and bushes around my weekend house at the farm and have eaten all the leaves off of everything including two magnolias and several pittisporium. They have not bothered them in 4 years but jumped on them very hard this year. I got caught asleep at the switch. Maybe they will bounce back. Maybe I need to spend more time there and shoot them while its still legal....Tom _________________ Tom in central Alabama |
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Millet Citruholic
Joined: 13 Nov 2005 Posts: 6656 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Tue 25 Jan, 2011 7:51 pm |
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Tom, your big hole idea is one that certainly works if it is large enough. I had an area with horrible soil. Therefore, I dug a hole that was 4-feet square, and 5-feet deep (80-cu. ft.) then filled the hole with a good medium, and planted a Page mandarin. The tree is doing well, because the tree's root system is growing in a homogeneous medium, the same as if it was planted in the normal manner directly into the soil. - Millet (720-)[/u] |
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Tom Citruholic
Joined: 11 Nov 2008 Posts: 261 Location: Alabama [Central]
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Posted: Tue 25 Jan, 2011 7:55 pm |
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Millet- I am guessing that huge hole is inside your greenhouse, I love it ! Tom _________________ Tom in central Alabama |
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Darkman Citruholic
Joined: 20 Jul 2010 Posts: 968 Location: Pensacola Florida South of I-10 Zone 8b/9a
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Posted: Tue 25 Jan, 2011 10:27 pm |
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Millet wrote: | Tom, your big hole idea is one that certainly works if it is large enough. I had an area with horrible soil. Therefore, I dug a hole that was 4-feet square, and 5-feet deep (80-cu. ft.) then filled the hole with a good medium, and planted a Page mandarin. The tree is doing well, because the tree's root system is growing in a homogeneous medium, the same as if it was planted in the normal manner directly into the soil. - Millet (720-)[/u] |
Here is something I have done BUT I am not suggesting or advocating it. This what I have done for other plants not citrus.
I would like your thoughts on this.
Like Millet I dug/excavated a very large hole for a planting bed. It was 14'L x 6'W and 4' deep. The top layer is composted pine bark mix with fertilizer and trace elements added. At the four foot layer it was dirty sand which is standard issue in this part of Florida. In between I created layers about 8" thick. From the bottom up each layer received a higher percentage of the composted pine bark. To me it is a natural progression from the good to the bad but in a very gradual manner. Everything I have planted in it has prospered. _________________ Charles in Pensacola
Life - Some assembly required, As is no warranty, Batteries not included, Instructions shipped separately and are frequently wrong!
Kentucky Bourbon - It may not solve the problem but it helps to make it tolerable! |
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Tom Citruholic
Joined: 11 Nov 2008 Posts: 261 Location: Alabama [Central]
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Posted: Tue 25 Jan, 2011 11:07 pm |
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Charles, That is sorta like what is sometimes called a lasagna garden ! All the layers eventually rot down like composting. I worry about air pockets and denser pockets hampering roots but it would be better than some or most soils out there. Good soil is a blessing and my daddy said if it were a perfect world and there were no subdivisions, the best farmers would end up with the best soil in the end. In the mean time he told me to do the best I could with what we had !! You can't buy the best soil around here or in most places. It is never for sale on the open market for farming.....houses get a lot of it.... _________________ Tom in central Alabama |
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Darkman Citruholic
Joined: 20 Jul 2010 Posts: 968 Location: Pensacola Florida South of I-10 Zone 8b/9a
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Posted: Wed 26 Jan, 2011 12:36 am |
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Tom wrote: | I worry about air pockets and denser pockets hampering roots... |
My mixed organics were pre composted so I don't have to worry about that. I also tamped each layer so I would not have excessive settling and the ground would be fairly solid. _________________ Charles in Pensacola
Life - Some assembly required, As is no warranty, Batteries not included, Instructions shipped separately and are frequently wrong!
Kentucky Bourbon - It may not solve the problem but it helps to make it tolerable! |
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wd40 Citruholic
Joined: 10 Dec 2010 Posts: 105
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Posted: Wed 26 Jan, 2011 1:39 am |
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Millet wrote: | . . . then make a watering ring to hold approximately 5 gallons of water (19 l). - Millet (720-) |
This considered down here am invitation to root rot. The common advice is plant it slightly above the ground level with no water ring. The UFL dude made note, there are many more citrus that die from root rot than from lack of water.
Randy |
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mrtexas Citruholic
Joined: 02 Dec 2005 Posts: 1030 Location: 9a Missouri City,TX
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Posted: Wed 26 Jan, 2011 1:54 am |
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I wouldn't think amending the soil in Florida would be much of a problem with pure sand soil much as it would be here where the soil is 100% clay. In clay, you are creating a bathtub to drown the trees. I plant in raised beds as a result. |
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Millet Citruholic
Joined: 13 Nov 2005 Posts: 6656 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Wed 26 Jan, 2011 2:03 am |
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WD40 I agree 100 percent with you concerning planting the tree raise above the soil line just a bit so that the very top portion of root system is showing. I should have included that in my above post. Thank you for bringing it to my attention, I appreciate it. However, there must be some confusion about the water ring. In the booklet "Florida Dooryard Cirrus Guide"which is published by the University of Florida, it is stated to make a water ring that will hold approximately 7 - 10 gallons of water (even up to twice what I stated). Further, the University recommends watering young trees up to 7 times a week, thats once every day. When a hole is made just large enough for the tree's root system to properly fit into, there is no lake effect made, and without a lake effect there is no root rot. Unless the soil is heavy clay, the water quickly leaches down and away. Personally, I have never heard of a root rot problem when the tree is planted as recommended. A young citrus tree has a very small root system and if not frequently water it will surely die. |
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Darkman Citruholic
Joined: 20 Jul 2010 Posts: 968 Location: Pensacola Florida South of I-10 Zone 8b/9a
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Posted: Wed 26 Jan, 2011 9:33 pm |
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wd40 wrote: | Millet wrote: | . . . then make a watering ring to hold approximately 5 gallons of water (19 l). - Millet (720-) |
This considered down here am invitation to root rot. The common advice is plant it slightly above the ground level with no water ring. The UFL dude made note, there are many more citrus that die from root rot than from lack of water.
Randy |
Randy I recently spoke with UFL personnel at their citrus farm near Quincy Florida. We were discussing the citrus (about 30 trees) I will be planting this spring. He said that a planting ring is recommended. With most Florida sand/soils you would be hard pressed to hold much moisture near the roots for any length of time. Georgia is a whole other matter. BUT as was said earlier the young plants have such a small rootsystem I can't imagine where a ring would hurt. Unless you dug a hole in pure hard clay the water should perk right through. If it won't then you might want to consider creating raised rows. _________________ Charles in Pensacola
Life - Some assembly required, As is no warranty, Batteries not included, Instructions shipped separately and are frequently wrong!
Kentucky Bourbon - It may not solve the problem but it helps to make it tolerable! |
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wd40 Citruholic
Joined: 10 Dec 2010 Posts: 105
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Posted: Sun 30 Jan, 2011 11:52 am |
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We have the sandy soils here in South GA.
If I remember right the contest of the warning involved the making of the water ring. The common mistake was to pull the soil up form the center where the tree would be planted leaving the tree planted lower than the surrounding soil level. If a water rind is to be made, soil should be brought in.
A good discussion.
Randy |
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