i bought a mosser lee soil kit from lowes and sampled a spot about 10 feet from all my citrus that has never seen any fertilizer or anything. next ill have to pick a spot thats under the drip line or something but i just fertilized again so itll have to wait.

as best i can tell my ph is 7.0 dead on, N P K dont even register but i didnt expect it to anyway.

so i have a ph of 7 in a heavy heavy clay soil. whats that mean for my citrus and my fertilizing?


i was also thinking a could send a soil or plant sample to the LSU ag center to get tested for all nutrients only for about 20 bucks.

Looking at your last pictures, I don't think there is anything wrong with your trees. As the leaves mature they will darken out. A pH of 7 is fine for citrus. Even at a pH of 8 a citrus tree will do OK. - Millet (979-)

I agree with Millet--the minor yellow in the leaves will fill in over time. If you have a heavy clay soil there should be plenty of minerals--it may take a little time for your tree to get established in the clay, but they should do fine at pH 7--ideal pH is only 0.5 units lower.

i tend to agree as far as the satsuma goes, but i think the tangerine has real issues. i think i will get a real sample done from the ag center this once so i have a starting piont to work with. ill keep yall posted if i get it done in a timely manner.


thanks for the help


red

red, the tangerine in the first set of pictures, could possibly have a magnesium deficiency, but normally a magnesium deficiency shows up on the older leaves, not the new leaves. However, if you have not applied magnesium to the tree in a while you can dissolve 1 Tbs. of Epsom Salts in a gallon of HOT water, and pour the cooled solution over the root zone area. This should be done 3 times a year on all of your citrus trees. - Millet (987-)

i had already bought some epsoms to add pending what yall had said. ill go ahead and do that to them and add it to my fertilizing schedule too.

one stupid question i have though, why the HOT water??? whats the difference if you pouring it cooled on the trees?

Epsom salts dissolve more in hot water.

redster wrote:

one stupid question i have though, why the HOT water??? whats the difference if you pouring it cooled on the trees?

You can also just sprinkle an ounce of epsom salt on the ground under the tree. Dissolving it in hot water will make it available faster. Magnesium is the central atom in a molecule of chlorophyll, so it is essential to all green plants.

well this time, hot water it is. if its gonna help i needed it yesterday lol.

thanks

red

Red,

Did you ever respond listing what fertilizer(s) you use and what has been applied prior to this problem starting? I scanned the thread and can't find it.

It would help, also for future references.

Are any of the worst leaves drying up and falling off?

i added a lb or 2 of fert with trace minerals this year, the rest of the time im using a basic 13-13-13 fertilizer. going to start adding epsoms salts this weekend also

and no, none of the leaves are falling off that i can see. what you thinking?


red

I recently had a lot of trouble for many of my container citrus when I switched to Miracid for a couple months. I think it was the Urea. I was asking to make sure you hadn't recently over-fertilized, esp. with micros.

i definately havent over fertilzed them. micros arent even in the ballpark, im certain im missing something, thats why im going to get a soil sample done to see where to start.


red

keep in mind this was unfertilized soil and i gave them citrus and blueberries for comparison since im thinking about planting a few berry bushes. i realize my PH is way too high for that right now, but the only thing thats off is sulfur for the citrus. im definately not lacking in any of the macros, what do you guys read of this? i wont have a chance to call the ag center for details till friday...



Element (Mehlich3).....value......blueberry......citrus

pH (1:1 Water) .........6.76......Very High......high
Phosphorus, ppm .......30.56......Medium......Medium
Potassium, ppm ........239.81.....High............High
Calcium, ppm .........3,958.16....Very High......Very High
Magnesium, ppm .....720.89......Very High......Very High
Sodium, ppm ...........30.95......Optimum........Optimum
Sulfur, ppm ............6.14........Low.................Low
Copper, ppm ...........7.08.........High................High
Zinc, ppm ...............16.63 .......High................High

6.76 is not a very high pH for citrus but the high calcium level makes me wonder if there is a lime layer underlying the ground where you are. I am no expert and I certainly don't know anything about the soil where you are at. What does the soil look like if you dig down to or three feet? Is there lime underneath? How is the drainage? Was your soil sample taken from the surface? Certain minerals like manganese and iron become unavailable at a much higher pH than 6.76 but if there is lime further down and it got mixed in with with the top soil when you planted your trees maybe the pH is higher around the root zone of your trees than 6.76.