Hi everyone,
Gotta quick question: I have 4 trees on order from Four Winds which will be arriving this week. I am going to put them into 14inch pots and I need to know what fertilizer to get( I am really new at this and dont understand al lot of the numbers and terms). I was planning on getting the Osmocote 16-9-12 and maybe some epsom salts. what else do I need? Also at what frequency and amounts should I apply the fertilizer and other stuff if they are going into those 14 inch pots?
Thanks so much!!!

PS I keep my plants under grow lights in the winter, should I keep the fertilizing schedule year round or stop when they come inside?

What size containers are they in now? 14 inch is a big jump if they are in 4 x 4 x 14 or 1 gallon pots. It is not recommended to increase container size more than 2 inches at a time--a pot that is too large may cause root rot.

As for fertilizer, citrus use fertilizer in the ratio of 5-1-3, but they do not make that ratio in a commercial fertilizer that I know of. If you can find a slow release with minors (trace minerals) that has about 18-6-12 (a 3-1-2 ratio) then use it--Osmocote and Dynamite make one.

If you keep them growing in winter keep them fertilized. Where are you?

Thanks for the reply!!
The girl at 4 Winds said to put them into 14 inch pots. I can go smaller if you think that would be better. I am in Ontario Canada but I do all my shopping for fertilizer,etc across the river in Michigan. I have looked around but all I can find up here is the Osmocote 16-9-12. I will look for the other one or the Dynamite but I think I might be stuck with the 16---.

Four Winds trees do not come in containers. Four Winds will ship Mintchris's trees as bear root trees packed in cedar shavings. Four Winds trees normally have very nice root systems, therefore a 14 inch container should be about the correct size, provided, of course, that the growth medium has good drainage, thus good aeration. - Millet

Those should be some nice trees. If the fertilizer you found has trace minerals it will do. The problem you get when you have to feed a fertilizer that does not match the trees use is salt build-up. To eliminate that problem you will need to flush the container a couple times a year to remove excess salts.

If the fertilizer does not have trace minerals you will need to add them separately.

Alright well thanks for all that guys. I will try to find the best stuff and report back in a few days and you can hopefully guide me based on what I was able to find. I will look for the Osmocote or Dynamite.

On a side note for anyone who has ordered the 2-3 year trees from Four Winds, how tall are they once from the top of the soil once I get them planted? Never ordered from them before.

About 2 to 2.5 feet tall. On balance, Four Winds provides high quality citrus trees. - Millet

Yeah I hear they had a good reputation which is why I decided to order from them. Another question: I really want nice tall trees, bushy and full at the top so how much vertical growth can i expect each year and is there anything I can do to make it grow more upward.

Four Winds only sell dwarf citrus trees. They call their trees "True Dwarf" trees. They should eventually grow to about 6-8 feet tall. You can get a citrus tree to grow only as fast as the amount of growth flushes that you are able to make the tree produce per year. The maximum will be about five flushes per year. To accomplish this you will need to provide heat (80F+) and additional lighting during the winter months. Plus you will also have to keep the tree's root system around 80F. - Millet

Ok so then if I am going to keep them in my basement under growlights what is the best way to heat things? A couple of space heaters? Also does the actual trunk of the tree get taller everytime there is a growth flush?
Thanks AGAIN!!!!

Hi again,
So I picked up my trees today along with the Osmocote indoor/outdoor 19-6-12. How much of this stuff should I put with a 14 inch pot? I also use the liquid Miracle gro which is 12-4 -8. Should I keep using the Miracle gro every couple of weeks when I water along with the Osmocote? Do I need to add anything else? Epsom salts?
Thanks!!!

I think you have a nice combination of slow release and soluble fert there.High nitrogen is important,especially at spring flush.Try to avoid urea as your nitrogen source.
I would go half the recommended rate with both.More is not necessarily better.Little and often is better.Soluble fert every two weeks(weekly with light feed if you must).Wet soil first,leave to drain and then feed with soluble solution.Two reasons for this
1.never fert with soluble fert onto dry soil,it will burn the roots
2.if you water with soluble fert without watering first,most of it will run straight out the pot.
Best to water first,come back in 30 mins and water with the soluble fert,slowly until you see some come out the pot.Dont let the pots sit in water,will encourage root rot.
Good idea to put your pots on plant feet too.You can see the water coming out and encourages air flow around the pot.
Good to sprinkle epsom salts on top before spring flush or dissolve in water.I just sprinkle on the mix and do my liquid feed.
I usually water once a week here in summer,once a month in winter!but let your mix dry out a bit between waterings.Good luck dood.

The amount needed will be written on the packet and is usually measured by the pot size.A lot of people like to mix slow fert in with the mix and leave it then until you see new growth. You shouldnt feed until you see new top growth.
Personally,i add very little slow release fert to the mix when i repot and leave it alone to settle down(roots),then add some slow release at half rate to top and scratch into surface with blood and bone when growth appears.Then two weeks later ,start your soluble feed pattern. Often,the osmocote etc will say how long it feeds for eg 3 months.Feed at half the rate for pot size and then do the same again after two months,instead of three!
Osmocote,will supply the trace elements you mention.Seaweed fert once in a while as a change of feed is good for the trace elements too.Enjoy.

The trunk will take a long time to get thicker and will be the last thing you notice! if your tree goes bushy and grows well,the trunk will get thicker,so slowly that you probably wont notice it!! a bit like how you clutch gradually wears down.Wouldnt worry about that but remove all fruitlets for at least the first two years,when they are the size of a pea.They taste awful anyway but this will encourage the tree to grow a large canopy to support future crops.Let them crop straight away on a young tree and it will stunt their growth.