link

I've been working on a major round of repotting and I'm shocked at how bad many of these trees roots are deformed. Some of them are pathetic. I had to really work hard to untangle and attempt correct them on most of my trees I've repotted so far. I was overly aggressive on a few and I may lose those trees. I'm bare rooting almost of my trees and putting them in a soiless mix or either CHC or Pine Bark. I'm going half and half both as an experiment and for cost reasons. Then I'm putting them in the smallest size Rootmaker I can reasonably get them in. This way they will benefit from stepping up. I will need to buy the Rootmaker rolls, so I can repot the trees I want to get larger.

I understand why people return trees after getting a look at the roots. I will do the same from now on. Each tree will be removed from the pot and really examined. This Rookmaker thing has been a real learning experience.

What size do people make their Rootmakers from the rolls after potting up from a 5 gallon?

The smallest size I make out of the 100 ft. RootMaker rolls is a 7 gallon (3 sections). I have a Pummelo in a 80 gallon RootMaker container.

18-inch tall rolls:
5 sections = 20 gallon
6 sections = 30 gallons
7 sections = 40 gallons
8 sections = 55 gallons

36-inch tall rolls:
24" dia. circle = 35-gal.
36" dia. circle = 80 gal.
40" dia. circle = 100 gal.
48" dia. circle = 120 gal.

Can make up to a 250 gallon container using the RootMaker rolls.

Millet (889-)

Today I transplanted two trees into 20 gallon Air Root Pruning containers made from a 100-ft. RootMaker II roll.

The first tree was a semi-difficult variety to locate, a Mexican Giant Lime, the other tree is a rare and very difficult variety to locate, a Black Twig Sour Lime.

Millet (889-)

Are these assembled containers sturdy enough to move a large tree once it's filled?

Millet, you will find this funny. Whenever I'm working on my trees now, like in the case of the transplantings, I keep hearing your words go through my head.

"Spread the roots out evenly", "Untangle the roots", "Once a root is deformed" and so on. It's almost like Obi Won telling Luke to use the Force!

Once the root system has filled the large containers to the point that it can hold the medium, the tree can be moves quite easily, even in containers without a bottom. I have seen pictures of very large trees growing in bottomless 250-gallon RootMaker ARP containers being shipped on semi-trucks. By bottomless, I mean that large RootMaker containers are grown setting on top of either polyethylene film, or root trapper bases. I always use root trapper bases. - Millet (889-)

Millet, can you tell me about the black twig lime? I couldn't find any info on it.

Millet what height to you favor for the rolls, building 7 gallon and up? 18" or 30"?

Mark, up until now I have only ordered Root Builder-II in the 18" high rolls, so every large container I have ever made was made from a 18" size. However, just last week, I received my first 36 inch high 100-foot roll. I order the 36" because I want to transplant some of my large container trees into them. A container can be build as wide as one wishes using the 18 inch material, but even then, the tree's root system reaches the bottom and begins to bend in every direction. Luckily, the natural growth pattern of a citrus tree's root system, produces the vast majority its roots, even when planted in the ground, in the top 2.5 to 3 feet of soil. Therefore, the 36" deep Root Builder-II should be the tallest size ever required. I would still recommend the step up method, especially with very small trees or seed = 2 X 18 cell germinating packs, 1 gallon, 3- gallon, 5-gallon, 10-gallon and so on. This is because of the "4-inch rule", where an Air Root Pruning (ARP) container will air prune the root tips, and then multiply the root system with many new side feeder roots, starting 4-inches back from the tip,. This will occur every time the tree is transplanted up into a new ARP container, eventually producing millions of roots. If you would like some 36" Root Builder-II material, just let me know and I will be very happy to cut as many segments from the roll as you would like, and send them to you via UPS. At the moment, I have to run, but will answer you request concerning the Black Twig Lime later the evening.
Regards,
Millet (881-)

So following the four inch rule, 10 gallon is next size in line?

Millet, I really appreciate the offer on rolls, that is too kind. At this point, I wouldn't be able to use them and I would hate to impose unless I could use them right away.

Black Twig Lime (aka Winged lime )

http://users.kymp.net/citruspages/limes.html#longispina

Millet (880-)

Below is an E-mail I received from Jorma Koskinen, who is the owner and author of the OUTSTANDING web site "CITRUS PAGES", http://users.kymp.net/citruspages/home.html concerning the Black Twig Lime. The E-mail is posted with Jorma's kind permission.


Hi Millet,

The depth of my information (concerning the Black Twig Lime) is limited to the information written earlier
by Gene Lester(GL) and posted on my website and my having spent four weeks as a
house guest of GL near Monterey Bay, CA in January this year. I studied his tree closely, tasted the fruit, very sweet and a little bit bland, low in acid, some would say insipid, not very lime-like, a child would like it. I took a lot of new pictures. It is a striking looking tree, quite different
from any other citrus tree I have seen. I don't know if it is fully grown
yet, but it was about 8 ft tall and a large round bush almost twice as
wide as it is tall with long downward bending limbs. Some limbs grow almost horizontally, some point downwards and touch the ground under the weight of heavy fruit in large grapefruit-like clusters. What is really different is the black colour of new growth, Gene says it lasts up to 2-3 years, and the numerous and enormous long, thick and very strong black thorns. The biggest thorns I have seen on a citrus tree, far bigger than in any trifoliates. So it looks quite unique. Makes a beautiful ornamental. The overall visual impact is striking and beautiful, big leaves of tender silvery green against the almost violet black twigs and thorns. Fully grown leaves acquire a thin black lining on the edges. Gene's tree was full of fruit end of Jan early Feb. The fruit are a little bit bigger than an average lemon but more globose. The skin color is close to Meyer lemon, it has a shade of pink when fully ripe, but inside the fruit is bright yellow. I have lots of pictures if you are interested. If you would like to write a small description on the CG Forum I could help you. If you have any specific questions I will do my best.

Regards,

Jorma

Thanks Millet, sounds like an interesting tree.