I have looked through the boards here for the answers to my questions, but have managed to confuse myself! Alot of the posters here seem really knowledgable, and as this tree is really my first attempt at growing anything, I've gotten quite attatched!.. Here's my dillema: 1. I bought an Improved Meyer Lemon about 2-3 weeks ago and since bringing it home, the leaves have started curling upward and turning yellow. Some of them drop quite easily and I'm starting to get worried. I believe it is due to over-watering so I am letting it dry out a bit before watering again (I was a little gung ho!). Am I right that the leaf curl/discolouration is due to overwatering? Which leads me to my next question.. 2. Exactly what type of soil should it be planted in? Currently it is in a plastic pot in a mix of 1/2 Miracle grow indoor potting soil and 1/2 peat moss w/perilite. I'm not concerned about the size of the pot, moreso that there isnt adequate drainage for the tree. Also, the miracle grow had the water-saver crystals in it, which are retaining moisture...not good, right? I saw some replies say that a mix of pine mulch and sand would do okay, but then other posts say that mulch was a big no-no. Help on this! What soil should I use? Is it okay in what I have now? and finally fertilizer!.. Am I correct in that a 25-5-15 would suffice? Thank you guys soooo much in advance to anyone who replies!! I need all the help I can get, I'm just learning!
You medium mix of Miracle grow indoor potting soil and 1/2 peat moss w/perlite. is not a good medium for citrus. Miracle grow indoor potting soil, is 90 percent peat moss, and you have blended more peat moss with it. Peat moss readily compacts, with each watering. As the medium compacts the aeration porosity is reduced. Citrus require, a medium that is rapid draining with a high level of porosity to supply oxygen to the root system. Several, mediums that work well for citrus are: 1). 3 or 4 parts CHC and 1 part peat moss, 2). 3 parts pine bark chips, 1 part peat moss, and 1 part coarse sand. I believe your tree is in a potting soil mixture that stays wet too long, and does not supply enough "soil" oxygen. Lastly, never use a mulch with citrus. Best of luck to you and your tree. The best fertilizer for citrus has a ratio of 5-1-3 W/trace minerals, if you cannot find a fertilizer with that ratio you should be able to locate a 30-10-10 WITH TRACE MINERALS. - Millet (1,300-)
thanks for the reply millet! I've done some more reading and have since repotted my lil guy in wood chips with a handful of peat mixed in and gave it a shot of 24-8-16 w/micronutients. It seems to be doing much better
24-8-16 w/micros is a 3-1-2 ratio, and will be a pretty good fertilizer to use on citrus. NOTE: I made an error on my above post when I wrote 30-20-20, which I corrected to 30-10-10. Your 24-8-16 is a better fertilizer to use. Good luck. - Millet (1,300-)
