i have a bonsai grapefruit tree i started from seed approx. 25 years ago. in the last year it has survived insect and mouse invasion. the mice have been relocated to a different reality.the insects have been eradicated. I have repotted in promix, after washing the root cluster, disinfecting the container and kissing the plant. the leaves that were hand washed with savon insecticidal soap (green earth brand) every day for approx 8 days untill no insects (brown scale?) were visible. (all done before replanting) immediate issue...old leaves dropped off, some whole shoots withered in days as though dehydrated (bone dry and wrinkled like prunes) the few old leaves that remain are turning brown at the tips and vacating their branches, while the new shoots (growing great guns) are wrinkling and puckering.( incidentally the remaining older (mature) leaves are showing holes as though they are a snack for unidentifide (therefore unwanted) guests. I have examined the remaining leaves with magnifing glass, loups etc., but cannot discern any foreign invaders. the plant is potted in a rubbermaid bin 20"longX14"wideX16"high (2.8 cu.ft.) the rootcluster is the size of a basketball and extremely dense. should the roots be trimmed and to what percent of the mass. thankyou.gordon
I'm not familiar with promix potting soil, but citrus need a soil with lots of air--bark chunks, and coconut husk chips are used by many-- orchid mix is also good. If the soil is holding too much water it may be killing the roots--otherwise they may have been damaged during the repotting process.
thankyou skeeterbug. i keep the soil fairley arrid, and as i have had this tree for many years i hope my watering is okay. i quite possibly bruised the roots when i washed them prior to replanting.
Skeet, Promix is a professional brand of potting soil. It is what we use where I work for starting our cabbage, pepper and tomato etc seedlings. It holds water very well and can pack badly over time. Definitely not an airy mix that citrus needs. The main component is very fine peat, so fine that if you breathe enough of the dust it can cause respiratory problems. It could probably be used as the peat component of a good citrus mix though. One problem, like peat, it can harbor the fungus gnat eggs that people get so upset about. If someone is worried about that, small amounts can be baked in the oven at 250 F for about an hour to kill any eggs and larvae that may be present.
Dear Gordon, I also have a grapefruit tree in a pot indoor for the past 14 years. It is approximately 7 feet tall. I repot it every third year using a mixture of 1/3 garden soil, 1/3 pin bark chip (the kind for mulching) and 1/3 peat. I first untangle the roots and cut off 1/3 before repotting. This works very well for me. This procedure does not have any ill effect to the tree, not even leaf-drop. Cheers!
thankyou scpang. my tree used to be over 7 feet tall, but due to insidious pests,(the ones i first entered the forum inquiring about) its stature has changed. the tree has made a remarkable come-back due to basking in the summer sun. it is now somewhat dwarfed, standing about 3 feet tall, with the trunk over two inches thick. thankyou for your info on soil mix. adious from vancouver island. gordon at--possibilityarts@shaw.ca
