well I'm trying my best and it's just fustrating...it's no wonder people dont' get container citrus around here or that they don't survive...we have nothing as for info (thank god for here) I've called everywhere for CHC ...none ...!!! called for red Kitty litter (never seen in)...none...turface ..can't find any ..! orchade mix will cost me a fortune and little bags and like $ 9 that will only fill bottom of a pot...I'm wondering about aquarium rocks and peat moss???
Search ebay, you can get the CHC on ebay , doesnt realy matter what country as most list international post and often its not that expensive, i got bark chips from usa as they were cheaper one time CHC and other things good for growing citrus are often used to grow things with hydroponicaly, search for hydroponics suppliers , usualy a good source
ok this is one reply that I've gotten ..but don't know how much I need...the pot my citrus is in now is 10" diameter x 9" high....how much of this CHC do you think I need? and I would choose the #0414 ?? Hello Joanne, We supply Coco Chips in 1 cuft bales in the following sizes: #0413 Fine (up to 1/4") #0414 Small (1/4" to 1/2") #0415 Medium (1/2" to 3/4") #0416 Large (3/4" to 1") These are approximates: Size: 12"x12"x12" Weight: 7.5Kg Expansion: Each bale will expand yielding 2.75 cuft. Pallet price: CDN$11.75 per bale Packed 96 bales per pallet. I will need a bale quantity to establish a shipping cost. Orders are subject to product availability.
Such is the world of growing citrus in Canada. The situation is basically the same in Vancouver. I ended up buying large bags of small bark nuggets from Home Depot. The bark is meant for use in the garden and is not sterilized but I've not had problems with it so far other than a few mushrooms. CHC is available from Lee Valley but I think it's relatively expensive. GrowerCentral carries Turface but I believe they're a wholesale supplier.
Try crystal-company.com. They supply both coconut husk and coir. Millet, who posts here often and grows lots of container citrus, recommends them. Prices seem reasonable relative to what else is available online.
As I am sure you know, the amount of potting mix you need depends on the size of your plant. I'd call up the folks at Crystal Company (the phone number is an 800 number listed on the website), tell them what size plant you have, and ask for their advice. When I spoke to them, they were very pleasant and very helpful. I would also look around this site for posts about using CHC and what to mix it with to create a good medium for citrus. That is what I did, and I settled on a mix of 4 parts CHC to one part coir. I also plan on soaking the CHC overnight in a mix of 1 teaspoon Epsom salts to one gallon of water, using as much as necessary to thoroughly soak the chips. Evidently, this will help remove any salt remaining in the CHC from the manufacturing process. Also, Epsom salts, which are magnesium sulfate, provide a source of magnesium that the plant needs. The good news with the CHC / coir mix is that it provides a slightly acidic medium that citrus like and that drains well. That bad news is that you must be very careful not to let it completely dry out as it can be difficult to get it to reabsorb water. If you do get your potting medium too dry, you may need to immerse the whole pot in water, or if that is not practical, take it outside and thoroughly soak it with a hose. I think the real trick is to carefully manage the water. Citrus likes to be thoroughly watered when it is time to water, but it does not like to have permanently soaked roots. The folks on this site advise waiting to water until the first several inches of potting mix have dried and then giving the plant enough water so that it is coming out the drain holes in the bottom of the pot. Finally, citrus plants are heavy nitrogen feeders. If you can, find a good fertilizer specifically formulated for citrus and use it according to directions. I have learned all of this information from this site. As a disclaimer, I have not been successful with these techniques myself. Like you, I am new to this, and I am relying on information provided by people who have had success previously. Hope this is helpful. I am trying to pass along a summary of what I have found out here so others, who were kind enough to provide the info, need not repeat themselves. Best of luck.
