Here's a Key Lime in a 2 gallon pot standing 56" (4' 8") tall, not including the container. It's starting new growth and is quite healthy. It does however look too large for the pot size. Wondering if I should move it up to a 5 gallon pot? Should I prune or pinch out any of the new top growth to induce a bushy plant? This one seems leggy to me. Laaz ... Millet ... whom ever, any thoughts? Cheers, LPN.
I would repot the tree into the larger container. CAREFULLY try to remove some of the old soil from the outer edge of the root ball, so that at least one inch of the root ends are free. You can use water from a hose. This enables the roots to extend into the new growing medium, and GREATLY hastens the roots to grow into the new "soil". I would not cut any of the tree's top, unless you cause some root damage in repoting. However, if your careful root damage is highly unlikely. - Millet
Well ... I should have kept my posting limited to ONE message board. I posted the same query on the Citrus Forum (container forum) and Laas made a recommendation to top this back about two feet, to force budding and induce some bushyness. So that's what I did (18" roughly). I haven't repotted it but did notice a flush of new growth pushing from many points along the main stems. Millet ... I'll take your advise on the repotting and hopefully together a beautiful Key Lime will come of it. Sorry for the confusion and in the future, I'll post on one forum. Cheers, LPN.
LPN, nothing lost at all. By cutting back the branches of the tree, you artificially caused the tree to produce new branches at the lower point where you pruned, which will grow and fill out the tree. However, if you had transplanted the tree into a larger container, and had NOT pruned the branches back, the tree would have still produced new branches on it's own, and would have developed into more of a standard tree form, instead of a shorter bush type of shape. However, if you wanted the tree to grow into the common standard form you would have to remove one of the taller branches so the tree would only produce a single main trunk. However, either way you choose there is actually no right or wrong. - Millet (Go Edmonton)
Key limes do not have a sturdy trunk from seed. letting them grow without topping them will cause problems. I will post some photos tomorrow of my seed grown Keys.
Thanks Laas ... I did notice wobbly main stems and is quite solid in comparison now that I've cut it back. Lookin' forward to some Key Lime pics. Cheers, LPN. P.S. Millet ... I don't watch hockey but from what I've heard Edmonton fans are literally drinking the town dry during these playoffs!
Hi Barrie. Heres a pic of my inground key from seed. It is just over two years old & just over 7 ft tall. As you can see I topped this to high & have to stake it up.
Here are two potted Keys the first I topped @ 2 ft the secondI didn't top at all. As you can see the first has a nice sturdy trunk & is growing nice with a bunch of small fruit & flowers. The second is also fruiting & flowering, but very leggy & as you can see drooping in all directions....
thanks for sharing those pictures. Its great to see a visual of why to do something. Having multiple key lime seedlings growing now, great to see why I should do something. I definatly like the look of the first so much more, not that the second is unatractive, just takes more room up that I have. rather fit more trees in than fewer. but there are a few trees that I find the drooping look so much more atractive... but oh well thanks again
Laaz nice trees. I see the untopped tree also branched out about the same as the topped tree, but would have required a stake for a couple years to keep the trunk streight. Very interesting information that you have posted. I have started a hundred or so trees from seed that are now anyhwere from 40" tall, to full size trees. None of the seedlings that I grew were Key Limes, but mostly Mandarins, and various varieties of hydrid Clementines (that do not come true from seed). I stake every tree for the first year and then usually remove the support when they are transplanted out of the 4x4x14's into the nursery pots. I'll have to look into Key Limes, and apply the same method as stated above, and see what happens. Thanks, learned something today. Take care. - Millet
Wow ... thanks so much Laaz for those pics. Interested with your in-ground Key Lime and how you over winter it. It is one of the more frost sensitive citrus. The pics of the potted ones clearly show how much more stable the topped one is. I'm going down to pot up that Key Lime right now in a five gallon pot. Thanks again & cheers, LPN.
Hi Barrie. This past winter we only dropped down to 28 F for a few hours one night & it was never protected this past winter. Key limes & most citrus are a bit more hardy than people give them credit for. You will read in many places that Key limes will die below 32 which is false... If it gets below 26 the key gets a plastic cover & light bulb, thats about it...
Just for the record, in the top photo "Inground" the branch to the left is a Hirado Butan Pummelo, Below it is a Harvey Lemon & to the right is a Bearss lime. Also not in the picture but in the same area is a variegated Lisbon lemon, Limequat, Naval Orange, Meyer lemon & Ponkan mandarin.
Back from re-potting with a few updated pics. First one shows the overall plant Second showing new growth on main stem. Third showing the potting mix (50% Sungrow #4 mix & 50% shredded coconut husk) Cheers, LPN.
Hi Millet. I have a bunch if Satsuma & Grapefruit trees I've grown from seed. I top all of them, the result is a much fuller tree. Most any tree you buy from a nursery will have been topped at least once... Barrie nice tree. Give it what it needs & it should fruit within a year or two.
Laaz, your correct about all trees from nurseries being topped. The reason that they are topped is because they are all budded trees, and as budded trees, they have to be topped. I also top all of my budded trees, but not the seedlings trees. I like my seedling tree to have the sandard tall trunk look. I find that a seedling will begin to branch out at 35 to 40 inches. Anyway, like I said it is mostly personal preference, and there is no right or wrong. See you in November at the 2006 Citrus Expo. - Millet
Millet ALL trees do better after they are topped. Take a look at some seed grown plants & you will see they are tall leggy plants. To each his own, but all of my trees are topped @ 2 ft. If you look at Briteleaf's trees they are all 3-4 ft tall & leggy. They are all grafted, but I don't believe they top their trees. Once you top them & force them to bud out, they have a much better appearance. It does not make them turn into a bush, you just keep the trunk clean to your desired hieght. Try it on some of your seedlings, I think it makes a much better tree...
Laaz, I topped three of my hybrid Clementine seedlings at two feet. I will watch them over the next 6 months and compare to my standard trees, and report back. Thanks for the suggestion. - Millet
UPDATE - Here's a pic of my Key Lime now that it's adjusted to the new 5 gallon pot and from being topped. Seems pretty happy and in very little time. Thanks again Millet and Laaz! Cheers, LPN. (Barrie)
