I just received a 3 gallon calamondin from Stan McKenzie. The tree was in great shape but it wasn't shipped in a pot (only loose soil and small root ball). I placed it in a 3 gallon pot with 1.5 bags of Schultz's Potting Bark & Decorative Soil Cover. The bag says it contains conifer bark. I did not mix anything else with it. Is this enough for the plant? Do I need to mix anything else with this bark chip mixture? Thanks for your advice. Tony
I do not know much about Schultz's Potting Bark & Decorative Soil Cover. However, I am not big fan of the Schultz's product line. A good growth medium close to what yours sounds like it might be is as follows: 3 parts pine bark (1/2 to 3/4 inch), 1 part good Canadian peat moss, and one part coarse sand (not fine play sand). You can judge for yourself how close the mix that you purchased comes to the above formula. The one BIG caution is to be sure that the mix that you are using does not contain to much peat moss. - Millet
Thanks Millet. I ordered a bale (?) of CHCs from The Crystal Company and intend to mix it with peat moss in a 4 to 1 ratio when it arrives in a few days (based on what I've read on these forums). In the meantime, I think the tree will be ok for a few days in its current potted state. So this CHC-peat moss mixture is enough for citrus? No traditional "soil" is needed?
What size CHC chips did you order (1/4 - 1/2 - or 1- inch)? When you receive them soak them over night in a 5-gallon bucket. Add 1 rounded teaspoon Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate), and (if you can find it) 1 rounded teaspoon Calcium Nitrate. - Millet
I got the 1/2 inch cut. That's what I think was posted on these boards and over on GardenWeb. Why do I need to soak it? The whole package?
In the process of manufacturing the husk, salt is used. CrystalCompany pre-rinses their CHC two times which removes some of the sodium, but not all. An overnigt soak in Epsom Salts and Calcium nitrate will remove the balance of the sodium through a process called cation exchange. Here is a web site explaining why the cation exchange treatment is required. This is actually an orchid grower, but it is exactly the same for containerized Citrus trees growing in a CHC medium. - Millet http://www.ladyslipper.com/coco3.htm
Re-potted in soil mixture for now, but I did receive a "bale" of the coconut husks recommended by Millet. I have a Meyer lemon that's been in the same pot for about 2 years now -- I think that will be my first citrus repotting experiment (figure if I haven't killed it yet in the two years that I've had it, maybe it's hardier than I thought!). Is the best time to repot in the fall? Thanks all, in advance. Tony
