Hi all,
I ordered these trees from TT about a year ago. Here's what they look like today! The stakes are for winter frost cloth wrapping.
Lemon Zest: some growth, but not as much as I expected given how vigorous this variety is supposed to be. Not enough water maybe since the sprinklers are a bit far away. Or ?? I'm working on hiring a landscaper to install a drip line this fall to solve the water issue.
Coconut Cream: lots of growth, but weak branches. I've had to tie them to the stakes.
Malika: hardly any growth. Gets less sun than the other 2, but still about 8 hours a day.
Questions:
1. What should I be doing differently to promote more growth? I'm currently fertilizing once a month with a citrus and mango fertilizer.
2. Should I prune them?
3. Can I let the coconut cream hold some fruit next year?
4. I have room for one more tree. What variety should I get? Should I try to get a Cali grown tree instead of another from Florida?
The rest of my orchard has also suffered from the drought and will go on drip lines as well. My non tropical trees are the following: Red Baron peach, Flavor Grenade pluot, Santa Rosa plum, Flavor Delight aprium, Strawberry Fig, Gold Nugget mandarin, and a Meyer lemon. Nothing held fruit this year.
My poor Pierce cherimoya is a leafless stick and my Reed avocado is awfully sunburned.
I also planted a Purple Haze and a Bien Hoa Red dragonfruit about a month ago which are doing well so far.
Thanks so much for your expertise!
Sarah