Author Topic: Issue with Cemtennial Kumquat  (Read 1872 times)

countryboy1981

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Issue with Cemtennial Kumquat
« on: September 28, 2015, 07:53:37 PM »
I am having a lead curl issue with my centennial kumquat tree.  It has been watered overhead everyday by sprinkler.  I had put a decent amount of evergreen soil conditioner in too of the potting soil as a mulch/soil acidifir.  My guess is that it was due to over watering or salt buildup from the soil conditioner.  I didn't have this issue with the other cirus but this one has a lot bigger pot.  Can anyone tell me what the issue is and what I need to do so the tree doesn't die?

« Last Edit: September 28, 2015, 07:56:12 PM by countryboy1981 »

JustJoshinya

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Re: Issue with Cemtennial Kumquat
« Reply #1 on: September 29, 2015, 04:13:13 AM »
when you say watered overhead by sprinkler is this an automatic sprinkler or are we talking a hose watering?? what is the pH of this water it is getting fed with? and how often is this sprinkler watering it?

Personally i would spray the tree and all the leaves down with R/O water or Distilled water thoroughly to wash off any build up of minerals or salts that should not be there, i would also soak the entire container completely up to the soil line for at least an hour in R/O or distilled water to wash out some salt or mineral build up that may be causing an issue.

i water my container citrus with liquid fertilizer mixed in distilled water per the labels directions i water them about 2x a week with this feed and once a month i will soak them in just distilled water for a few hours to wash out the soil and help prevent any build up of a specific nutrient/mineral. this works for me on MOST of my container citrus.

brian

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Re: Issue with Cemtennial Kumquat
« Reply #2 on: September 29, 2015, 12:14:19 PM »
I thought when it was a salt buildup problem you would see the tips of the leaves turn yellow?  i have personally seen this on some of mine.  The curling looks like something else entirely.  It *looks* like they are too dry but if you said they are regularly watered they may be drowning instead.  I've seen both.

Are these in containers or in the ground?  If in a container you should pull it out and check the roots.  If you are concerned about salt buildup this would be a good time to repot it in some fresh free-draining soil also.

Vendor

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Re: Issue with Cemtennial Kumquat
« Reply #3 on: September 29, 2015, 12:54:40 PM »
I don't see any leaf burn that would be caused by a salt buildup.  A citrus tree should not be watered by over head sprinklers, and especially every day, that just to much.  When a tree is greatly over watered the tree will act the same as a tree being greatly under watered.  This is because the root system has so much water in it that there is little to no oxygen available to the roots. Without available oxygen a tree can't drink, even when water is available.  Stop over head watering and let the root system dry out.  This could be 3 to 5 days depending on the location and climate. Use your finger to determine when it is dry enough to once again to begin watering.
« Last Edit: September 29, 2015, 01:01:29 PM by Vendor »

countryboy1981

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Re: Issue with Cemtennial Kumquat
« Reply #4 on: September 29, 2015, 03:59:55 PM »
The salt buildup was a longshot and couldn't think of any other explanation if it wasn't overwatering.  I had put the pot underneath the overhang to prevent it from receiving any additional water.  I have let it dry out completely and removed all of the soil on top of the roots to aid in it drying out faster.  Now that it is dried out I set it back outside to receive a little water since it is lightly raining today.  Should this issue correct itself within the next few weeks or is there anything else I should do additionally other than let it completely dry out in between waterings?  Thanks for the confirmation that the issue was overwatering.

brian

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Re: Issue with Cemtennial Kumquat
« Reply #5 on: September 29, 2015, 04:54:50 PM »
It sounds like it is in a container... what kind of potting mixture did you use?  Does it have lots of drain holes?  If you pour water in it you should see the excess flow freely out of the bottom of the container.  If you have a very free-flowing potting medium you shouldn't have to worry about overwatering.

If you're confident that it is free draining it should recover on its own... but it sounds like your potting soil may be too dense or drainage is otherwise insufficient.  I had a tree like this and when I pulled it out of the pot the roots were all rotted.  Even after I repotted it struggled for nearly a year and eventually died. 

If you can easily pull it out of the pot I'd do so and check to see if the soil is wet/rotting or hard/dry.  That should tell you what the issue is....
« Last Edit: September 29, 2015, 04:59:14 PM by brian »

Millet

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Re: Issue with Cemtennial Kumquat
« Reply #6 on: September 29, 2015, 08:56:18 PM »
If the container dried out in just 2 days it must be a VERY small container.  I agree with brian, you should slip the tree out of the container and check out the roots, and the actual state of wetness. - Millet