The Tropical Fruit Forum
Citrus => Citrus General Discussion => Topic started by: andrewq on March 30, 2017, 01:28:26 AM
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hi!
my kumquat leaves have started to yellow since the weather started warming up. is this a sign of disease or vitamin deficiency or sunburn (~8-10h full sunlight, picture taken standing south of the container)? this tree has been extremely reliable and proliferator the past 2 years, giving two harvests each year.
the kumquat is a couple years old and currently in a 20g container. the "soil" is basically 100% cow manure from Home Depot and was fertilized last year with some generic fertilizers and Npetunes Harvest 2-3-1 kelp/fish emulsion. I'm debating either putting it into the ground or reporting it with 5-1-1.
(https://s11.postimg.cc/u1rwj66xr/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/u1rwj66xr/)
(https://s11.postimg.cc/k5qtjj15r/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/k5qtjj15r/)
(https://s11.postimg.cc/9wycdpd3z/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/9wycdpd3z/)
(https://s11.postimg.cc/rbn5zpzmn/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/rbn5zpzmn/)
(https://s11.postimg.cc/kz80pvwkf/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/kz80pvwkf/)
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Not enough fertilizer.
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Citrus generally don't do well when fertilized with organic fertilizers. If the last time you fertilized was last year, then you are greatly under fertilizing the tree. Find a fertilizer with higher levels of nitrogen and potassium, and a lower level of phosphorous. I use a 25-5-15 (5-1-3 ratio) fertilizer and it does very good. Your tree definitely has a nitrogen deficiency and probably also a deficiency in potassium.
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My Kumquats are the hungriest out of all the citrus I have, and I have a lot.
I just about have to spoonfeed the kumquats potassium and nitrogen, and lots of foliars. There are foliars I alternate weekly and they love it and respond within days to each feeding with flushes of growth, flowers, fruit, etc.
You fertilized last year and growing in 100% cow manure. Your tree is very hungry, stressed, and you might have some root damage.
I'm finicky about what I grow my citrus in and make my own soils out of a concise combination of mixed particulates. You must get her on a steady feeding and I suggest a different soil medium for starters.
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Another point. Cow manure is not a good product to use in container growing. Cow manure does have some nutrition content, but it also has a high level of soluble salts.
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thanks for the info. I was keeping my lychee on a low fertilizer regimen and did the same w the other container plants.
I potted it before I found these forums and the houzz container growing forum and now have been making 5-1-1 and 3-1-1 for the plants and the repotted ones have responded happily.
I have been using low doses of Dyna Gro Foliage Pro the past month for all my plants and Just added some fertilizer (5-3-6) i had in the garage to the citrus. Also have a big bag of Osmocote plus in the mail.
Do you think I should supplement with a foliar spray? Have some Southern ag citrus foliar spray left over from last year
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Yes, when I get home, I can list my foliar program for you. I keep mine premixed, so don't remember all the names, but I use a lot of different products--some can go together as well.