Author Topic: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves  (Read 6870 times)

Lory

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Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« on: October 28, 2016, 08:01:39 AM »
My pomelo is about 1 year old and i transfered it in my garden a couple of months ago.
It's a grafted one, the  famous davao red sweet  on a wild pomelo rootstock.
When the small tree was in its pot, it  looked quite healthy and i had hard time to contain it's growth since it was pushing new leaves most of the time.
when i finally find a good place in my garden and i moved it to its final location i was expecting a vigorous growth but i was disappointed to notice that it never happened. only one bud but quite weak and not the usual deep brilliant green.
About one week ago i noticed some strange "mottling" of the leaves that exhibit some decolored spots both on upper and lower surface.
I examined both sides with a lens but i could'nt find any mites or scritters.
Any suggstions??
Thanks in advance!








Lorenzo

Millet

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #1 on: October 28, 2016, 09:08:08 PM »
To make an educated reply we need a lot more information, about the care you gave this tree.  What was the fertilizer treatments that you gave this tree after you planted it?  What fertilizer did you use.  How did you plant the tree? Have you sprayed this tree with anything? Etc. - Millet

Lory

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #2 on: October 29, 2016, 07:43:34 AM »
You are absolutely right.
In the hurry for a quick  response i forgot to clarify all the environmental  condtions!
The tree was planted in a mix of 60% garden soil, 10% sand, 10% rice hull and 20% vermi compost.
I used this mix for other citrus like calamansi (philippines lime) and ponderosa lemon with good result.
At the moment of transfer i gently removed the plastic pot in order to plant the whole rootball untouched.
The tree was shaded for about one month to protect it from the merciless equatorial sun and was watered regularly.
Until now i never fertilized it. I usually do it when i see new growth and  i'm sure the plant has definitely overtaken the stress of being relocate.
Thanks again Millet, i always read your post, you're the real  milestone of citrus knowledge !
Lorenzo

Lory

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #3 on: October 29, 2016, 07:46:32 AM »
I didn't spray with anything yet since i didn't notice any pests or fungal diseas (as for what i can understand)
Lorenzo

Millet

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #4 on: October 29, 2016, 05:55:12 PM »
Lory, my first thought about your tree was the condition of the tree's root system when it was removed from the container.  Hopefully the roots were not root bound, circling around and around inside the container.  There is an old saying (and a very true saying): "Roots grow like a bullet goes", meaning a root will always continue to grow in the same direction until it hits an obstruction.  When you dug a wide hole and added all the amendments, there would be no obstruction.  The root would just continue to grow "like a bullet goes".  Second, when planting a citrus tree in the soil, dig a hole just large enough that would comfortably fit the root ball, then back fill ONLY with the dirt that was taken from the hole that was dug.  Third, a newly planted citrus tree NEEDS to be be fertilized 6 times during its first year of growth.  Beginning about 2 weeks after planting, frequent light applications of fertilizer should be made approximately every 6 weeks.  Avoid burning roots with high levels of soluble fertilizer applied all at once.  Citrus are heavy feeders, and require ample nutrition.   The purpose of the fertilizer regimen the first year is to stimulate vigorous growth of leaves and branches that will become the framework of the mature tree.  During the second year fertilize 5 times equally spaced apart, 4 times the third year, and then 3 times per year every year after that.  Lastly, if the tree's root system was indeed root bound when you planted it, it will take a lot longer for the tree to develop a good wide root system. The best to you and this tree. If I or any member on this forum can be of assistance, please feel free to ask.- Millet

Lory

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #5 on: October 30, 2016, 03:41:15 AM »
Ahi Lorenzo how many mistakes  you did  in a simple operation!  :-\
As I told you i never fertilized the young tree until now since i was afraid to hurt the young roots. And this is just the first and not the worst mistake.
You guessed RIGHT Millet, this pomelo has been sitting too long in its plastic pot before being transferred into the soil and its roots were definitely ROOT BOUND!
And what's worst, I just gently tapped onto the pot,  carefully removed it and put the whole untouched rootball into the soil.
Just now i realized that  this way i stupidly decreed the miserable destiny of my pomelo  :'(
What could i do now? Since the three is still young, should i remove it from the soil and work the root ball to soften and open it wider?
Maybe i should prune the worstly tangled roots?
Is this technique valid in general?
http://www.rootsimple.com/2014/04/how-to-deal-with-extremely-root-bound-plants/
Thanks again!!!

Lorenzo

Millet

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #6 on: October 30, 2016, 02:01:46 PM »
Lory, depending on how root bound your tree was, this might be the only method left to you and your tree.  We hope for a good out come. - Millet

Lory

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #7 on: October 31, 2016, 11:02:28 AM »
Better trying than doing nothing.
Let's keep our fingers crossed, i will update you!
Thanks!
Lorenzo

Lory

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #8 on: November 01, 2016, 02:33:01 AM »
And of course Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge !
Lorenzo

Lory

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #9 on: November 01, 2016, 08:09:29 AM »
Update!
Alea iacta est, the decision is taken!
 I couldn't stay inert watching my pomelo suffering.
It's risky to remove it from the soil but i had to do it to check what's going on down there.

So this afternoon taking advantage of a cloudy and "fresh" day i dug around and removed it from the soil






I was quite shocked to find thousands of tiny roots invading all the soil and for sure NOT belonging to the pomelo (brown color)
They are extremely thin and forming a kind of root sponge, evidently to suck any possible water and nutrient from the soil.
I have no idea where they're coming from since, apart from a young coconut (15 feet far and with completely differnet roots) the closest trees are a caimito and  a manzanitas (muntingia calabura) but they are more than 10 meters (30 feet ) far.
Manzanitas id sadly famous for being a greedy sucker with its tiny and invading feeding roots but i can't imagine how they reached the pomelo since in the middle there is NO soil but only hard limestone with some bermuda grass planted on 1 inch of topsoil. I must find a solution to prevent them to grow again  :-\






Examining pomelo's root i could easily notice the difference between the new growth (white color) and the old rootball (yellowish color)






Millet you were so right!  the pomelo was definitely rootbound. Only a few new roots developped and managed to spread around but the lower part  is just a thick  tangle  :(






now i temporarily transferred the pomelo in a pot without touching the roots to avoid further stress, i watered it and i put the pot in a shadowed area.
Tomorrow I will clean the soil removing all the alien roots then i'm planning to loosen pomelo's roots trimming and spreading them in order to gve them a possibility to grow normally.
Let's see what will happen, further updates to come!

Lorenzo

Lory

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #10 on: November 18, 2016, 08:37:06 AM »
Update.
On november 11 i re-planted the pomelo in its original hole.
Beforehand i had removed all the soil and cleared it from  all the alien roots.
During the transfer operation i carefully massaged the rootball to untangle the stuck roots. Some of them got broken but i thought it would be a little price to pay to have a soft and free rootball.
Afterwards i watered and i lightly fertilized with a water soluble 20-20-20 with chelated micro-elements.
This is how it looks the tree after exactly 18 days from removal.









The growth has been impressive. 8 new sprouts which are already 10 inches+ long.
It has grown more in the last 2 weeks than in the previous 3 months!
Thanks again Millet for your GOLDEN advices. It really made the difference  :)

Lorenzo

Millet

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #11 on: November 18, 2016, 08:41:25 PM »
Lory, give us a picture every 6 months or so .  It will be nice seeing the growth of your pummelo.  Thanks for your posts. Your doing a great job. - Millet

Lory

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #12 on: November 19, 2016, 09:38:02 AM »
For sure I will.
Watching it flushing new green leaves makes me happy.
Plants can't talk but can still find a way to show their thankfulness!
And I learnt a lesson: if you made a mistake, it's useless to "wait and see what's gonna happen". Much better taking  a risk and doing something to correct it!
Thank you for the precious advices, they really inspired me and the results are stunning!
Lorenzo

Lory

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves - UPDATE after 1 year
« Reply #13 on: November 01, 2017, 07:15:02 AM »
As promised i'm posting an update of my red magallanes pomelo after about one year from the topic start.
The tree is growing well and no more strange or yellowing leaves.
I fertilized once every 3 months with a 20-20-20 with chelated microelements for the first 3 times then last time i used a 20-5-30 always with chelated microelements including Fe. Mg, B, Mo, Mn, Zn.
I am still grateful to Millet for his precious advices, one year ago i was quite hopeless.
I'm asking if, in terms of fruit production, it's better to  prune it to encourage branching  or to  let it grow freely.
Thanks!









Lorenzo

Susanne42

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #14 on: November 01, 2017, 11:29:44 AM »
What a difference. Looks really beautiful.

Lory

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #15 on: November 01, 2017, 08:50:32 PM »
Thanks Susanne i hope it will bear fruits soon.
Without Millet's advice my little tree would be probably still striving to grow....
The right move in the right time can make so huge difference in a plant destiny!
Now i'm asking advice about pruning, some species are quite intolerant to it and pruning has the effect of delaying  fruiting.
Some others like mulberry just emit new flowers at any pruning.
I don't know about pomelo!
Lorenzo

Susanne42

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #16 on: November 01, 2017, 09:06:09 PM »
Ican not help with pruning either. I just cut off what I think could go, dead twigs and those that are crossed

Lory

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #17 on: November 01, 2017, 10:43:04 PM »
Impeccable explanation, i'll go this way with a super light apical pruning to induce more branching, i'd like to get a more "bushy" tree in that position of the garden.
Thanks again!
Lorenzo

Susanne42

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #18 on: November 02, 2017, 09:06:38 AM »
Thank you for the explanation Millet. Yes makes sense. But how does this translate to container grown trees?

Millet

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #19 on: November 02, 2017, 12:03:52 PM »
Susanne, it would act the same on a container grown tree.  By tip pruning you would get a bushier tree.  I would not cut the central growing leader which is responsible for the height of the tree (If you desire the tree to grow taller).
« Last Edit: November 02, 2017, 02:58:23 PM by Millet »

Susanne42

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #20 on: November 02, 2017, 12:44:42 PM »
 :) thank you

luak

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #21 on: November 03, 2017, 08:21:56 PM »
I don't have the luxury of a greenhouse, so i have to grow mine a little different My garage door fully opens to 80" max. All my container grown tree's has to stay less than that, they are also on dollies for easy in and out. I shape my tree's for that reason. If my tree's are very healthy with a decent root growth i will prune mine more drastic, i am talking young tree's here, that need to be shape.   

Mike T

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #22 on: November 12, 2017, 01:30:35 AM »



My Carters Red was root bound and struggling at first after being in a pot too long. Here are some fruit on it one hour ago. They are such vigorous trees and can grow through it. I fertilised mine from a young age with mg,zn and bo as well as NPK and it responded immediately.

Millet

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #23 on: November 12, 2017, 02:21:26 PM »
Looking great.

Mike T

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Re: Pomelo - citrus maxima strange leaves
« Reply #24 on: November 12, 2017, 07:35:42 PM »
They have a long season in my climate and the flower show can be impressive. The size is not well reflected in the pictures. My tree struggled with twisted leaves and being root bound from being too long in the pot just as the subject of this thread indicates. My message is hang in there and it may come good.