A lot of blooms, then dropping leaves

[gardennewbe]

Ok, I will use the Miracle Grow for now since I have is on hand. I am thinking I should let it dry out a few days first before add in the liquid fertilizer, does that sound right or does it need it now?

I bought a $7 moisture meter that has 8" probes, is that what you guys use?

The moisture meter also reads PH, should I worry about that?

[Citradia]

I would have replaced rotten soil with new soil that provides good drainage. I would also recommend making sure the new soil is worked systematically down into the roots that remain after the removal of old soil from root ball and the root pruning. With bonsai repotting,we use a chop stick to work the new soil into the root ball to help ensure good coverage of soil around roots to prevent air pockets that could cause damage of roots. I agree that water soluble miracle grow fertilizer and osmacote fertilizers would help to feed without burning the stressed roots.   When I have a stressed plant, I've always used Super Thrive solution to help perk up the sick plant. If you get a book on bonsai it may help you to understand some good concepts for growing potted trees including root and branch pruning for balance of plant health and fertilizers and watering requirements as well as time of year for repotting. We had s bonsai club where I lived in Gainesville, FL and those folks were very informative. Maybe a bonsai club in your area could give you some hands-on advice and/or help.

[Millet]

Any pH meter under $100.00 is probably not worth buying.   A good moisture meter is the human index finger.

[gardennewbe]

Citradia,

I did pack the roots real good and used the end of a broom stick to pack around the perimeter, I just went out and rechecked the packing and all is good, thank you.
Were having a bit of a storm coming through tonight so it will stay protected in the garage for the night.

Millet,


Someone had said that because of the tall pot the soil would dry out on top and still have wet roots below. A probe that could reach down 8" would give me a better read. My fingers don't reach that far.Plus my finger is not calibrated like you pros, so I thought I could use a meter until I can train the finger.

I have a good PH meter for the spa and compared readings with the cheap, it was surprisingly accurate. My question was more is PH something I needed to be concerned with?

[Tom]

Your finger works best. The cheap moisture meters are very inconsistent. Your roots look fantastic. Your soil must be pretty porous especially after adding lots of perlite. If it's as porous as I think you should be able to use water to assure no air pockets. The less your soil drains the more danger with large pots staying too wet. Do you have plenty of holes in the bottom of your large pot ?

You might be a little gun shy. You are doing lots of stuff right to have so many roots as pictured. How did you fertilize before ? Before it's all over I think you will need to prune more roots and branches or maybe you will need to put them in the ground. I think you are pushing container limits pretty much already. What came out of the 1/2 barrel looked good. How many Meyer lemons per year did you have then ?

[gardennewbe]

The trees have only produced for 1 good year 2 years ago. Last year we got 4 lemons, I had trimmed the tree in Feb and it dropped the blossoms right afterward so maybe that was the wrong time to trim. The reason I changed pots, besides that the barrels were falling apart, was to make a better looking planter that is on wheels so I can move it into the garage on freezing nights, we get about 3 a year.

We have gophers that destroy anything I have put in the ground so the planter gardens have solved that.

You said "use water to assure no air pockets", does that mean that I need to soak the lemon I re-planted today? I have not added any water since it had wet soil going in.

For fertilizer before, I mixed up Alaska fish fertilizer 5-1-1 and watered the soil every couple of months, Millet said it is only for the leaves. I have randomly added Vigoro Citrus & Avocado plant food 6-4-6, maybe 3 times per year.
When I add these things I don't notice changes, should they be immediate within a few days if they are working?

[Tom]

The fertilizer doesn't usually work over night fast. About this time of year I usually put out the recommended amount of controlled release fertilizer like Osmocote. It has the little balls that disolve very slowly and at different rates. It usually last about 3-6 months depending on directions, heat and amount of  rain. Whithin a day or two I use a five gallon bucket and add 5 tablespoons Miracle Grow and water. I stir it with a stick or something to get it all dissolved. I pour that in my potted citrus or what's planted in ground as needed between spring storms when they need water. They usually stay a beautiful green all summer and have several flushes. The blooms smell wonderful. I think you need to fertilizer more. Yours are big enough to fertilizer 4 main times a year. I like to spoon feed a little some times too. The directions use years of age or diameter of trunk for how much to use and how often. Tom

[gardennewbe]

Today I repotted the orange.
I had drained the self-watering reservoir a week ago and did not add water since.
The top 4” of soil was slightly damp, as I dug lower the lower was wet but not excessive.
The root ball had not shrunk since 9 weeks ago when I first put it in the pot, the roots looked good. The soil did not have a bad smell. 
I reworked the pot same as the lemon so it can’t draw water from below = no self-watering. Now the soil area drains into the lower reservoir and out to the ground.
I did a 35% mix of perlite into the soil and replanted the tree. I made extra sure to pack around the roots using the end of a 1 ½” sq stick.
When finished I spread some slow release citrus food then watered it with 4 gal of Miracle Grow / water. The water sat on top for several minutes before soaking in, kinda strange.


 
     

[Tom]

Sounds good and your roots look wonderful. Not much room for dirt. Magnesium sulfate , Epsom salt would help top.

[gardennewbe]

Magnesium sulfate is Epsom salt correct?
How much do I use? Is it sprinkled on the surface or dissolved in water and poured on? Also how often?

[Millet]

Dissolve 1 level tbs. of Magnesium Sulfate(Epsom Salts) in a gallon of warm water and apply the solution to the root zone.  Epsom Salts does not dissolve readily in cold water, therefore dissolve it in warm water.