I'm in the middle of a project, and thought I would post on here before I get too far. I have pretty limited experience with citrus, so want to run my plan by you "experts"! I live in Montana, so most of the year can't keep tropical plants outdoors. Soooo.... I have a nice planter on wheels that is 5 1/2' long, 20" wide, and 22" deep. This planter is sitting in my living room
My mother-in-law asked what in the world I was doing with a monstrous planter in my living room
I have two grow lights I am mounting above the planter so they are adjustable. My plan is to line it with a double layer of thick plastic and plant some of my tropical trees in it. I'd like advice for what to fill it with; I was planning on mixing my own sandy potting soil mix, and putting a couple inches of larger chunks of bark on the bottom for drainage that isn't as heavy as rocks. Anyone have a good recipe for citrus mix that's easy on the budget? I'm also not sure which plants will do better together in the planter and how many it can support for the next couple years (if the trees eventually get too big, I can remove some). My most expensive plant that I want to prioritize is a banana tree that is about 24" tall; it is probably a dwarf variety, but I don't know what kind. I have a dwarf lemon, dwarf lime, dwarf orange, dwarf pomegranate and dwarf tangerine that are all less than a foot tall at this point. I also have a full size Meyer lemon that is only 6" tall so far. So, suggestions on which trees to put in the planter? Like I said, if they eventually get too big, I can remove some of them, but keeping in mind that the trees are still small and would otherwise be in small pots with less light, how many can I fit in for the next two to three years? Thanks in advance!