The Tropical Fruit Forum

Sorry for your loss.

I am using plain peat moss, however MGGS works just as well.  Actually, I would have used MGGS instead of peat, but I was out of MGGS so I just used regular peat moss. My mix is now going on 2 years and works great.  You should not have any trouble with either mix.  About the roots, I would just watch it and presently would do nothing.

The reason that the perched water table did not last long in poncirusguy's containers, is because he sucks it out with a vacuum cleaner.

For a long time it was thought that adding rocks to the bottom of the container helped in drainage.  However, it is now known that adding rocks to the container's bottom raises the perched water table higher into the container,.

Most all coco distributors have already flushed the sodium out of the husks.  Coconut manufacturer's flush with calcium nitrate and water to rid the sodium.  Further, I totally agree with Citrange, that hard wood chips are much much better than husks.  I have used both wood chips and husks, wood chips last a lot longer.  Husks brake down into a texture similar to peat.  However, I have found that Turface MVP and Peat is far superiors as a medium for container citrus trees..

The wood chips, coarse perlite and potting soil make a good useable 5-1-1 blend.  I have many container trees growing in such a blend, and they are all doing fine.  Also, about a year and a half ago I planted a lime tree in a 20 gallon container using a 50/50 blend of Turface MVP and peat moss.  This blend was first invented by Lazz several years ago..  Over the year and a half that the tree has been growing in it  has been EXCEPTIONAL..  It is a great mix, and has not shown one single problem, not even any  compaction.  It drains just as good now as it did on its first day. I really appreciate  all of i its .benefits.  I would point out over the last year and half, it has not broken down at all.  A great blend that I heartily suggest. Amazing.

They should change the name of their product to Mexican Natural.

Mostly nice seedlings, except for the two shown in picture #3.  Those are called  J roots, and will give the tree continues  problems.   Almost all growers growers toss them out.

I have long used air root pruning containers from Rootmaker Corporation.  They are great at stopping the roots from curling around the edge of he container.  Citrus trees do well growing in them..

Galatians 522  your post is exactly correct.  No profit = abandon groves.

Tortuga, it is not my logic, I learned it from Dr. Manors of Florida Southern University.  However, you are correct in that if you add all the manures you listed to a container mix, then n organic fertilizer should work.  However, most all container mixes contain no organic mixtures other than sterile peat moss and bark, perlite etc.

Actually thrips are among the easiest insects to control.  You can use almost any of the common insecticides such as soap spray, horticultural oil, neem, pyrethrum ect..  Really should not be that much of a problem.

The reason that organic fertilizers work for in ground citrus trees and plants but not for container citrus is due to::   organic fertilizers are slower to become useable by plants because they have to first  be broken down by soil microorganisms and fungi in order to feed plants. Organic fertilizer has to essentially decompose before the nutrients are available to plants. This process can take 2 to 6 weeks depending on many factors including soil temperature and moisture levels.  In container growing the essential soil microorganisms and fungi are absent, therefore the fertilizer is not available.