The Tropical Fruit Forum

I just got this email from Madison:My apologies that you were concerned with the tree.  The tree just needs to be fertilized.  After we have so much growth in the greenhouse we cut back on the fertilizer so that the trees slow down in growth otherwise they get too large for the shipping boxes and we have to top them then wait for them to flush out again before we can send them to customers.  Instead of doing heavy pruning we just slow down feeding them.  Just give it some fertilizer and it will green up and be happy / healthy.  We recommend a slow release 13-6-6 or similar or if you want to you can use a water soluble miracle grow during the first few waterings and it will bounce back just fine.
So, do I need to treat with foliar zinc spray?

Last winter, we had a day when it got down to -10 F and these two in ground trees survived without any damage and with no protection.
The pic below is a 5 ft tall flying dragon:



I took a sucker of a trifoliate rootstock (do not know what it is) and rooted it years ago. It is now at least 6 ft tall and this what it looks like now:

The bottom of root ball falling off may mean you have root rot.

I am looking for kumquat and mandarin scions to graft onto rootstock. Need total of 10 cuttings. Would be happy to pay. (I am in Massachusetts which does not have quarantine requirement.)

I have had problems with root rot and have never been able to successfully deal with it. I have tried removing the old soil mix with fresh mix and/or soaking roots with dilute hydrogen peroxide but that did not work.
Have any of you had success treating root rot?
(I am not looking for how to prevent root rot. I want to know how to cure it.)
N.B.: I am careful not to over water. I have had root rot in gritty mix (equal parts fir bark, Turface MVP, Gran-I-Grit) and 5:1:1 mix of pine bark fines, Perlite peat moss).

P stands for Poncirus

I have the same complaint about Logee's. Every citrus tree I bought from them has been severely root bound in two inch pots. I had trouble untangling the roots and in one case, there was one thick root that encircled the small pot and I was unable to untangle it. I have stopped buying trees from them.

@poncirsguy I have successfully rooted a few (not trifoliate) but my success rate is very low. My success rate for (cleft) grafts is also very low.
@pagnr I have not yet decided what I want but it will probably be kumquats and/or mandarins.

I have a question to add to the above: what are the light requirements under those conditions?

How long will it take for the seedlings to bear fruit?

Nice job, Steve.
How old is the Flying Dragon?
How do you prevent your plants from being blown off the roof? I am thinking of putting some on my roof but am afraid they will be blown off or blown over.

I too stand with Ukraine. Glory to Ukraine!