GrapeFruit tree

[HorseloverFat]

Very upset that I cannot get citrus to grow/thrive well.. I’ve killed SO many seed/saplings...

I WISH i could blame it on my climate, but I know a medium-sized bunch of people who keep citrus in Wisconsin..

It HAS to be me...

I just suck ...

But I keep trying.

 

[LittleDingus]

Very upset that I cannot get citrus to grow/thrive well.. I’ve killed SO many seed/saplings...

I WISH i could blame it on my climate, but I know a medium-sized bunch of people who keep citrus in Wisconsin..

It HAS to be me...

I just suck ...

But I keep trying.

Not sure if this is true of all citrus but I have a key lime I've had in zone 6 for a number of years. It was puttering along towards doom for a several years. Tons of flowers and very little new foliage. What I read somewhere is that if nights are too cool, new flushes tend to be flowers. If nights are warm, new flushes tend to be foliage. Couple that with they need way more fertilizer than I was giving them and now me tree has turned from a scraggly looking thing with few leaves and lots of tiny fruits that fall off to something much more bush like and robust with fruit I can actually harvest!

Now I just need a Corona tree to pair with it

 

[HorseloverFat]

Hmm something to think about.. thank you! My only remaining citrus seedlings are 1 grapefruit and 1 mandarin.... and they are green and drink plenty of water.. but if I couldn’t see color.... I’d be SURE they were dead! Hehe!

Now I just need a Corona tree to pair with it

Just don’t Harvest the bottom Quarter of the tree.. be authentic!

 

[LemonBonsai]

Very upset that I cannot get citrus to grow/thrive well.. I’ve killed SO many seed/saplings...

I WISH i could blame it on my climate, but I know a medium-sized bunch of people who keep citrus in Wisconsin..

It HAS to be me...

I just suck ...

But I keep trying.

Ive had a run in with my grapefruit being fussy recentlly. It had a flush of growth over the summer. I believe 32 to 36 new sprouts all grlwing at once. Really filled the tree up but now all the newest growth just peeking out of each of those growth tips turned brown and crispy. Not sure why im thinking maybe didnt get enough water. It dried out extremely fast but from what I can tell isnt root bound.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Yeah, I'm not trying to dissuade you, but I had fourteen different citrus trees in my landscape in SoCal (including a grapefruit and a pomello) so I have some experience with them.

For your soil mix, keep your mix inorganic and free-draining. They do not like wet feet and a good way to kill your grapefruit is to allow it to get root rot. Otherwise, sun, heat and humidity are your keys to success. As true tropicals, treat them like a touchy version of a ficus. They can tolerate cold, but not a frost. Keep your soil pH low - they are acid-lovers. If you have soft, acidic water you will probably be fine, but if your water is hard and alkaline (like in SoCal) you will want to use an acidic citrus fertilizer.

Otherwise, as you probably know, letting the tree fruit is a huge drain on resources. Not saying not to do it, but with a smaller tree you will get much lower growth rates if you allow the tree to fruit. It may be a consideration. They flower once per year in the early spring (the blooms smell awesome), and the fruit will mature over the summer. In some cultivars, the over-ripe fruit will drop, but in other cultivars the fruit will have to be cut off the tree or it will rot on the branch (like a lemon). It is really important not to fertilize your tree between flower and fruit set, or your tree may drop some/all of the immature fruit. If you want to keep your fruit, wait until the fruit is at least the size of a ping-pong ball (or golf ball) before starting up your fertilizer regimen. Prune in the spring just as the tree is waking up from winter dormancy, but be aware that your pruning will remove flower buds, so if you want your tree to flower and fruit leave at least some portion of the tree unpruned each year.

Also, make sure to dig down in your pot to reveal the surface roots and nebari. All commercial grapefruit trees (that I am aware of) are going to be grafts, so you will want to reveal the graft junction just to see what you are dealing with. I can't see the graft in any of your photos, so it may be hidden in the soil (lower on the tree).

Speaking of fertilizer Greg...I'm looking into the slow release. Do you just remove it from the pot if any is left over? Do you recommend a specific brand? Noted with the Miracle Citrus,avocado and mango...It claims "It is common for citrus tree fertilizers to have more nitrogen and potash/potassium than phosphate because those nutrients get depleted faster. " Do you know if this is true? Because I'm looking at different citrus fertilizer and it isn't ringing true to many. I need a non stinky fertilizer to not drive my dog crazy. The one can't stand fish emulsion...and he ends up peeing on all my bonsai benches outside when I offer that treatment. So...I don't want a stinky one indoors...for fear though he doesn't pee in the house. It may tempt him.

 

[Forsoothe!]

This is almost a silly thread because this stick couldn't support a lemon, much less a grapefruit, for a several years. It has been pointed out that it needs to grow to be able to support fruit, or to be creditable bonsai, but these are two different kinds of growth. Bonsai mixes are intended to slow down or stop growth so the tree stays "pot size", whatever that is. Growing something to produce fruit, especially something big is a horse of a different color and needs actually good media. Cat litter is not good media and will take great effort, skill and care to make it so. In decorative horticulture there is growth, but in agriculture there is GROWTH. You make it happen. Or, not.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Greg disregard my question. I ended up just researching solid citrus fertilizer. And chose one that I believe will work for me. Thanks anyways @Bonsai Nut . Decided I may need to research smells along with it.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Do you just remove it from the pot if any is left over? Do you recommend a specific brand? Noted with the Miracle Citrus,avocado and mango...It claims "It is common for citrus tree fertilizers to have more nitrogen and potash/potassium than phosphate because those nutrients get depleted faster. "

Sorry I missed this earlier!

(1) Don't remove anything from the pot. An organic fertilizer (by its very nature) will dissolve into nothingness given time and Mother Nature (nitrifying bacteria, etc). Most importantly, some compounds take longer to break down than others. If you remove the fertilizer before it has completely broken down, you may be removing some of the elements you need. If you apply the fertilizer at a low rate, it should not clog your soil. If you feel this might be a problem, you can try different recipes to cake your fertilizer and cut it into solid cubes, which helps keep it from filtering into your soil and clogging it. Or, you can buy some fertilizer baskets / cages to maintain it while it breaks down.

(2) I'm not certain about the Miracle Grow claims, other than to admit that I used it on my landscape citrus and got good results I think fertilizer is fertilizer, more or less, and a plant will take up what it needs as long as it is available. I think it is much more important that your soil and water pH is conducive to chemical exchange - and citrus require acidic soil to pull up the iron and potassium they need. When I first moved to SoCal and started to grow citrus, I was frustrated because my trees did not do well, despite irrigation and lots of fertilizer. After several years, and talking to local pros, I realized it wasn't fertilizer I needed - it was soil / water acidifier. Once I got the pH of the soil down, the trees grew like crazy - and I applied far less fertilizer.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Sorry I missed this earlier!

(1) Don't remove anything from the pot. An organic fertilizer (by its very nature) will dissolve into nothingness given time and Mother Nature (nitrifying bacteria, etc). Most importantly, some compounds take longer to break down than others. If you remove the fertilizer before it has completely broken down, you may be removing some of the elements you need. If you apply the fertilizer at a low rate, it should not clog your soil. If you feel this might be a problem, you can try different recipes to cake your fertilizer and cut it into solid cubes, which helps keep it from filtering into your soil and clogging it. Or, you can buy some fertilizer baskets / cages to maintain it while it breaks down.

(2) I'm not certain about the Miracle Grow claims, other than to admit that I used it on my landscape citrus and got good results I think fertilizer is fertilizer, more or less, and a plant will take up what it needs as long as it is available. I think it is much more important that your soil and water pH is conducive to chemical exchange - and citrus require acidic soil to pull up the iron and potassium they need. When I first moved to SoCal and started to grow citrus, I was frustrated because my trees did not do well, despite irrigation and lots of fertilizer. After several years, and talking to local pros, I realized it wasn't fertilizer I needed - it was soil / water acidifier. Once I got the pH of the soil down, the trees grew like crazy - and I applied far less fertilizer.

My water is a PH 7. So where would that leave me?
I ended up going with EB Stone Organics Citrus & Fruit Tree Food. Because so many sites referred it. Scott Lee suggested a citrus fertilizer as well but that was as far as our conversation went. Reading so many good reviews on this one.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

That looks like a great fertilizer mix except one thing: dried chicken manure. In a perfect case, that would be composted chicken manure. Regardless, it stinks. Don't get me wrong, I use it a lot. I just bought a 40lb bag of composted chicken manure this weekend. But I left it in the back of my SUV overnight by accident... and as they say in North Carolina "oh my goodness!" the stench!

 

[Cadillactaste]

That looks like a great fertilizer mix except one thing: dried chicken manure. In a perfect case, that would be composted chicken manure. Regardless, it stinks. Don't get me wrong, I use it a lot. I just bought a 40lb bag of composted chicken manure this weekend. But I left it in the back of my SUV overnight by accident... and as they say in North Carolina "oh my goodness!" the stench!

But its only part of the mix. I was at one site that listed pros and cons. The other brand I was leaning to. Had smell horrible as a con. This one...didn't have that complaint. That's why I chose it. Bat guano had me pause more to be honest.

 

[Cadillactaste]

* If it stinks...I am graciously willing to send to another who doesn't mind it.

 

[Cadillactaste]

That looks like a great fertilizer mix except one thing: dried chicken manure. In a perfect case, that would be composted chicken manure. Regardless, it stinks. Don't get me wrong, I use it a lot. I just bought a 40lb bag of composted chicken manure this weekend. But I left it in the back of my SUV overnight by accident... and as they say in North Carolina "oh my goodness!" the stench!

I thought I looked high and low for complaints of it stinking. I hope it's about as bad as BioGold. Which doesn't bother me. But it's supposed to be the best for citrus...it looks to have a good make up. So... directions are 1 TBS in a 6 inch pot. That shouldn't be overly bad... mine is in a pot that size.

I keep hearing these are really slow growing...I heard they only really grow at temps 80F really. Which is why I am striving for some good citrus fertilizer. Living up north...I see this a slow moving project. You mentioned you have Kumquat... I see you sing their praises as a species. So...I'm not going to stress it. A good species is worth the time in.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Ya know, I'm not one for hyperbole, but you guys are making it easy. In a day and age of China as a disease factory because of the lack of distance between farm animals and farm food, including bats which are nothing but flying rats, you guys are happily avoiding chemicals and wallowing in shit. I have an intimate relationship with my plants. I handle my trees all the time, picking weeds with my fingertips, etc., and I do it comfortable with having read the analysis on the bag and being sure that's what's in the bag. I use rubber gloves when appropriate, but touch everything all the time. Commercial liquid 20-20-20 gives me all the go power I need and don't need to be afraid of handling it, or my plants. I kinda like that wallowing in shit line...

 

[Cadillactaste]

Ya know, I'm not one for hyperbole, but you guys are making it easy. In a day and age of China as a disease factory because of the lack of distance between farm animals and farm food, including bats which are nothing but flying rats, you guys are happily avoiding chemicals and wallowing in shit. I have an intimate relationship with my plants. I handle my trees all the time, picking weeds with my fingertips, etc., and I do it comfortable with having read the analysis on the bag and being sure that's what's in the bag. I use rubber gloves when appropriate, but touch everything all the time. Commercial liquid 20-20-20 gives me all the go power I need and don't need to be afraid of handling it, or my plants. I kinda like that wallowing in shit line...

I can respect your stance. I also grew up on a farm. We used compost mature in the gardens. So I guess...it doesn't make me pause.

You are not alone in this stance. I know ones quite vocal over crap in one's pots. Just this week even one going on about it in conversation. I can respect that ones prefer using something else.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Composted is a horse of a different color.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Composted is a horse of a different color.

Compost was mucked barn which had settled down. *still crap.

 

[LemonBonsai]

This is almost a silly thread because this stick couldn't support a lemon, much less a grapefruit, for a several years. It has been pointed out that it needs to grow to be able to support fruit, or to be creditable bonsai, but these are two different kinds of growth. Bonsai mixes are intended to slow down or stop growth so the tree stays "pot size", whatever that is. Growing something to produce fruit, especially something big is a horse of a different color and needs actually good media. Cat litter is not good media and will take great effort, skill and care to make it so. In decorative horticulture there is growth, but in agriculture there is GROWTH. You make it happen. Or, not.

Not sure if this was directed at me. but if it was. Never said I wanted this tree to bear fruit, especially to ripe full sized fruit so..... irrelevant info for my scenario. As for the soil comment. I have decided to keep my tree in its nursery pot to let it grow.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Sorry, that's exactly the vibe I got.