Xtremehorticulture

Xtremehorticulture of the Desert

When to Repot Lime and Lemon in Containers

Leave a Comment / Container citrus, container lemon container line, pots /

Q. We have a Meyer lemon and Bearss lime in clay pots. The pots are deteriorating and the trees should be replanted into other pots. In the desert, what time of year is best to transplant these trees into new containers? A. Put fruit trees into new pots in late Winter or the beginning of Spring. In our Las Vegas climate, this would be from mid-January until sometime in February. Bearss lime is sensitive to mild freezing temperatures. Myers lemon tolerates cold temperatures better. Myers lemon grown in northern Afghanistan in protected houses for commercial sale             If they are kept outside, wait until the coldest weather of winter has passed before repotting them. Plants growing in containers or pots need their soil “refreshed”, or the plant repotted, every 3 to 4 years to prevent a slow decline in health.             Replanting or repotting is not difficult if the containers and plants are relatively small; the plant is gently eased from the container, roots and soil around the edge of the root ball is shaved off, and the plant placed back into the container with fresh soil or container mix surrounding the rootball.             If plants are large, the soil still needs to be refreshed every few years. Perhaps one way is to auger vertical holes throughout the rootball, while still in the container, and backfill these holes with new soil mix.             Auguring holes into the rootball damages plant roots but the old container soil must be refreshed. Another method is removing the root ball from the container, removing old soil with a strong stream of water, pruning some of the roots and repotting it.             Prune the top back when finished to compensate for any root damage during repotting.

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Containers for Fruit Trees Need to Be Appropriately Sized

1 Comment / Container fruit trees, how large of the container, pots, relocating fruit trees, repotting /

Q. I have two dwarf trees, a nectarine and a peach. I would like to move them from in-ground into containers. What would you recommend the minimum size container to use?  The nectarine is about 4′ tall and 5′ wide. The peach is about 3′ tall and 3′ wide. Fruit tree to be moved from the ground into a container A. Use a container about the size of a half wine barrel for these trees. Do it any time until new growth starts, approximately the first week of February in our climate. Use a sharp shovel. People don’t normally sharpen shovels but it’s a good practice to get into. You can sharpen it with a file or a bench grinder. Cut through the roots in one push rather than whacking on them with a dull shovel. Cut entirely around the outside of the tree about 6 to 10 inches smaller than the inside diameter of the container. After making the cuts in the soil all around the outside, use a pick or mattock to cut a narrow trench just to the outside of these cuts to a depth of about 12 to 15 inches. Use your shovel for leverage and gently lift the root ball from several different directions to loosen it. 24 inch nursery box used as a container for dwarf fruit tree. A box like this may last several years before it needs to be replaced and the tree repotted Once the root ball begins to move, use your loppers to cut any roots that might be holding the plant in the soil. At this point, you should be able to lift the tree out of the hole with most of the soil remaining around the roots. Fill the bottom of the container with soil amended 50/50 with compost so that the root ball rests 3 to 4 inches below the “lip” of the container. Place more amended soil around the root ball inside the container and water it in. Prune the top of the plant by removing about 1/4 to 1/3 of the canopy to compensate for the loss of roots. The compost should give you enough fertilizer for the first growing season.

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Oleanders In Containers Not Blooming

Leave a Comment / container, How to get Oleander to Bloom, Oleander not flowering, pots, produce flowers /

Q. I have two pink dwarf oleanders planted in 18 inch clay pots which are healthy looking but very few blossoms. One of my “expert” friends says simply that “oleanders don’t like pots”. Another “expert” says that I’m watering too much. Are either of these guys right or do you have any suggestions that might get some some blossoms? Oleander flowers A. We have dwarf oleanders at the Research Center in containers and they bloom just fine. The usual reasons for a lack of flowering are not enough light and pruning them incorrectly. Oleanders use a lot of water when it’s present. There might be a couple of things you could try. Oleanders should be in full sun. They love the heat, and they love water and fertilizer to perform their best. If the container is smaller you might have to water more often. 18 inch containers are not that large and don’t contain a lot of soil. If the soil volume is not large, the plant may not have enough water in the soil to last between irrigations. Oleanders that are not getting enough water will look normal but have a very open canopy and not bloom well. Containers are not very forgiving when it comes to water. The water in that soil can be used up fairly quickly. You can try using a soil moisture meter that you can buy from the nursery for about $7 and check the soil moisture before you water. Water when the meter is about half way between wet and dry, do not let the soil go totally dry. Next, use a fertilizer like Miracle Gro or Peters and water it into the soil about once every six to eight weeks. Oleanders growing in the ground do not need to be fertilized as often. Next, cover the soil in the container with mulch to help keep the soil moist. About three inches would be enough. If oleanders are young or if they are pruned with a hedge shears they will not produce any flowers or very few. Don’t prune it with a hedge shears if you want flowers, contrary to how you see it done around town. 

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