Q. I saw your article in the Las Vegas Review Journal newspaper about renewing
soil in a container every few years. I have a dwarf Meyer lemon tree in a large
container that’s about three years old. It’s doing well and I got about a dozen lemons last year. When should I replant
the tree? I suspect winter. Is that correct?
Citrus can be replanted into larger containers when it gets bigger but the soils should be “renewed” or at least partially replaced every three to five years. |
A. It is hard to say when to replant but I
should think somewhere between three and five years. Exactly when, I don’t
know. It depends on the condition of the soil that was used at planting time
and the growth of the tree.
Poor soils should be replaced sooner. Trees with
lots of new healthy growth will need soil replacement sooner. Adding
fertilizers, only, to the container soil will not improve the soil. Just like
in Dust Bowl days it will “wear out” the soil. When the tree shows signs of
poor growth or poor color is a good sign that the soil should have been
replaced prior to this happening.
Time of year to replant container trees?
Right after harvest.