Can a Calamondin have too many fruits?

Discussion in 'Citrus' started by Evaldas, Jan 26, 2010.

  1. Evaldas

    Evaldas Member

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    So I have this newly bought Calamondin, and I'd like a few questions answered.
    First, here's the tree
    IMG_2386.jpg
    Question #1: It has 5 ripe fruits, and about 40 raw fruits, the plant is like only one feet tall... Do you think it has too many fruits? Should I pluck some out (like 15?)? Because it should bloom in the spring and form even more new fruits and I don't want the plant to get exhausted and die because of this...
    Question #2: we don't have a big citrus fertilizers selection here, we have pretty only one liquid citrus fertilizer to choose from, what do you think about it, here's what it says:
    NPK 6-4-6 + Mg + Me (B, Fe, Cu, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo). Is that good?
    I've had a Calamondin previously I used this fertilizer, but for some reason it still had iron chlorosis and the new leaves were pale. Maybe I should use some iron sulphate as well?
    Thanks in advance!
     
  2. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    No need to worry about having to thin the fruit - the tree will do this on its own. Expect many of the fruitlets to be shed.

    A fertilizer with a formulation approximating a 5-1-3 ratio is preferred. Many people report good results using a 30-10-10 formulation. Since you have no choice in the selection, the 6-4-6 will have to do. The tree will benefit from the trace elements included in the mix.
     
  3. Evaldas

    Evaldas Member

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    Hm, there's another fertilizer not specificaly for citrus plants, but suitable..
    It says that it's for leafy and decorative plants. Here's its composition (grams per litre):
    N - 32, P - 11, K - 11, Mg - 1.1 to 1.6
    Microelements (miligrams per litre):
    B - 45, Cu - 60, Mn - 73, Mo - 17, Zn - 47.
    But it doesn't mention iron...
    What do you think? Is this fetilizer better?
    And can someone please provide some information about fertilizing with iron sulphate to avoid iron chlorosis :)?
     
  4. Evaldas

    Evaldas Member

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    And another question:
    Should mechanically damaged leaves be removed or not?
    Leaves like these:
    IMG_2402.jpg
     
  5. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    The second fertilizer appears to be the better choice. I would not remove the damaged leaves. The tree would be better served with them in place.
     
  6. Evaldas

    Evaldas Member

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    And another question:
    They say you're supposed to water citrus plants as soon as the top inch of the soil gets dry, right? Well, I watered my tree last Thursday and the top of the soil still feels a bit wet... Is that too long? Is there something wrong? Right now it's about 68*F in the room, the tree is standing about 8 feet away from the window (because it's cold outside and it's a bit cooler on the windowsill so I as worried about the plant's roots), we have about 9 hours of daylight (right now).
     
  7. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    There would be little activity in the tree because of its location in the room. I assume there would not be enough light for photosynthesis which reduces the plant's need for moisture. So it's not totally unexpected that the soil remains moist. I prefer to gauge the need to water by the weight of the container. Lift the container after you have watered it well, with water draining from the bottom. Use this as a reference and only water when the container feels relatively light.

    In regard to your earlier comment on the fertilizer lacking iron, you could supplement it with iron chelate. This is one product that is available in my area.
     
  8. Evaldas

    Evaldas Member

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    Well good to clear that out about the plant's soil being moist, because I recently was told that my plant is going to die because according to them the soil is draining badly...

    Well what about iron sulphate :)? We have that in powder form: you dissolve it in water and water the plants...
     
  9. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    I believe a moist medium is not a problem provided it is porous enough to allow the roots to breath.
     
  10. Evaldas

    Evaldas Member

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    IMG_2407.JPG
    Ehrm, is this mold???
     
  11. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    It appears so.
     
  12. Evaldas

    Evaldas Member

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    So what should I do :(?

    And why does the tree keep on dropping a few leaves every day :(?
     
    Last edited: Jan 30, 2010
  13. Millet

    Millet Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    For containerized citrus trees, 95 percent of all problems are inside the container (in root zone). One potential problem I see when reading your postings, is that your container stays wet for extended periods of time. Is your tree growing in a mostly peat moss medium (potting sol), and how long has it been in this current medium ? There are two things wrong with growing citrus in peat moss. 1) Peat moss holds way to much water, and for too long. 2) peat moss compacts with every watering. As peat moss compacts the medium loses porosity (air pockets), further compaction eliminates the escape of the CO2 which is given off by the roots. The worse the medium compacts, the less oxygen is available to the root system, and the CO2 reaches toxic levels. Without root zone oxygen, roots cannot function. EACH TIME you water your tree do you apply enough water to the container so that approximately 10 percent of the water drains out the bottom? Lastly, when was the last time you flushed out your container? - Millet (1,082)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 16, 2010
  14. Evaldas

    Evaldas Member

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    I've had the plant ony for two weeks.
    I bought it in a hardware store, and it's in the same soil it originally came from the nursery.
    I'm planning on repotting this Calamondin in the first week of March, but what soil mix I should use? I don't think we have CHC here in Lithuania....
     
  15. Evaldas

    Evaldas Member

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    The tree during yesterday and today dropped like 4 fruits (all the size of a nut) that had already started to ripen (but just a bit). Is the tree regulating the amount of fruit or is this a serious indicator of a serious problem?
    I have a thought: I bought the tree in that hardware store, they put it in a plastic bag, then I carried the tree about 50 feet outside to the car when in was about 14*F, and then again about 50 feet from the car to the apartment. Could the leaf drop be blamed on this? Or maybe the leaves are dropping because it's adapting to the environment? As I said it's been in my apartment for about two weeks.
    And why some of the branches are drying out? Not the main, big branches, but smaller, like these (circled in red):
    IMG_23861.JPG
    During the time I've had it, I had to cut about 5 branches like these.

    Also: when I watered it on Thursday, I used about 250 ml of water for a 15 cm (about 5.9") diameter pot and it drained pretty quickly (I'd say...)

    What is going on with my Calamondin?
    Millet or Junglekeeper I need your help, because you seem to know much more than anyone about citrus plants... I'm really sorry for asking so many questions in one (probably not even appropriate) thread but I'm getting discouraged here, I do not want the plant to die, or to have a stick with three leaves on it even more...
    Ask any questions, ask for pictures - I'll do anything to save the tree.
     
  16. Evaldas

    Evaldas Member

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    And an update about having CHC in Lithuania:
    Here's what I found:
    http://www.kika.lt/index.php?module=catalog&action=view&itemId=51538440 and
    http://www.kika.lt/index.php?module=catalog&action=view&itemId=51538445
    It's a page of an animal accesories supplier. Here's what the description says of the first one:
    "This substratum is suited for terrariums. Absorbs and holds humidity well in the terrarium. Made of organic fabric. Sterilized in heat, without fungi and bacteria. Without chemical additives. Made of renewable resources, digestable.
    Usage: put the block of substratum into a container and fill with 3-4 litres of water. Soak for about 30 minutes. Mix well. The volume increases by 7-8 times."

    The description of the second one:
    "This substratum is suited for terrariums. Absorbs and holds humidity well in the terrarium. Made of 100% organic fabric. Sterilized in heat, without fungi and bacteria. Without chemical additives. pH 5.0 - 6.0. Made of renewable resources, digestable."
    (Usage the same as of the first one)

    What do you think? Could this be used for citrus plants?
     
  17. Millet

    Millet Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    If your have garden centers, or other stores in your area that sell products for orchid growers, they often carry CHC. If you cannot find CHC in Lithuania, you surely must be able to locate either pine, cedar or red wood chips. A good chip size for citrus is 1/4 to 1/2 inch (.7 to 1.5 cm). Mix 3 or 4 parts chips with 1 part peat moss. Concerning your original question about the number of fruits per tree. As Junglekeeper wrote, you really do not have to worry about it, as the tree will only keep the amount of fruit that it is capable of bringing to maturity. However generally, the more fruit a tree has, the smaller the fruit will be. Citrus fruit, receive all of their nutrition from the tree's leaves. Further, 95 percent of each fruit's nutrition comes from only the 3 closest leaves near the fruit, and virtually 100 percent of the nutrition will be delivered by leaves no further away than the 5 closest leaves. Therefore, if you wish the largest, juiciest, highest quality fruit, prune so that only 1 fruit is growing for each cluster of 5 leaves. The very best to you and your citrus tree. - Millet (1,084-)
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 16, 2010
  18. Evaldas

    Evaldas Member

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    We have "neutralized" and "natural" peat moss, which do I choose?
    And do you think I should repot the tree now? In February?
     
  19. Evaldas

    Evaldas Member

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    Do I clean off all the original soil from the root ball and replace it with the CHC/peat mixture or leave it?
    Which pot size should I choose, if the plant right now is in a 15 cm diameter pot: 17 cm or 19 cm?
     
  20. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    I would guess "neutralized" means pH adjusted to neutral, with the addition of lime perhaps.
     
  21. Evaldas

    Evaldas Member

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    Natural peat has the pH of 2,5-3,5.
    Neutralised 5,5-6,5.
    Which one's better?
     
  22. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    Neutral pH is 7 so the neutralized peat, being slightly acidic, would be better for citrus.
     
  23. Evaldas

    Evaldas Member

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    So today I'm probably gonna get some pine bark if I'm lucky and some peat moss.
    NOW do I need to prepare the pine bark in some special way before repotting?
    And when repotting do I take off all the soil off the Calamondin's roots or leave it there?
     
  24. Junglekeeper

    Junglekeeper Esteemed Contributor 10 Years

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    An alternative would be to add the peat to an orchid mix, if that is available. Such mixes are composed mainly of bark chips, lava rock or similar material, and perlite. However they are usually too porous so the addition of some peat could reduce the size of the air pockets and make it more suitable for citrus.

    I usually loosen about an inch of the soil around the rootball when repotting.
     
  25. Evaldas

    Evaldas Member

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    They didn't have pine bark nor peat moss ;'(!
    They said that it's not the right season and that I should comeback when it gets warmer.

    But they did have plenty of orchid mixes. Would it do the trick maybe?
     

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