Thank you! 🙏🏻

Thank you so much,this tangelo tree I planted by seed it's not grafted it's close to three years old

If you have particular questions we can answer in a video, let me know! Thank you for watching and enjoy the channel!

@@Gardenerd can I put pine bark mulch on top for the acid

@@bugsta2012 Okay, we're going down a nerdy rabbit hole here: the mulch doesn't change the soil pH simply because it is pine bark, but rather mulch is a fungal food. Meaning it helps feed fungi, and then fungal populations will grow, which helps lower soil pH. This about succession - forests are inherently fungal-dominant. The trees excrete acids that fungi love to consume, which increases fungal populations, and makes the soil more acidic. The same happens in grasslands with bacteria. The plants exude sugars that feed bacteria, increasing bacterial populations and therefore the soil becomes more alkaline. Pine is actually antimicrobial, but once the VOCs wear off, it will feed fungi and help work toward the end result of more acidic soil.

Yay, so glad to hear your success story. Thanks for sharing!

Great! Keep us posted.

Glad you liked it! We hope it helps you with your citrus trees.

She's becoming a star. Definitely ready for her close up.

Have you saved it yet?

So glad to hear it! Thanks for posting your feedback. Others will benefit from it as well.

So glad to hear it!

Thank you so much! Glad you found it helpful!

I'm so glad you found the video helpful. Thank you for watching!

Glad you found us!

That is fantastic to hear! I'm glad your citrus trees were saved.

Glad it was helpful!

Yay for testimonials! Thanks so much for reporting back. We're glad it helped and you did the right thing to remove the fruit. It really does help focus energy on root production and recovery until the tree is healthy again. Way to go, Betsy!

So glad you found this video helpful! Thank you for tuning in. More fruit tree advice still to come.

@@Gardenerd hi what about soursop trees

@@decreed9505 Not sure. Sourop is a tropical and has other commonalities with citrus: prefers acidic soil (5.5-6.5), grows in moderate / mild temperatures. So heck, worth a try. Keep us posted on how it goes.

@@Gardenerd yes I have two trees.. Both 1yr old but I realise a few leaves on one of the trees are curling upwards and a couple others are turning yellow... I don't know if it needs more manure since I have given them both already... Or maybe I'm over watering or underwatering... I live in the Caribbean... Thanx for your quick response 🙏🏾🙌🏾

@@Gardenerd the leaves curls upwards having a withery look but the other tree looks very healthy

Glad you found us!

Hello, Down Under! Thanks for watching. Happy spring to you.

don't over water is GREAT advice but..... about your pruning tip ????? citrus trees are not like other fruits trees (apples, pears, etc) they absolutely NEED a heavy canopy and therefore need VERY little pruning except to remove dead branches. if they are so open that birds acn fly THRU them they can get sunburn much more easily and that is not a good thing ???does Christy agree with your "tip" ???

@@hdrsmit Yeah well that likely applies where you live but not where I live. The secret I shared here absolutely works Its what the citrus trees thrive on 🌼 the birds tickling the leaves and branches as they fly through keeps the tree happy. You should try it, just pick one of your trees to prune properly and see the difference for yourself We dont have eagles or large birds here so maybe your imagination got headed in the wrong direction. I know this works for fabulous citrus trees and its just the way it is for citrus trees THEY LOVE IT

@@MNZGA57 i have noted Christy has not agreed with your advice either. if she agrees it's a good idea i might try it :-) LOL

@@hdrsmit Anyway the canopy/shelter is important but its whats happening under the canopy thats important like the massive amount of fruit yield

@@MNZGA57 a wise edit. i'm a male :-) LOL

It very well could be. If not, it's an airplane flying overhead or a motorcycle going by. City living...

Thank you for watching!

The best mulch overall is oak leaves because soil foodweb microbes love it and it is non-aromatic (which means it's not anti-microbial by nature, like cedar or redwood chips are). But any mulch is going to be better than none. Any aromatic oils will eventually break down and the tree will love it.

Glad to hear you will keep trying. And yes, noted - more Mittens.

You are in good company!

Give this a try and keep us posted how it goes.

@@Gardenerd I'm not sure what your are referring to. What did I miss?

@@Eugene2ndW I'm referring to the video and the strategy advised in it. Unless you've already tried it and are still having difficulties.

Thanks so much, Andy. We appreciate it!

You could give them a little now, but I would avoid feeding them too much as the season is winding down. Then hit them when things warm up again in spring.

Thank you! Glad you found the video helpful!

So glad to hear it. Hopefully your testimonial will help others give this treatment a try.

There is so many new branches coming on it’s crazy!!!

Thanks for the correction. I misspeak a lot these days. Words...Let us know how the worm castings work out.

I'm glad you find the info easy to follow. We focus on edible crops (fruits and veggies, herbs) so we don't have any books on non-edible crops except for pollinator plants mentioned in both books. You might look to your local native plant society for suggestions for the best books on native trees and shrubs in your area.

Glad you enjoyed the videos. Happy gardening!

We feel the same!

Thank you!

Glad you found it helpful!

So was your mom. Thank you

@@abundantYOUniverse I am sorry

@@Wolf-xu1fj I am just kidding LOL!

@@abundantYOUniverse I knew It you bastard .

Thank you! Glad you found the video helpful. :)

@@Gardenerd 🤗

So glad you found this helpful. We've heard this from a lot of people.

If you've just applied the citrus treatment, wait a couple weeks to see how things improve. You can repeat the process every month until things balance out. Worm castings go a long way, so you may not need more. Just more time and consistency over the next few months. Keep me posted.

@@Gardenerd Thank you for the reply. I did wait 2 weeks for results, but there were no changes. Per instructions on the package I applied 1/2 cup of worm castings to a 16 inch pot. I may give it another try in a month.

@@pcaron3521 Got it. That sounds about right. Check your soil moisture as well, and make sure the drainage is flowing. Too much water can cause the plant to be unable to undergo photosynthesis - so yellowing would incur.

Yes, he can cut back the dead branches until he sees green in the cross section. Cut back all the brown until you start to see green inside the branch. Dead branches won't sprout new growth.

Hi Lisa, I have not experienced that. I try to apply fertilizer when I see flowers just starting to open or right before. That gives them the energy they need to set fruit and mature without much else. I suppose it's important to add that too much nitrogen will cause what you mentioned, but a balanced fruit tree fertilizer will have phosphorus and potassium for fruiting and flowering.

In hot weather you can expect to have to water more often, but if you have a nice thick layer of mulch around your fruit trees, the need is less. Mulch holds moisture through hot days. I water my container fruit trees twice per week in hot weather, but in ground trees don't get anything extra because they are anchored in good soil and have mulch around them. High winds can dry out plants. In these cases I'd have a moisture meter on hand to test your soil for moisture levels and gauge watering needs from there. I wish there were a pat answer for your question about how much water. But it all depends on what kind of soil you have. Sandy soil will allow water to penetrate more quickly, but it dry out more quickly. Clay soil will hold water longer, but can take longer to penetrate soils. So get up close and personal with your soil and use a moisture meter to determine how deep the water goes after, say, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, and an hour. Many trees like a good slow soak anywhere from 2 hours to overnight. Experiment and see what works for your tree.

@@Gardenerd Thank you for the detailed response. This is very helpful. I have two meyer lemons in containers that seem to be doing fine. I also have another lemon in ground that has quite a few yellowing leaves, but it also has a ton of fruit. This is the one I'm trying to troubleshoot. I applied worm castings/fertilizer/acid planting mix as you suggested but didn't notice any significant improvements. I had it on a drip line (10 minutes x 5 days per week) but turned it off and switched to a manual watering. I've been soaking it really well once every two weeks, and more often when we have a heat wave. I am in zone 9b. There are also a couple of other plants pretty close to this lemon (roses, lantanas, also on a drip line, so I assume the lemon tree must be getting some water from them.). I'm going to reapply the citrus treatment next month if things don't improve. Thank you again for such an excellent content.

@@mateennique The irrigation change is going to make the biggest difference, I think. It may take a couple months to see improvement, especially if the tree has fruit on it right now. But it will green up once the fruit is picked and the focus shifts to new leaf growth. Stick with it. You're on your way.

Chitinase does come through in compost tea as well. I'm not certain of the difference in the rate of absorption or how much the levels differ between worm castings and the tea, but I do know that it provides similar benefits.

Thanks for subscribing, and I'm glad you found the info helpful. I would hold off on doing the citrus treatment until the tree recovers from transplant shock. For now, watering with diluted kelp emulsion will help reduce the transplant shock. Mulch is always good to add right away. It will help protect the roots (which are shallow in citrus) and retain moisture. As for mulch, I use whatever is available, but I usually avoid "color enhanced mulch".

@@Gardenerd IT WORKED!!!! After using my seaweed fertilzer for a few weeks. I applied the method to both trees and they both came back from near dead trees that I was going to throw out. Both were brown sticks in containers. After one treatment I saw some life. Most definitely after 2 treatment. They are now even budding. They have fresh new leaves. The keylime still have some brown branches, that I will probably prune off. But thank you so much for sharing this method!!!! I still cant believe it!!

@@TheJanicetunes So glad to hear!

I failed to mention I just recently did the organic citrus fertilizer treatment. Debating if your citrus treatment would do more of what it needs???

@@melkinz8972 It can take up to a couple weeks to see improvement with the citrus treatment, and it can be repeated monthly if you don't see improvement. A few leaves turning yellow is normal when it starts to flower. It's shifting energy to fruit production, away from making green leaves. Brown spots can indicate a number of things, from die off to pesticide drift, to a disease. But keep an eye on it for spread and make sure the soil is well draining. Over watering and poor drainage are main reasons for yellowing.

Hi Leonardo, it sounds like your tree is already diseased. The best thing to do is to cut off the infected branches. Hopefully it is only coming from a branch and not the trunk. If it is oozing from the trunk it may be too late for your tree. I would recommend consulting an arborist or your local nursery with pictures of the sap so they can help you diagnose it specifically. They may have a recommendation for treatment (probably not organic) to help keep the tree strong and fight the infection. But if the trunk is diseased, you may lose the tree.

@@Gardenerd thanks a lot maam. It is only a part of the branch infected so i have to cut it off. Keep safe.

I hear you. We have a number of vegan clients, and we always explain that most fertilizers are based in animal byproducts. Down to Earth makes a vegan fertilizer "Vegan Mix" that uses soy and alfalfa meal. Keep in mind that most of these crops are genetically engineered these days, so check with the manufacturer to find out where they source their ingredients. As for acid planting mix, that's a tricky one. I haven't found a vegan substitute for that yet but I'll keep my eyes peeled. Some folks use diluted vinegar on their blueberries to reduce the soil pH. You could try that instead.

@@Gardenerd Ok, thanks for the tip about vinegar. I agree that GMO soy or alfalfa would not be great. I will check the source. Most of us are against factory farms, vegan or not, yet we are constantly using byproducts from factory farms for our gardent or for our pet foods.

Don't use shovels... the chop cute little worms in half.

Lime is a pH adjuster, so it will make soil more alkaline. If your soil is already fairly alkaline, I don't recommend it. But there are reasons that liming can benefit citrus trees: "Liming acid soils results in better crop yields by: a) raising soil pH, b) improving overall nutrient availability, c) reducing soluble aluminum and d) improving microbial activity." Use this PDF as a guide for which kind of lime to add depending on what you want to accomplish: www.canr.msu.edu/resources/facts_about_soil_acidity_and_lime_e1566

I do recommend that. It makes it easier to access the root system for fertilizing and mulching.

@@Gardenerd thanks i guess i know what im doing this next weekend

In extreme heat you may need to water more often. It's also a good idea to provide some shade for the tree during this time. Drape it with shade cloth and cover the root area with a 3-5" layer of mulch. That will help keep the roots cool and protect moisture from evaporation. Keep checking on the tree. If it recovers, it may take a while, so keep an eye on it for changes.

We always add more information to the blog following the video. I hope that helps: gardenerd.com/blog/youtube-how-to-fix-most-citrus-tree-problems/ - I will keep things in mind for our next video. Thanks for letting me know.

There is a big difference between sprinklers and drip lines. They deliver water at a different rate. Drip line is best for efficiency and conservation. They have holes in the tubing every 6, 12, or 18" to delivery water right at the root zone. Sprinklers are inefficient in that they lose water to evaporation. If you can convert your system to drip, you'll save a lot in water costs over time. It sounds like your tree suffered from transplant shock. Worm castings (and even better, kelp emulsion) help reduce transplant shock. Give the tree the treatment and see how it goes.

Aw, poor trees. I'm sorry to hear they are not doing well. It sounds like your climate is similar to mine. Have you noticed any dark spots inside the wood when you pruned away the dead and dying material? I'm also wondering if there has been any environmental disturbance (construction, chemical spraying nearby, or irrigation leak) that might be contributing to the problem. You can implement the citrus treatment anytime you need to. And you can repeat it monthly until you see improvement. Just make sure to start 4" away from the trunk and keep the first root flare exposed on those trees. Keep us posted on how it goes.

It sounds like transplant shock. Keep an eye on it for new growth, and make sure the soil is draining well. Soggy roots = death. Epsom salts are magnesium, which helps aid calcium uptake. Not really important for citrus trees unless they have blossom end rot. Better to amend with the citrus treatment above and see how it looks in a couple weeks. Repeat every month until you see improvement.

I always favor chip bark / mulch around root systems over gravel because mulch feed microbes in the soil - it's a fungal food. Very good for fruit trees.

It may have suffered some damage. Keep an eye on it for new growth and flowering. If it still has leaves, and they didn't all drop, that's a good sign. Use the treatment described in this video and you'll see new growth and fruiting soon, hopefully.

I would use straight worm castings rather than a mix for our Citrus Treatment. Most nurseries carry bags of worm castings so check there for the real thing. And we recommend using acid planting mix to help drop the soil pH just a smidge. Citrus mix may have a lower pH, but check with the nursery first to make sure. As for sizing up, it's up to you. You can jump to a 20 gallon pot immediately when taking the tree out of it's nursery pot. The general rule of thumb is to move up 2" in size each time, but your plan doesn't sound too far off from that. Go for it. And yes, you can apply this treatment once upsized. Just make sure that first root flare is exposed. Don't bury the trunk too deep.

Try the citrus treatment in this video monthly until you see improvement. Most trees in pots need to be fertilized WAY more than 2x per year. Watering the pot flushes out nutrients. Give the citrus treatment a try and report back your results.

Yes, it's a soil / nutrient issue. Do the citrus treatment mentioned in this video, and use neem as a last resort to reduce the population. Repeat the citrus treatment from the video every month until you see improvement. The worm castings will help with scale. You don't need to remove the fruit first.

Start 4" away from the trunk of the tree and apply the worm castings first. Scratch in organic fruit tree fertilizer into that (mixing the two into the soil), then mulch over the top of all of it with acid planting mix. If you can apply all layers evenly as far out in diameter as the tree's drip line (yes, what you wrote is correct), that's best. Does that make more sense?

@@Gardenerd Yes, thank you for the explanation! Two of my lemons are in 22" containers so I don't have much room to work with, but I'll try.

If the bark is peeling, that could be an indicator of a disease like root rot or a viral disease. You might want to read this article to see if any of the symptoms match your tree: homeguides.sfgate.com/diagnose-citrus-bark-diseases-cracking-peeling-86612.html. Viral diseases have no cure, and usually root rot kills the tree. Sometimes you can dig it up and replant it in new soil or a new location and it will come back to life (if the citrus treatment we demonstrate in this video doesn't work).

It depends on where you live. We like biodynamic soil blends if they are available where you live. We tend to avoid big box and hardware store soils because they are generally not great. We're big fans on Malibu Compost potting soil and compost here. Organic fertilizers also differ depending on your location. Dr. Earth, Down to Earth, E.B. Stone, Fox Farm are some you will find at nurseries. At to how often and how much, it depends on your soil. Do a soil test to find out what your soil is lacking and go from there. There is no one answer, or one size fits all. All soils are different so I can't advise you other than to do a soil test to find out what it needs. Same goes for pH. A test will tell you and you can amend and adjust from there. Soil tests are awesome and worth every penny. As for best container - one that fits within your budget and is a big as you can afford. Fruit trees want space, so 22-24" in diameter is a good starting point.

@@Gardenerd I’m in New Jersey. But thank you so much 💕

Wrapping trees, timely pruning and other tips are mentioned in this article from UCANR: ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=45517

In the video we talk about frequency for watering citrus trees. More than 1x per week when it is in the ground is too much. If you think your soil is not taking in water well enough, get a moisture meter to diagnose the issue more clearly. They are an invaluable tool.

They need more time. After 3 years they will start to jump in size. The best thing you can do is remove the fruit and flowers so it can focus on root production. I know that's hard advice, but it will help a lot.

Acid Planting Mix is a soil mixture. I use it instead of a straight soil acidifier because folks tend to over-apply acidifiers (yours truly included) and that act has unintended effects (like making zinc more available in soils that have excessive zinc). Using acid planting mix as a mulch solves the problem and improves tree health. We use worm castings for spider mites and other sucking insects. You might try insect frass as well. I recommend those options over home made sprays.

It's important to check to make sure the trees aren't buried too deep. Many times the tree is buried too deep in the nursery pot, so "planting to the soil level", as is often advised, isn't actually a good idea. Make sure to expose the first root flare on the tree - sometimes that's 4-7 inches down! That can be causing stunted growth in the same location. Also, citrus prefers well-draining sandy soil, so aeration and organic matter are going to be your friend. If your trees that aren't performing well are still small, it is worth digging them up, amending the surrounding soil to a diameter of 3-5 feet with compost down to 12" and then replanting the tree. That said, sometimes trees come with girdling (circling) roots, and there's not much you can do to fix that. They just don't do well. If you suspect any of these things, it may be time to inspect the root ball for other issues.

Yes, you can. Just take care not to bury the first exposed root.

Dora, It could be a number of things. First, I generally don't recommend seed-grown trees (and you'll hear me say this a lot) because they most often don't breed true to type and they take about 10 years to fruit, if they ever fruit at all. So if you lose these trees, I wouldn't be heartbroken over it. Buy a grafted tree to replace them and you'll actually get fruit in a few years. Second, if the trees are buried too deep, they will struggle. Usually we use the guidelines of planting so that the graft union is above ground, but since your trees are seed-grown there is no graft union. Make sure the first root flare is showing at the base of each tree. That will be your guide. If you can't find it the tree is probably planted too deep. Lastly, it sounds like you amended the native soil with good stuff, but I would do a soil test to see if there are nutrient deficiencies. Fertilize based on those results. Simple soil tests are available from RapiTest at nurseries or online. I hope this helps.