Fruit tree root stock (dwarf) in containers

[Tilde]

Yes I'm posting a lot. I've been dreaming about gardening allll summer.

Bought two - Meyer lemon and Clemintine. Suited for containers.

They are going to come in three weeks with just a little tube.

Can I start it in a cloth bag a few years and then a biiiig barrel later?

[CharlieBear]

Better a larger pot the first year or two you can usually get by with what the greenhouse industry calls as gallon pot, then the next size larger the next year before going to the largest one you plant to keep it in for the rest of it's life. Just make sure you don't fertilize it the first year and when you do use a fertilizer for citrus not a generalized one.

[DeborahL]

My Meyers live their entire lives in 24 inch pots.
According to my nurseryman, repotting slows them down and makes them have to start all over. So no fruit.
I bought mine when they were in bloom and about 4 feet tall though. If yours is smaller that might not be true.

[Tilde]

Thanks. Got an email moving the date of delivery up - I'll get them later this week. So I've snagged two large plastic pots at the store - huh.

I didn't want to put them in a 1 gal pot and move them; was going to put them in these larger ones (not sure how to measure but bigger than my 5 gal buckets) and eventually put them in half barrels.

But based on what you guys are saying, and what I see at my local big box store, no reaso to go all that big. There are trees at the big box store in 3 and 5 gal pots with fruit ... huh.

[DeborahL]

Twenty four inches means that the pot is 24 inches across at the top.
I never have understood the 5 gallon tub thing ! Like for container tomatoes.
When I see fruit on one or two foot nursery trees, I'm suspicious about the trees having been raised outdoors. Looks like force fed greenhouse to me.
That's why I don't buy those perfect gorgeous gardenias from the florist-I need plants that have been raised outdoors in natural conditions.

[Kisal]

I agree with Deborah. In addition to force feeding and other methods used by greenhouse managers, they often flood the greenhouses with carbon dioxide gas. They have found that flooding the greenhouse with gas dramatically speeds up plant growth. That produces anomalies like a tall plant, bearing fruit, while growing in a small container. Be it lemons or tomatoes, they don't grow like that naturally.

[Tilde]

No, they weren't one or two foot - sorry to be confusing. I'm sure the ones I get will be under two feet, but not with fruit. The ones at the big box store with fruit were probably about five feet tall.

I never thought about that, forcing a plant with carbon dioxide. Huh. But they're some kind of certified trees out of Orlando according to the tags (the trees at the big box store).

Mine shipped over the weekend, checking the mail every day at noon to see if they arrived over night.

Looked at my pots this morning - 20 inch pots, it looks like. I figured I'd have them in there a few years and then transplant them, but if I might as well go with 24" pots, I might as well just get the half wine barrels now. Lotta dirt but at least I'm only transplanting once.

[Tilde]

dang a 24" pot seems smallllllll

[cynthia_h]

If they're "certified," and they're citrus, and they're from a source in Florida, and you're in Florida, there's a good chance that the certification has to do with [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citrus_canker]citrus canker[/url].

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[Tilde]

Probably. It's only been in the past seven or so years you could buy fruit trees legally again ... I was getting ready to learn to grow cuttings from moms gen u wine key lime that survived the carnage.

I went ahead and got the 24" ; Matt at Homertown says it could work; I told him I'd check back with him in a few years, lol. Might go back and pick up a lychee ....

Also started looking at arborday site. Bad idea, those apples look tempting and I know I don't have the chill hours ... But the filberts .... Mmmm.

[Tilde]

Well, they're here - and say xplant into 1 gal pot. Does that mean I shouldn't skip to final pot?

[DeborahL]

I'd ask different nurseries, but I sure wouldn't start off knowing I'd have to repot.
Every time you repot the tree goes into shock.

[Kisal]

I would make that decision based on how developed the root system. If it's a reasonably large, healthy root system, you might get away with using a large container. Quite often, though, using too large of a container for a plant with a small root system allows the soil to stay wet too long. That can lead to root rot. I don't have any container grown fruit trees though, so maybe it doesn't matter with them.

[Tilde]

Root system on the grafted Clem is the size of my fist. Lemon is in a tube, bit skinnier than a paper towel roll. Small pot, now, repot in year.

I think I'd rather have live tree now instead of worrying about missing a couple years of fruit.

[Kisal]

^^^ That's what I would do. ^^^

[DeborahL]

OK, I'm overruled !
I admit that I did think a baby tree wouldn't look pretty in a large pot.
Even if there's a delay on flowers and fruit, you still get the beautiful fragrance just by bruising a leaf.
By the way, I've been told that potted citrus should be planted in cactus mix soil because it's fast draining and there's no worry about wet feet.

[Tilde]

Yep - if I can get out tomorrow I'll get a bag; otherwise ill get it at lunch Mon.

I bought a couple star fruit at grocery store. I'll eat them at breakfast - if they're good they have 1 gal potted star fruit trees a big box and I'll pot it in my big pot instead ...

[DeborahL]

You're going to wind up with a potted orchard/grove !

[Tilde]

That's the plan. I have a 30 year mortgage but in this day and age that's no guarantee we will be here that long.

Worst comes to worst I can stash a couple hundred bucks away to have the orchard hauled wherever I go if I must. besides? Any suburbanite who wanted this place would see an orchard as a liability. Hurricanes + fruit = projectiles.

I figure too that with a potted orchard, it's easier to keep them small enogh to net in a storm.

Hrm mmm I still have a spare 24" pot ... Mango or avocado? Maybe tropical apples ...

[DeborahL]

My vote-a Haas avocado ! Hopefully there's a dwarf version.

[Tilde]

I think whatever I do it will end up dwarfed I tried to grow one from seed and it didn't do too well - after about six years it was only as tall as me. I will look for dwarfed but we'll see. Lets see if these citrus transplant well first ...