Calamondin Orange sapling (possibly grafted?)

[Aiki_Joker]

Hey everyone. Wondering if this is to do with nutrients or Sun burn or something?

Some leaves are a bit yellow. This is happening to my bourganvilleas here too. Thought it was the tap water so I switched to bottled water with 111 TDS. Fertilise with chemical fertiliser every few weeks 10/25/25. I was thinking there might not be enough nitrogen for the strong sun here? Maybe under watering? I leave it to droop a little between watering.
It is going to flower again soon and I might let it fruit, I do want it to grow out, but willing to wait. I'm interested in how long it will take to develop the fruits. It tried to flower a few months ago after I pruned the fruit off and repotted it but I pruned the flower buds off. Maybe im stressing it to flower by not watering it enough (?) Not sure on the soil either. It is well draining but mostly organic mix. I can water this every few days with the retention it gives and the clay ball cover (at 30 to 40 degrees C heat)!


Here is a pic when I brought it. It was tied to a frame which I quickly ditched. There was some fungus on the bottom roots, had to wash and cut a load off. As soon as I repotted it started to grow (with lighter leaves). Young leaves seem to harden on these to more waxy ones. But leaves grown in full sun seem less green. Kind of makes sense that it should need less chlorophyll, but still wondering about sun burn or nutrient balance issues:

 

[sorce]

I don't know these trees, but any kind of drooping isn't going to keep a plant at its best, not that it's terrible, hell, the plant looks good.

Any flowering plant is likely to need a lot of water, that may be why the Bougies are doing it too...
I reckon they'll sacrifice leaf pretty before reproductive means.

Sorce

 

[aml1014]

Cant say much about citrus, they do awful here. As for the yellowing leaves on the bougainvillea, it's likely to much water. Yellow is generally too much water, when the leaves just dry up and fall off its not enough water.

Aaron

 

[JoeR]

When the leaves turn yellow on mine, it is most often due to lack of fertilizer. I would try a long lasting organic fertilizer on it, whatever one is cheap. That way, it gets a consistent source of the nutrients needed for heavy fruiting and flowering.


Meanwhile also keep an eye on watering

 

[GailC]

When the leaves turn yellow on mine, it is most often due to lack of fertilizer.

This is my experience too. Citrus like a bit higher nitrogen and can yellow pretty easily. I use a 30 10 10 fert diluted way down for my lemon and it does well.

 

[GrimLore]

Hey everyone. Wondering if this is to do with nutrients or Sun burn or something?

If you are inland the days are probably hot and the nights very cool. I would be watering each morning until it drain out the bottom. I suspect the following morning only the very surface will be damp. Also just the fruit would need more fertilizer but I would water both the same. If they are in direct morning sun I would also suggest putting them in afternoon sun only as it is not as intense as the lower morning sun.

Grimmy

 

[Aiki_Joker]

When the leaves turn yellow on mine, it is most often due to lack of fertilizer. I would try a long lasting organic fertilizer on it, whatever one is cheap. That way, it gets a consistent source of the nutrients needed for heavy fruiting and flowering.


Meanwhile also keep an eye on watering

Yes mate, this is what I am trying to find here, but can't find anything except chemical powders. Nightmare. Looking for blood and bone meal. The chemical powder I use is from the UK, should have got some slow release organic there too :0/

 

[Aiki_Joker]

If you are inland the days are probably hot and the nights very cool. I would be watering each morning until it drain out the bottom. I suspect the following morning only the very surface will be damp. Also just the fruit would need more fertilizer but I would water both the same. If they are in direct morning sun I would also suggest putting them in afternoon sun only as it is not as intense as the lower morning sun.

Grimmy

Nice one! I am on the coast it is pretty constant temp here and humidity fluctuates. I might try and relocate it to a less sunny spot :0)

 

[Aiki_Joker]

Thanks for all of the advice, most appreciated. Will keep looking for fertilisers I have a bit of time for the fruiting yet and I'll keep the water on the citrus and take it down a bit on the bourgs or bourgies as the correct colloquialism is termed lol :0)

 

[Carol 83]

I just use Miracle Grow on my calamondin orange, and my lemon. They flower the most in winter, but have flowered intermittently, since going outside in the spring. I have lots of oranges, but the damn squirrels snip the lemons off.

 

[GrimLore]

Thanks for all of the advice, most appreciated. Will keep looking for fertilisers I have a bit of time for the fruiting yet and I'll keep the water on the citrus and take it down a bit on the bourgs or bourgies as the correct colloquialism is termed lol :0)

The bougainvillea will do best if you water as I indicated, heavy in mornings. The next morning put a skewer or chopstick in deeply to test if the soil is damp, not just on top. They do not like wet but should not go dry... Also, for me I see no need to use a lot of any fertilizer on them - and when I do I use 20-20-20 liquid cut in half.

Grimmy

 

[Aiki_Joker]

Great advice gents and most apperciated. Started adding 12-12-17 fertiliser (only one I could buy locally). And upped watering on the bougainvillea. Its green now and leaves popping out everywhere.

Citrus coming on, will increase fertiling sessions stepwise. No fruit set. It seems to set partially, then when it dries out a bit it drops its swollen ovules. Will step the watering up a bit. Here are the before and after pics. Before to after in ascending order:

 

[Aiki_Joker]

The last citrus pic was just agter repotting to more free draining mix as I smelt mold on the surface. Dug a little deeper and there was a thin layer of mold. I used boiled coffee grounds and they must have been holding alot of water. A few surface roots were affected.

At the bottom of the pot was a few inches of course aquarium gravel and this is where I saw most of the root development so I repotted with about 20% organic compost and course gravel.

The three main roots were fused and the ball was bound together so I split and chocked these to open the roots up a bit. Not much wilt after a few hours. Less than 10% of the roots were removed. This plant was already repotted about 3 months ago and I don't want to stress it too much

 

[Aiki_Joker]

Thinking about these roots and how I am going to get a good taper. Do you think I should air layer to cut the trunk or will the roots eventually thicken if I let it grow? I could chop them close to the trunk to get a nice smooth taper, but this would be basically planting it as a cutting as there would be no roots. I could build up the soil and put copper wire tunicates on them so as they grow more roots will grow out of them then cut the main roots off? Any thought would be appreciated.