Josh helps bring a struggling potted cumquat back to health by performing some tree triage. Subscribe 🔔 ab.co/GA-subscribe
Citrus trees are a garden staple for many Australians, but they’re also top of the list for causing grower angst - yellowing leaves, pests and diseases - they get the lot
Josh helps out his friends Josie and Xavier whose citrus tree is looking sick.
Their eight-year-old ‘Nagami’ Cumquat (Citrus cv.) was a gift from Josie’s grandmother and was the first tree they planted in their new Perth garden, so it has lots of sentimental value.
However, after being initially healthy, they’ve noticed over the past two years it’s become more susceptible to pests and is losing leaves, dropping fruit and generally looking pale and unwell.
It’s been growing in a half-wine-barrel for about 6 years and gets fed with compost three times a year, in spring, summer, and autumn, plus liquid fertiliser in between.
Josh guesses that the plant may either be root-bound, that the potting mix is simply old and stale, or that the drainage may be impeded. Or all three!
Repotting is the order of the day:
- The mulch is removed and put aside for later.
- Caster wheels make it easy to move to the centre of the deck and onto a tarp to make cleaning up easier afterwards. The protect the pot with blocks of foam as they lay it on its side to remove the tree.
- Under the pot, the drainage holes are a bit blocked but not too bad.
- After scraping away some of the soil, the root ball eventually comes free from the pot. It is slightly root-bound but, more importantly, the organic matter in the pot has broken down, forming a dense compacted media that restricts air pockets or drainage. This is removed and the root ball is pruned back by about a third, while the pot is cleaned.
- When repotting, the level of new mix is measured in the pot to ensure the root ball sits at the right level when replaced. New mix is then backfilled around the roots, watering in and rocking the root ball as they go to prevent air pockets from forming.
- The canopy is then reduced by about 20% to prevent the foliage from drooping as the new roots regrow, and to encourage new growth.
- Mulch is replaced, and a top dressing of organic feed is applied followed by a dose of seaweed solution to help settle it back in.
Featured Plant:
CUMQUAT ‘NAGAMI’ - Citrus cv.
Filmed on Whadjuk Country | Perth, WA
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27 сен 2024
