Fertilizing a new Transplant

[cpp gardener]

Try a micronutrient supplement, especially iron. Some soil sulfur will help lower the pH and make whatever is in the soil more available.

 

[gdgross]

Thanks cpp, will give those a go. (and i'll test the pH too)

 

[gdgross]

I grabbed a pH tester from Home Depot, turns out my soil pH is 7.5; I'll have to do as you say cpp to start lowering it. (I assume I should do this gradually.)

 

[YumYum]

Get some sulfur and apply some as soon as you can, then wait till next Spring check your soil pH again. It takes time to lower the pH with sulfur and it only works when the ground is warm enough for the microbes to convert the sulfur to sulfuric acid, which is what lowers the pH of the soil.

And there is no exact amount of sulfur one can say to use without a soil analysis because of things like carbonates in the soil which is different everywhere, even in different areas of your lawn, so you have to kind of guess at it.

Soil Acid Calculator

 

[cpp gardener]

Yes, a soil test is the best way to find out what the nutrient levels are. A pH of 7.5 is really good for LA. It's probably not the source of any deficiencies. Out here anything less than 9 is great.
Try watering more thoroughly when you DO water and less frequently. With our May gray days and oncoming June gloom, maybe once a week should do it. In commercial groves a drip soak (24 hours at 1gph) twice a month usually works. Make sure the mulch layer is at least 4" thick. 6-10" is better.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I have some young citrus trees that were showing some yellow leaves, and i began a regimen of romeo water soluble fertilizer, and sometimes fish emulsion, and it made an immediate difference: green leaves, new growth, etc

That makes it sound as though it could be a soil deficiency. I would be far more in favour of Meadowlark's idea of mulching with well rotted manure, fertilising with commercial artificial only puts in somethings, which is okay if that is all that is missing. Sometimes trace elements can be very important.

 

[gdgross]

Yes, a soil test is the best way to find out what the nutrient levels are. A pH of 7.5 is really good for LA. It's probably not the source of any deficiencies. Out here anything less than 9 is great.
Try watering more thoroughly when you DO water and less frequently. With our May gray days and oncoming June gloom, maybe once a week should do it. In commercial groves a drip soak (24 hours at 1gph) twice a month usually works. Make sure the mulch layer is at least 4" thick. 6-10" is better.

Sounds good cpp - I'll give that watering schedule a go. I'm using that reddish wood chip mulch from home depot, and it's pretty thick except for where the trunk meets the ground, but probably not 6". I got plenty more I can add though.

 

[gdgross]

That makes it sound as though it could be a soil deficiency. I would be far more in favour of Meadowlark's idea of mulching with well rotted manure, fertilising with commercial artificial only puts in somethings, which is okay if that is all that is missing. Sometimes trace elements can be very important.

yeah, you and cpp seem to be on the same page!

 

[Oliver Buckle]

yeah, you and cpp seem to be on the same page!

His advice is usually good, knowledgeable man.