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How to Make Potting Soil for Citrus Trees

What a pleasure to grow citrus fruits at home! In the ground or in large containers, these plants require a substrate adapted to their needs to grow optimally and better if you know How to Make Potting Soil for Citrus Trees

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Basic needs of citrus

Citrus fruits are very ornamental with their brilliant green foliage and brightly colored fruits. There are two possibilities to cultivate them at home: in the ground, if the climate allows it, or in containers in the colder regions in order to winter them warm during the bad period. Whatever the cultivation method, they need very fertile and above all very well-drained soil because, despite their substantial water requirements, they do not tolerate constantly humid substrates which cause many problems and diseases.

How to Make Potting Soil for Citrus Trees in pots?

Pot culture is very special because the plant cannot produce deep roots allowing it to draw water and nutrients from the secondary layers of the soil as it could in the ground. The potted substrate has a restricted volume, the water evaporates faster and the nutrients are very quickly consumed by the plant, so you will have to be very vigilant about the quality of the growing substrate so that the plants are not suffering.

The volume of the bin is also important. Keep in mind that citrus fruits can grow into trees in nature, so plan for a large pot size to keep the plant comfortable. Remember that the container must imperatively be drilled in its bottom and add a good layer of clay balls or gravel for drainage.

As for the substrate, specialists recommend a mixture consisting of half garden soil, 1/4 river sand, and 1/4 good potting soil. The garden soil should not be chalky. You can also use a store-bought ‘Special citrus’ mix which will work very well. Always add a good dose of compost and crushed horn powder to your substrate to make it even more fertile.

What soil for citrus fruits in the garden?

In the garden, planting requires some precautions. Indeed, citrus fruits are plants that grow best in neutral or acidic soil. If your land is limestone, chlorosis concerns may appear. Container culture is then preferable, or the digging of a pit filled with heather soil and compost. Likewise, do not plant this type of plant in constantly moist soil unless you have properly drained the area or planted it on a mound. In this case, the soil will have to be amended with compost and a good part of river sand to make it less heavy and less sticky.

If your soil is neutral or acidic, cultivation will be easier. Dig a planting hole twice the size of the root ball in all directions and mix half of the extracted soil with well-rotted manure, compost, and crushed horn powder. Place this mixture at the bottom of the hole and install your shrub so that the graft point is placed above the ground. Add a handful of mycorrhizae and fill in the hole by packing the soil well around the trunk. Provide a basin for irrigation water and water regularly during the recovery.

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