Revitalized root pruned citrus and forbidden fruit

So, remember a while back I decided I really needed to prune the roots of one of my potted citrus plants because I knew it was root/pot bound?

Well, I think it seems to be doing a-okay!

In fact, better than just ok it seems.  The pic from above was from 2 weeks back and presently, it's glorious bursting out in its full foliage, fuller than it's been in a long time and maybe even when I first got it!

Talk about revitalization the plant!

It even has some flowers! (not photographed b/c they were getting old and wilty)

Since this grapefruit tree is doing so well, I am tempted to root prune the navel orange tree now, especially as the fruit I was so excited about:

Got either knocked off by the wind, or I suspect birds or squirrels (gah, squirrels, I really hates them). So there's nothing really stopping me from root pruning except some worries about the heat as it's a bit late in the year.

But if I don't do it now, or sooner, rather than later, I'll have to wait until next spring and if it's root/pot bound I'd rather give it the opportunity of all this sun to soak up and strengthen itself for the winter now with the potential to flower away this winter/coming spring.  Past reading seems to indicate that prune then shouldn't be an issue, so I've had good luck with the grapefruit, why not expect the same with the orange?

Randomly, as I have a proclivity for living green mulches (ok, groundcovers...) so I don't have to mulch the wood chips/ pebbles/hay/etc way (though some of those ways are necessary) I decided to add some sedums to the citrus pots in hopes that their covering the surface will keep moisture in relatively well , assuming that they both decide to not compete for water... granted sedum root structure is shallow, I'm relatively unworried.  If anything I think if the sedums do well, they'd look pretty spiffy hanging off the side of the pot and maybe this way too I will be inhibiting the little weeds that keep cropping up in the pots.

After summer's over I'll most likely take the sedums out of the pots and replant them in the sedum pathway where I originally got them from because I've found these sedums get very leggy and scraggly looking inside, rather unattractive when I eventually need to take the citrus in.

Have a safe Memorial Day Weekend folk!

Fixing the root of the problem

I have been delaying this for a while, but when one of my potted citrus trees started dropping leaves/flowers/potential fruits like a dying thing and appeared to be constantly dried out despite a watering only the day before.  I knew it was the time I've been dreading:

Root pruning.  *sigh*

I was rather intimidated to mess with all that stuff under the soil (and to see the mess that it was in) but for the health of my tree (and the fact that I don't want to keep buying bigger and bigger pots as I have to haul these babies in every winter in a not so big  house) it had to be done.

My 2 largest citrus trees (a navel orange and star ruby grapefruit) have been in pots for the past 3 years, I have known (and once again, dreading) the past 2 years as to when I would have to give the ladies a trim "down there"(it's been hard not to make jokes about it!) roots some pruning.  I had a feeling it would be this year and waited and waited, especially when they went into heavenly fragranced flower (which I lovingly hand pollinated in hopes for fruit after a fruitless 3 years ;).

Prior to the root pruning, all was going swimmingly with the trees, it then went south (literally) very quickly recently and all the flowers/fruit from the ruby star grapefruit fell off as well as 85% of the leaves (mostly old ones at least).  So, instead of deciding to root prune both trees (as the navel orange looks like there's hope of some fruit still) I'm experimenting with the grapefruit first to see if my surgery becomes plant murder.

Having never had to root prune anything so large before I obviously did some research (2 years ago in preparation and so I re-reviewed it again) and decided to take someone's suggestion of doing this "wedge"/"pyramid" prune where you cut 3 sides of the outer roots in to form a pyramid/wedge root ball eventually.

Well, easy goes it...  Taking out the grapefruit tree from the pot, check.

 (pot bound, but not at bad as I thought)

 Shaking the soil from the roots, check again.

And now... cut.  Um, cut?


So, I sort of stood there for a few minutes in worried panic, but by this point, you can't just leave the tree or just shove it back into the pot, so I do what I always do when something needs to be done:  YOU JUST DO IT (<--no, no Nike sponsorship here, alas... hmm, Nike and gardening?  What a concept!)


So I started hacking, holding my breath as I went and finally, ta da!

A much lighter (I could easily hold this up with one hand now) and hopefully still alive grapefruit tree.

(look at all them roots cut!)

 I gave it some happy extra potting soil, added most of the old stuff back it (had really good drainage already) and put the old mulch on top again, then watered thoroughly until everything sank and settled down.

This post-operative plant patient will now be given a couple to few days of rest in the sunroom, out of exposure to harsh light and maybe a light martini (hey, it's not as bad for them as you think, minus the vermouth though).

I think in a week or two I'll give it a light dose of some liquid fertilizer to buck it up again and hope that root wounds have mostly healed up.

The true test will be this winter.  We'll see if it flowers again!  The root pruning might affect that, but hey, citrus tree and I have a long life ahead of us.

Link of interest:
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/contain/msg0711051213469.html

House guests and plants--- particularly relatives

AH!!!!!!!!!!!!   My mother is visiting from out of town today and she's going to see all my crazy plants!

(She's not into the plant thing as much as I am, as you might guess)

Here is where I wave the green leafy flag and hide behind it in shame:

I know, I know, I know, I don't need 5 pots of kohleria... but they are SO cool and easy to propagate!  The rhizomes just SPAWN like bunnies!

 (Last night I was moving them around to get to some dust, and did a stupid "Oooh!" because one bud bloomed!)

I know I don't need one of every kind of citrus (that have still yet to produce fruit for me and barely a bud last year--- despite receiving/purchasing them in bud/flower)...

I know I have an orchid fetish (they're my guilty pleasure... when they're in bloom.  Come on guys, you can do it!)

And while I try to keep mostly edible things (herbs and peppers) indoors, the random begonia with some AWESOME hairy foliage comes in (and thrives on me for once) so how can I say no?

I have no idea why I have the stupid fern or tiny parlor palm... but... they were cheap?  (*smacks self* WHAT WAS I THINKING WHEN I BOUGHT THOSE?!?!?)

But yes, houseguests.  Particularly relatives.  Specifically, moms.

The nagging, can you feel it?  Can you feel its power all the way from where you are at???