[Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page

[Dick Gross]

Josh, planted side by side, a 5 gallon healthy citrus of any variety will 
always, in my experience, overcome transplant shock much sooner and, in less 
than five years, exceed one of the same variety in a 15 gallon pot in 
similar circumstances. That may not be an absolute rule of thumb but I would 
confidently bet on the outcome.

Any of the varieties you mentioned will thrive in the Salt River Basin with 
similar culture. If you have room, why not plant one of each. I have five 
adult varieties on a somewhat standard sized city lot.

Personally, I would wait until the soil is a bit warmer in March but 
survival is fairly sure if planted during any of the warm months. This is 
citrus country where it is hard to fail with any citrus with moderate 
neglect.

Any established nursery or Home Depot type store should be okay. Most buy 
from the same wholesale supplier but shop around and see what is available. 
You just might want to buy them at different locations depending on what you 
find on the floor.

How and where you plant the tree is probably more critical than some of the 
factors you mention. Ask your nursery exactly how to prepare the hole, the 
depth and breadth for example, and what, if any, ammendments would be 
advisable. They have a great stake in its success and can best advise you.

You can find a lot of advice on line but a local nursery may be more 
reliable and several independents carry a wide selection.

Don't hesitate to yell if this response falls short of your expectations.

Dick Gross, Master Gardener Volunteer

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Olin Miller" <dergartenarzt at att.net>
To: <arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu>; <josh_enright2001 at yahoo.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2006 11:45 AM
Subject: Re: [Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page


> ----- Original Message ----- From: <josh_enright2001 at yahoo.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 11:22 AM
>> I was wondering if it would be too cold to plant citrus in January. I was 
>> also interested in suggestions for a good citrus vendor. What is an ideal 
>> size to plant? Can a tree be too big? How do limes, lemons, oranges, and 
>> tangerines differ?
> ======================================================
>
> The publication "AZ1001 Low Desert Citrus Varieties " at
> http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/az1001.pdf
>
> should answer most of your questions.
> Citrus can be planted anytime from containers if watering is adjusted to 
> account for seasonal variations.  Fall is usually considered to be best 
> because the new tree is less subject  to stress with the cool weather. 
> Some people prefer planting in February so that new growth will not be 
> subject to frost damage.
>
> To name a few, the established nurseries like Summer Winds, Gardeners 
> World, Baker Nursery , and Star are all good sources.  Others people have 
> other favorites. The big box home improvement centers also have good stock 
> with good prices but their staff tends to be transient and less 
> knowledgeable. The container trees are usually in 15 gallon containers 
> which is a good size for planting because they are pretty well established 
> and less susceptible to transplant shock than the larger trees..
>
> Look for a label on the container.  The tags on the plants are often 
> removed by customer for closer reading and are sometimes returned to the 
> wrong plant,
>
> There is a lot of information on the web on how to plant and care for your 
> tree. See:
>
> Planting http://www.gardenpro.net/?page=citrus
> Growing http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/TOPIC_Citrus
> Irrigating  http://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/crops/az1151.pdf
> Fertilizing 
> http://home.att.net/~millero/VSG/MC91-FertilizingCitrusChart.pdf
>
> Olin Miller, Master Gardener Volunteer, Maricopa County AZ
>
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