Lemon Cultivation

[Chookie]

Anyone have any idea about whether I should clear the grass from under my
lemon tree and use some other mulch?

I have heard that keeping this area free of other plants is better for the
lemon, but my lemon has plainly been doing all right despite the kikuyu for
years (and it's not a very old tree). I am not keen on the endless task of
weeding under a lemon tree for some mythical benefit -- anyone have any
experience of this technique?

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Jeez; if only those Ancient Greek storytellers had known about the astonishing
creature that is the *Usenet hydra*: you cut off one head, and *a stupider one*
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[Wanda]

I'd be careful taking out any grass as the citrus have shallow roots.
"Chookie" > wrote in message
...
> Anyone have any idea about whether I should clear the grass from under my
> lemon tree and use some other mulch?
>
> I have heard that keeping this area free of other plants is better for the
> lemon, but my lemon has plainly been doing all right despite the kikuyu
for
> years (and it's not a very old tree). I am not keen on the endless task
of
> weeding under a lemon tree for some mythical benefit -- anyone have any
> experience of this technique?
>
> --
> Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
> (Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)
>
> "Jeez; if only those Ancient Greek storytellers had known about the
astonishing
> creature that is the *Usenet hydra*: you cut off one head, and *a stupider
one*
> grows back..." -- MJ, cam.misc

[Bumblebee]

On Wed, 17 Dec 2003 14:33:48 +1100,"Chookie" posted ...

>Anyone have any idea about whether I should clear the grass from under my
>lemon tree and use some other mulch?
>
>I have heard that keeping this area free of other plants is better for the
>lemon, but my lemon has plainly been doing all right despite the kikuyu for
>years (and it's not a very old tree). I am not keen on the endless task of
>weeding under a lemon tree for some mythical benefit -- anyone have any
>experience of this technique?

I also have kikuyu in the back yard which I regulary chip out from under
the lemon tree, from the trunk out to where the branches extend.
Don't dig deep just chip the surface.
It helps the tree absorb water and fertilizer.
--

Chris

[John Savage]

Chookie > writes:
>Anyone have any idea about whether I should clear the grass from under my
>lemon tree and use some other mulch?

The lemon is VERY shallow rooted, and you will find that the fine mesh of
the lemon's rootlets are right in the thick of the grass roots. This means
that they compete for water and nutrients, the former especially important
during this hot weather and dictating how long the tree can last between
waterings before it folds its leaves or drops fruit.

If you do decide to keep the area grass free, I'd pull the grass out
rather than dig it out, loosening it using a small weeding fork trowel
rather than anything as destructive as a spade. Thick mulch will keep
the weeds down, but kikyu will always manage to creep under.
--
John Savage (news address invalid; keep news replies in newsgroup)

[Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish]

John Savage > writes:

> Chookie > writes:
>>Anyone have any idea about whether I should clear the grass from under my
>>lemon tree and use some other mulch?
>
> If you do decide to keep the area grass free, I'd pull the grass out
> rather than dig it out, loosening it using a small weeding fork trowel
> rather than anything as destructive as a spade. Thick mulch will keep
> the weeds down, but kikyu will always manage to creep under.


Good advice. I would recommend a thick mulch over the grass and once
the grass has started to grow through, it should be a lot easier to
hand pull out after a good mulch, as the mulch effectively weakens it,
but won't weaken the lemon tree.

--
Take my first and surname to email me and replace the abuse.