In article ,
says...
In article ,
Stephen Wolstenholme wrote:
On Mon, 3 Nov 2008 16:01:39 -0000, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:
"Charlie Pridham" wrote

Get hold of some winter feed (They sell it in tubs) and use it.

Are we talking Garden centre or is it a bit more specialized? my recently
rescued trees definately need a helping hand! (I think they may be
oranges as the leaves smell and taste more orange than lemon) Its the
flowers I am more interested in than the fruit.

Yes, most GCs stock it, certainly if they sell Citrus they should.
The ones I prefer are by Chempak and are separate winter and summer feeds
which you change with the clocks...
http://www.gardendirect.co.uk/chempa...ter-feed-p-131

A dose of Sequestered Iron in the spring works wonders too.

What are the ingredients of the winter and summer feeds?

Well, doubtless there are some advantages, but most of those things
are more gimmick than necessity. Citrus are NOT a pernickety genus,
and grow well in a wide variety of soils and climates. And, in a
reasonable compost and moderate temperatures, why do they need any
winter feed?

My orange used to flower regularly without such treatment (and I had
a lemon that did the same). My kaffir lime doesn't, but I grow it
for the foliage anyway. The compost is 50/50 garden compost (which
includes ALL kitchen waste) and my sandy soil (60% sand, 18% silt,
22% clay), and I feed with Miracle Grow when I remember (in summer
only). Usually Ericaceous, but not always :-)

I am not claiming to be an expert, but merely pointing out that
the solution is probably NOT in the use of fancy feeds.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

All good points, my problem is that I do not know what they are growing
in (and they are too large to consider repotting) they are not looking
that brilliant because they have been out doors with no care or attention
for at least 10 years and were found under a large montana clematis when
it was cut down, so I am keen to get them back into leaf all over and to
make the leaves I have got green all over instead of green with yellow
patches! Once I have got them growing I can prune them back to some sort
of sensible shape.
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea