Lemon Trees and other Citrus
 

Interesting find this arvo. Went over to commune with neighbour across
road, and hadn't been in her back garden. Obviously has same soil as
me, in same state of not much done to it.

My lemons (and grapefruit and limes and oranges) are "okay". Could be
a little greener, but are okay. Hers are the most brilliant, vivid
dark green I have ever seen locally on citrus. Including a mandarin
the you shouldn't stand next to, or it will smother you.

Only thing I can spot that she does differently is to spread the wood
ash from the fire (I think it is always hardwood burnt in it) and then
water it in. And throw on the cheapest complete garden food (well, so
do I) that she can get in the local chain store.

I don't know our pH, but think it is fairly okay, and we are both a
good but heavy clay soil. All trees for both of us are in lawn, both
lightly mulching with lawn clippings to about the drip line.

So anyone got any thoughts on wood ash around citrus????

Linda

Lemon Trees and other Citrus
 

"Linda" wrote in message
...
Interesting find this arvo. Went over to commune with neighbour across
road, and hadn't been in her back garden. Obviously has same soil as
me, in same state of not much done to it.

My lemons (and grapefruit and limes and oranges) are "okay". Could be
a little greener, but are okay. Hers are the most brilliant, vivid
dark green I have ever seen locally on citrus. Including a mandarin
the you shouldn't stand next to, or it will smother you.

Only thing I can spot that she does differently is to spread the wood
ash from the fire (I think it is always hardwood burnt in it) and then
water it in. And throw on the cheapest complete garden food (well, so
do I) that she can get in the local chain store.

I don't know our pH, but think it is fairly okay, and we are both a
good but heavy clay soil. All trees for both of us are in lawn, both
lightly mulching with lawn clippings to about the drip line.

So anyone got any thoughts on wood ash around citrus????

Linda

I would be checking the pH of my soil at least, clay soils can be quite
acid and the wood ash may be doing good work counteracting that as it is
quite alkaline. You can get reliable cheap pH tests from your local
nursery these days. The other possibility is that the wood ash is
supplying potassium, your soil may be light on for that. Testing for
that is not quite so simple. If you want to go the empirical route
treat some of your citrus with wood ash or just lime and see what
happens.

David

Lemon Trees and other Citrus
 

"Linda" wrote in message
...
Interesting find this arvo. Went over to commune with neighbour across
road, and hadn't been in her back garden. Obviously has same soil as
me, in same state of not much done to it.

My lemons (and grapefruit and limes and oranges) are "okay". Could be
a little greener, but are okay. Hers are the most brilliant, vivid
dark green I have ever seen locally on citrus. Including a mandarin
the you shouldn't stand next to, or it will smother you.

Only thing I can spot that she does differently is to spread the wood
ash from the fire (I think it is always hardwood burnt in it) and then
water it in. And throw on the cheapest complete garden food (well, so
do I) that she can get in the local chain store.

I don't know our pH, but think it is fairly okay, and we are both a
good but heavy clay soil. All trees for both of us are in lawn, both
lightly mulching with lawn clippings to about the drip line.

So anyone got any thoughts on wood ash around citrus????

wood ash is well known to be excellent for citrus, end especially for
lemons. I've always spread the ash under the lemon whenever I've lived in a
place where they'll grow. The useful constituent is potash, aka potassium
carbonate

Chris W