Lemon Cultivation
 

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

Lemon Cultivation
 

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

Lemon Cultivation
 

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

Lemon Cultivation
 

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)

Lemon Cultivation
 

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.