How to revive an unhealthy citrus tree | DIY Garden Projects | Gardening Australia

Citrus trees are a garden staple for many Australians, but they’re also top of the list for causing grower angst – yellowing leaves, pests and diseases – they get the lot

Josh helps out his friends Josie and Xavier whose citrus tree is looking sick.

Their eight-year-old ‘Nagami’ Cumquat (Citrus cv.) was a gift from Josie’s grandmother and was the first tree they planted in their new Perth garden, so it has lots of sentimental value.

However, after being initially healthy, they’ve noticed over the past two years it’s become more susceptible to pests and is losing leaves, dropping fruit and generally looking pale and unwell.

It’s been growing in a half-wine-barrel for about 6 years and gets fed with compost three times a year, in spring, summer, and autumn, plus liquid fertiliser in between.

Josh guesses that the plant may either be root-bound, that the potting mix is simply old and stale, or that the drainage may be impeded. Or all three!

Repotting is the order of the day:
- The mulch is removed and put aside for later.

- Caster wheels make it easy to move to the centre of the deck and onto a tarp to make cleaning up easier afterwards. The protect the pot with blocks of foam as they lay it on its side to remove the tree.

- Under the pot, the drainage holes are a bit blocked but not too bad.

- After scraping away some of the soil, the root ball eventually comes free from the pot. It is slightly root-bound but, more importantly, the organic matter in the pot has broken down, forming a dense compacted media that restricts air pockets or drainage. This is removed and the root ball is pruned back by about a third, while the pot is cleaned.

- When repotting, the level of new mix is measured in the pot to ensure the root ball sits at the right level when replaced. New mix is then backfilled around the roots, watering in and rocking the root ball as they go to prevent air pockets from forming.

- The canopy is then reduced by about 20% to prevent the foliage from drooping as the new roots regrow, and to encourage new growth.

- Mulch is replaced, and a top dressing of organic feed is applied followed by a dose of seaweed solution to help settle it back in.

Featured Plant:
CUMQUAT ‘NAGAMI’ - Citrus cv.

Filmed on Whadjuk Country | Perth, WA
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[මැලේසියන්තණපිඩලි-ඡහ]

I am from sri lanka .garden and landscape related to the jobs i am currently doing the job with 15 years of experience i am happy to meet people like you

[davidwilliams]

I have a Nagami Cumquat which is 25 years old in a huge glaze pot. It gets looked after betted than a dog, its give me a bucket of fruit every year,

[keluargasederhanagintingmu]

Selamat sore sahabatku terimakasih banyak perkongsian nya ya

[Liljon]

Just what I needed to know time to increase my pot size and fresh soil.

[alanshrimpton]

Explanation on how to root prune please 😊

[bobbyqroberts]

The easy extraction from the barrel is miraculous. Only in the movies

[nickangelovski]

How about using potting media that doesn’t go “gluggy” in the first place. Coarse River Sand, Pumice, Perlite for example. Peat Moss can also be used, maybe 40% for water retention.
Coarse river sand on its own works wonders if you can manage the weight.
For anyone interested look up “what is perfect soil” by Gary’s best gardening on YouTube…. You’ll understand why the potting media looked like sewage and needed to be replaced, and why the same thing will happen because they repotted with the same mix.

[rodneymatthews]

useful information if you can get past the cheesiness

[vMaverickson]

Uhhh sorry to be the bearer of bad news "doc" but you got the prognosis wrong, that tree was just overwatered which is why the soil was gluggy. The procedure was unnecessary. Simply don't overwater container citrus - especially in colder weather.

[bobrobertsNotUrBob]

Ive been growing citrus for years, and nothing beats epsom salts! 1 week after giving epsom salts you'll see new leaves everywhere. once every 2 months is great. If your fruits are dropping early, it is usually a lack of phosphorus and potassium.

[thetreekeeper]

That's not rootbound! The type of soil mix is the problem.

[RuthieStruth]

That's so uncanny my Gran had a cumquat tree and whenever I see one I think of her - great segment Josh thank you!

[InkByt]

Thank you! I needed this for my oranges!

[mkyeung]

Seems like the right diagnosis. Great work team.

[connieparrelli]

Thank you so much for the lesson I got a lemon tree in a big but i just realise it has one big not can it be cut the branch of wen il prune it thank you 👍🏻🌈💖🇦🇺🐨🦘

[SkillmanHunter]

I'd love to see how the tree is doing now.

[leeannemacarthur]

Loved this. I have just bought my first citrus tree, a mandarin ao I need to learn a lot.
Please keep your great videos coming. Thank you all.❤

[dentonhooper]

Entertaining and very informative and great acting Josie and Xavier ! Well done 'Dr.' Josh!