How to look after loquat seedlings

[abrogard]

I'm a bit worried about loquats I grew from seed.
They're in pretty loose mix made for seedlings: 1:1:1 compostotting mix:sharp sand.
Seems to me its a bit too loose. They seem to need a big drink every day in this hot weather hereabouts. This is South Aus. Gets to 40 some days (not often).
Is that okay?
And their growth. Look at those long spindly stems. They look on the verge of falling over.
And they look as though they're looking for light.
But there's heaps of light. I block it off on the real hot afternoons because they seem to burn too easy. See the burns on the leaves? But mostly they have light from early morn to late afternoon and pretty fierce light sometimes.
Then there's the future: how can I plant them out?
I'm thinking to leave them in those pots until they're just about root bound. Following what seems to be the example of the nurseries around the place that seem to have the largest plants in tiny containers.
But I realised the other day I might have a problem getting them out. That loose stuff isn't going to stick to the roots and give me a root ball. It's mostly going to fall off. Is that alright?
I guess I'd fully wet soak them and cut down all around the sides with something then lay 'em on a side and put a shovel in and draw them out. Would that work or are the roots to be protected at all costs - i.e. better to cut the plastic off?
How do those that know look after plants like this?

 

[roadrunner]

Just some thoughts, because I also have a loquat that I got from a friend. So I don't know much about them (I've had it now for less than a year) and another issue is that I don't do container gardening -- I put everything in the ground -- so I can't offer advice WRT containers.

However, what little I read about them, I do remember that they should be protected from the sun in their early life, so you may want to give them some more dappled sun, rather than direct sun.

How much shade do they get now vs. direct sun?

I do see some in my area in direct sun, but they are all fully grown, right now I keep mine partly shaded by other plants, hoping it will get use to the Florida sun as it gets bigger. I think keeping it in dappled light is better than full shade.

My other concern would be...How hot is the soil in that container getting? Something to check into.

It also seems like that pot soil is really wet. Overwatering plants is one of the biggest killers, especially of plants in containers.

I don't fertilize plants, including my loquat tree; I rely on heavily mulching and growing many plants in the area for biodiversity to build the soil and do a lot of chop and drop. So I can't recommend soil amendments.

 

[MiTmite9]

I'm a bit worried about loquats I grew from seed.
They're in pretty loose mix made for seedlings: 1:1:1 compostotting mix:sharp sand.
Seems to me its a bit too loose. They seem to need a big drink every day in this hot weather hereabouts. This is South Aus. Gets to 40 some days (not often).
Is that okay?
And their growth. Look at those long spindly stems. They look on the verge of falling over.
And they look as though they're looking for light.
But there's heaps of light. I block it off on the real hot afternoons because they seem to burn too easy. See the burns on the leaves? But mostly they have light from early morn to late afternoon and pretty fierce light sometimes.
Then there's the future: how can I plant them out?
I'm thinking to leave them in those pots until they're just about root bound. Following what seems to be the example of the nurseries around the place that seem to have the largest plants in tiny containers.
But I realised the other day I might have a problem getting them out. That loose stuff isn't going to stick to the roots and give me a root ball. It's mostly going to fall off. Is that alright?
I guess I'd fully wet soak them and cut down all around the sides with something then lay 'em on a side and put a shovel in and draw them out. Would that work or are the roots to be protected at all costs - i.e. better to cut the plastic off?
How do those that know look after plants like this?View attachment 101738View attachment 101739

Why aren't you propping them up? Def too much sun and they need help staying straight. I agree with roadrunner that those pots may be holding in the heat and stressing out the trees. Adding mulch to the surface wouldn't hurt.

I wish you could come take the loquat tree that is in my back yard. "Planted" by a crow, most likely. She's a beauty. About a meter tall now. I asked my housemate to transplant her to the back part of the yard, because she was too near the orange tree. He came in all happy about how well the transplant went. I look out the back window and he's got the tree in the middle of the yard. He has NO CLUE as to how much loquat trees spread . . .