What is my Bearss Lime Tree asking for?

[KMikim]

Hello,

I have a newly planted Bearss Lime Tree in ground. It was about 1ft when I purchased it. We have clay soil here in 9B, so we dug a wide hole, filled it back with 1/3 native clay soil, potting soil, compost, and sphagnum peat moss. All in equal amounts.

It looks happy and I'm really careful not to over water it. I can tell when it really wants water by the curled up leaves. Maybe deep watering once or twice a week. The new leaves are very light green though (left branch) , so wondering what my tree is asking for and if anyone can help interpret

Thank you in advance!

 

[Chuck]

IMO the yellowing is caused by the tree being planted too deep. I see no sign of a root flare and the root flare must be exposed or this type of thing will happen and it will lead to the early demise of the tree. Perhaps this link will be of a little help.

https://csfs.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/How-to-Properly-Plant-a-Tree-Root-Flare_v2.pdf

 

[KMikim]

Hi Chuck, thanks for your reply. I actually repotted the lime from a 5 gallon pot and transplanted it to the soil height it was in the pot. There was no flare.

 

[Chuck]

Hi Chuck, thanks for your reply. I actually repotted the lime from a 5 gallon pot and transplanted it to the soil height it was in the pot. There was no flare.

There is ALWAYS a flare. And, you should NEVER backfill with anything but with the soil you removed from the hole. Put all of the nutrients, compost etc. on the surface.

 

[KMikim]

I meant I didn't bury the trunk deeper than it was potted, since we have clay soil, it was a tad higher than the original potted height if anything. So, even with clay soil don't amend the soil? It's too heavy for the roots it seems.

 

[Chuck]

I meant I didn't bury the trunk deeper than it was potted, since we have clay soil, it was a tad higher than the original potted height if anything. So, even with clay soil don't amend the soil? It's too heavy for the roots it seems.

Most often the workers where the plant was grown unknowingly place the plants too deep in the container and depending on the container, sometimes as much as 6 inches. Do not amend the soil, do any amendments on the soil surface. Any tree must have its roots growing in a large area for multiple reasons and one of the reasons is nutrition. If you amend the soil with a bunch of high nutritional value products the roots will not spread and they will just grow into a ball the same shape as the hole. Think of this in terms of a high wind and more importantly of incircling roots where the tree can and will, literally choke itself to death. Pull away the soil until you can see the beginnings of the large roots coming off of the trunk and plant it at that heighth

 

[KMikim]

Thanks for your tips. Does this look ok?

 

[Chuck]

Thanks for your tips. Does this look ok?

NO. What is showing is coming off of the graft joint. Remove the soil until you start seeing the trunk get a little thicker and you can see the tops of the rootstock's roots.

 

[KMikim]

Were you able to expand my photo and look at ground level?

Isn't the rootstock the white colored bark? And there are small roots coming off of that part of the bark.

 

[Chuck]

Were you able to expand my photo and look at ground level?

Isn't the rootstock the white colored bark? And there are small roots coming off of that part of the bark.

I see what you are talking about and yes there are small roots coming off of the graft point. Remember that the tree has been buried too deep its entire life so naturally it will have tiny roots growing from where it was buried. You will know when to stop removing soil as the roots will be large and plainly visible.

 

[KMikim]

Thank you