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Feeding a lemon tree

snowy43snowy43 Posts: 118
in Problem solving
My lemon tree lives permanently in the greenhouse in a very large pot. My problem is that the feed you buy for citrus fruits comes in small tubs and bottles and is expensive, and my lemon tree needs 2 large watering cans of feed to feed its roots. The small pots don’t last long. Is there anything else I can use as feed that would be cheaper? Thanks.

Posts

  • SlumSlum Posts: 385
    Have a look at Chempak citrus food. It comes in small tubs but is highly concentrated so you only use a little bit in each watering. 
  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    That must be a VERY big lemon @snowy43, do you feed every watering and how often to give it so much water?
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    Carefully scrape away a few inches of soil from the top of the pot and replace with  soil based fresh compost you can add extra Fish Blood Bone or something like Vitax Q4 (others are available). This will slowly feed every time you water, you can then save your precious citrus feed for an occasional boost later in the season. BTW I have two very large pots with lemons in on my patio, & this is what I do for them, they currently have about 15 fruits on between them in various stages of development, so I know it works. 
    AB Still learning

  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    You are lucky @Allotment Boy to be able to keep them outside, here it's too cold except for the hight of summer for my lime. I am just about to root prune and repot my lime tree in the conservatory to give it a boost this year as if I let it get any bigger I won't be able to move it.🙂
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    What’s the best composts for lemon trees, acid or alkaline or not fussy? 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • snowy43snowy43 Posts: 118
    Thanks for your replies. Purplerallim, I don’t feed it at every watering and I water it only when the topsoil is very dry. Had 30 lemons from it in the last year. It is a big tree now, and loves it in the greenhouse. Allotment Boy, I bought a bag of compost for citrus trees with the intention of replacing the soil at the top of the pot. Great idea about the Fish Blood and Bone. Will get some. Thank you.
  • snowy43snowy43 Posts: 118
    Lyn, I bought compost especially for citrus trees by Levingtons. Had 20% extra free! Says on the bag that ordinary general purpose compost is too alkaline and ericaceous is  too acidic for citrus trees to thrive.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Thank you that’s interesting to know, I’ll get some of that, not that I’ve ever seen it in my GC.   Someone must have it though. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    I have only ever used JI no 2 with a bit of extra grit & feed it seems to work for me.  @purplerallim I have to keep them on the patio now as they are too heavy to move to the greenhouse. (Most of the garden is a 1m drop from the patio) They are on a south facing wall under the kitchen window but I build a cold frame round them glazed with twin wall plastic every winter. 

    AB Still learning

  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Those are good sized lemons @Allotment Boy , the things we do to keep these plants😄 My lime is too tender a plant to go outside so is in the conservatory. Which means it has to stay smaller, but it does seem to like it as it flowers/fruits all year round. There is nothing nicer than the smell and juice of a fresh citrus.🙂
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