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As this place always seems to be able to give an answer!
I have a Lemon tree about 4-5 feet high and currently covered in flowers which i guess is a good thing, there are a few developing lemons as well, still a few months from harvesting though.
Thing is the leaves are a bit yellow, i have had it a few years and i guess the compost might be getting a bit stale. As it is heavy now i really don't want to be putting it in an even bigger pot.
Can anyone suggest what my options are, can i trim the roots and repot with new compost, top dress and hope it filters down? and what compost should i be using.
Food?
You can get specialised citrus food and make sure the roots are covered
i have been feeding it, but i also think that the water might be a problem. Hard water and acid loving plants tend not to go together very well.
Is there a way to de-lime tap water? I don't have a water butt to collect the non existent rain-water so that isn't going to help.
OK, don't blast me but this was on Gardeners World last night. This is the month of repotting a citrus. It will need repotting but he [from TV] used the same pot from what I could see. He took out his citrus. Teased off the old compost from the outside of the root ball and cut some of the roots but only to make it fit a little easier when put back into the pot. He mixed grit with compost [can't remember variety] and also topped up with some good quality garden compost.
The yellowing leaves is a sign of a lack of nutrients in the soil si repotting would help that for a few months but you would need some sort of feed especially during the fruit growth period.
I'm only an amateur gardener so best do some research but the little I know has been shared...
time to visit iplayer then.
[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b011qmzl/Gardeners_World_2011_2012_Episode_11/ ]Monty Don saves the day[/url]
Go to about 22 minutes...
Yellow leaves probably means a lack of nitrogen which lemon trees need a lot of in the growing season. Soil should drain well so a mix of compost sand and perlite should do the trick.