I live in New Orleans and am a gardener at a public school. We planted about a dozen citrus trees in April and they look terrible. The limbs are drooping over and the leaves are curled. They were planted straight into pumped river sand which most likely has something to do with why they look so bad. The river sand holds water unlike regular sand. Do you have any suggestions as to how we can save our citrus? Could we transplant? They are between 2 and 4 years old. Thank you!

10/25/200811:58:22 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

Tree Questions

It sounds like the river sand could be the problem. How often have you been watering them, and how long does the soil stay wet after you do? If the soil is the issue I'd recommend transplanting as your best bet for saving them. You can do some things to prolong the life of a tree in extremely poor soil conditions, but it's still going to die prematurely. Since they're still young transplanting has a good chance of success. Transplant into an area with a lighter, better draining soil. Also check the depth at which they are/will be planted. The soil should be at the level of the top of the root flare. This is important for all trees, but especially for citrus, which are usually grafted. Citrus can also do well in large pots--lots of people here in central Texas keep citrus in 30-40 gallon pots so they can drag them inside before it freezes. Depending on the condition of the soil there at the school that may be an option to look at.