AusBonsai

Hi all

I'm back after a long hiatus.....

i have just moved to Ascot Vale in Melbourne (will join Bonsainorthwest in coming days - great exhibition they had a couple of weeks back)

I have moved in and am embarking on renovations, however I have saved a couple of species from imminent death from the impending renos. The photos are of a cumquat i lifted and put in a pot. I did this in March and there has been little to no changes. In the last couple of weeks new growth has occurred. so i have the following Qs:

1. should i wait a while before embarking on pruning, wiring etc
2. if i do prune and wire ....any suggestions?

i do not have an experience in citrus, so any help is greatly appreciated.
thanks

leave the tree for a year to settle and adjust to life in a pot.

Thanks Daluke

just trying to curb my enthusiasm

I agree, it needs rest and love to recover.

morning sun and afternoon shade for this summer --I would avoid chemical ferts for now but would neutrog it --any design plan would need to allow for the graft union and the different bark------not sure if you can airlayer these successfully

The Surgeon wrote:Thanks Daluke

just trying to curb my enthusiasm

There are plenty of worse things you could spend your time and money on. At least that's what I say every time I get a tree...

Citrus hate to rest. The only reason they do is because they are forced to by the low temps. There's no problem in cutting back very hard now. I hope you have used the best possible p/mix. The trick with citrus begins and ends with feeding.
You need an acid, well drained media so you can really pump in the water and fertilizer. It's normal in Melbourne to have yellow leaves in late winter early spring on them. We have had an exceptionally cool and gloomy spring but once the light and heat finally get here, you should feed strongly. I have a couple of large tub plants and I give them each about 20 organic cakes every 6 weeks, about a tablespoon of osmocote once, and liquid feed once per week. If the summer leaves are not deep green, you are not feeding enough, or you have damaged roots due to a crappy mix. Also, citrus respond very well to regular dilute foliar feeding with trace elements. But go ahead and prune now wherever you want but hold the wire.
Full sun all day long.

Drink the beer. If it's shooting you could cut it back, but if it's not strong best leave what it has to recover.

When it's all strong and happy, if the leaves get too big you can defoliate it - I do it when I repot my badly-proportioned grapefruit.

Gavin

Thanks to all,

Great advice.

When i dug the cumquat out i shoved it into the first pot i could grab and with crappy/potting mix as i had nothing else.
Will repot with some decent media i picked up recently and give it a little more love that it requires

thanks again
Jason

Hi again,

Quick update! Potted with a light prune. Obviously a little more pruning is required and a couple of Jins to be created, but it has had a hard life in the last few months so will let it rest for a bit and see where it shoots.

thanks