Soil in Containers Needs Periodic Replacement

Q. We have two citrus trees (Meyer lemon and Bearss lime) which we put in clay pots. The pots are deteriorating and the trees need to be transplanted into other pots. In the desert, what time of year is best to transplant these trees into new containers?

 

Fruit trees growing in containers should have the soil amended or replenished every 3 to 4 years.

A. Put them into new pots in late Winter or at the beginning of Spring. In our Las Vegas climate around the end of February or so. Containerized plants need the soil in the container “refreshed”, or the plant repotted, every 3 to 4 years or they will begin to decline.

Grapefruit tree in container

            This is not difficult if the containers and plans are relatively small; the plant is gently eased from the container, the roots and soil around the edge of the root ball is shaved off, and the plant is put back in the container with fresh soil or container mix.

            If these plants are large, refreshing the soil still needs to be done every few years. Perhaps the best way to do that is to auger vertical holes throughout the root ball inside the container and fill them with a new container soil or soil mix.

            Yes, this damages plant roots but the soil mix needs to be refreshed.