Hi folks. My citrus tree in a very large pot is not looking good. How often should I feed it with Tui Citrus fertiliser? I’ve given it a small dose of Epsom salts. It still looks sad - yellow leaves and slow growth. I’ve moved it into a sheltered spot. Maybe it won’t recover till spring time. Any thoughts? John Watson.

Hi John, at this time of year coming out of winter plants do look a little sad. For citrus in pots we recommend a controlled release fertiliser such as Tui Enrich Fruit, Citrus, Tree & Shrub, application rate depends upon pot size. It is enriched with magnesium which one of the nutrients required to correct yellow leaves (Epsom Salts is rich in magnesium too). Tui Citrus Food is a blended fertiliser with no control mechanism and so we don’t recommend applying to plants in pots or containers as it is too concentrated. This could cause the roots to burn. Enrich feeds plants for up to 6 months.  An alternative to Enrich Fruit, Citrus, Tree & Shrub is Tui Novatec Premium slow release fertiliser, it is boosted with magnesium and feeds for up to 3 months.

Feed citrus in pots (and the garden) in early spring (now) and again in late summer, early autumn. Citrus trees benefit from regular applications of Tui Seaweed Plant Tonic, you can do this every 2-4 weeks in the growing season, Seaweed Plant Tonic helps stimulate root growth, helps promote flowering and fruiting, as well as increasing resistance to pests and diseases. Plants will start to recover now that temperatures are warming up. Tui Team