Planting instruction for planting Tahitian limes, Eureka lemons, and Washington Navel oranges into the ground.
Cottesloe features coastal sand/limestone profiles. Sand drains well, which citrus love, but it loses nutrients fast.
1. Pick the spot: Choose a full-sun site with at least 6 hours of direct sun. Protect from heavy coastal gales if exposed.
2. Dig the hole: Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and the same depth. Roughen the edges.
3. Amend the native sand: Mix dug-out sand with generous compost and aged cow manure or blood and bone to fix nutrient holding. Avoid heavy bentonite clay.
4. Position the tree: Tease root-ball roots gently. Set the tree so the graft union (the knobby bulge near the base) sits well above the soil line. Never bury the graft. Mound slightly if drainage is low.
5. Backfill and firm: Fill with enriched soil, firm gently to remove air pockets, and form a shallow water-holding basin ring.
6. Water and mulch: Water deeply immediately. Apply an organic mulch layer (like pine/pea straw or composted bark), keeping it 10 cm clear of the trunk.
Recommended Bunnings Soil/Improver Products
- Soil/Compost boost: Mix in local compost/manure or bagged garden soil improver from Bunnings Australia.
- Fertiliser: Use a specialized release product like Neutrog Gyganic or organic blood-and-bone blends during active growth.