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Old 09-07-2010, 02:06 PM   #9 (permalink)
Richard
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Location: Vista, CA
Zone: USDA 10b
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Default Re: what's wrong with this lemon tree?

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Originally Posted by venturabananas View Post
Thanks for that info Richard. Even though my soil is not primarily clay, I had noticed that my cheapo moisture meter seems to be more binary (bone dry or wet) than showing a gradient. So I've taken to just digging around in the soil a bit to see it if is moist with my fingers. Any suggestions for a better way of checking soil moisture levels? E.g., one of those tubes that takes a soil core?
1st of all, Lemon is a very vigorous plant so we are not too worried.

Only in extreme cases should you dig into the soil surface. Plants have very fine roots that you can't see until re-examining the soil with a magnifying glass.

A good soil moisture probe starts around $150 wholesale, and that does not include the computer or the software.

A good soil coring device starts around $1500. A metal pipe pounded into the ground is a worthless substitute in most cases.

Here's something I wrote a while back -- a little out of date (chagrin) but the watering guidelines are good: Guide to Common Citrus
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