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#122547 July 31st, 2005 at 03:12 AM
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I am so pleased to have found your site,I am sure I am going to find all the advice very helpful. I have been living in Spain for the last 2 years, on the Costa Calida, very dry and arid. I previously lived for 16 years in Cape Town, and between times in rural Dorset in the UK. I have been a gardener for as long as I can remember, the Dorset garden being very large and in the end to much for me to manage.
I thought gardening here would be the same as in S.Africa, but although many of the plants and trees/shrubs are the same, we have a climate here of extreme dry heat or very cold in the winter. I don't want to make this first message too long, and will post a couple of questions later that someone may help me with. I look forward to hearing from members and reading other topics.

#122548 August 8th, 2005 at 07:46 AM
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Hi Pamela,

Welcome to The Gardener's Forum.

The temperature range 86*F [30*C] in the summer and 64*F [18*C] in the fall is ideal for growing citruses. I envy you for living in the healthtiest climate on this planet.

#122549 August 8th, 2005 at 02:46 PM
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Hi Pamela Joy wavey
I'm from the uk. Its lovely that part of England my favourite is Cornwall. (St Ives)
Welcome to the forum
Nice to meet you.
[Linked Image]

#122550 August 9th, 2005 at 12:01 AM
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Thanks so much for your welcome notes, it is like having a group of friends that I can chat to about the garden. Up to now it has always been me who gave other people advice or help, it will be good to have more knowledgeable people to ask for help myself. It is such a vast subject we all need a little help sometimes.
Yes Papito, I live in a fantastic climate here, but we are in a micro climate that is the Costa Calida, in a valley, very short of water, no rain for months now, and the temps. range from frost in the winter for a couple of months, to today for instance which is 42degs. very hot. I am planning to plant a grapefruit and a lemon tree. I have a beautiful MONDINI tree in a pot, which is a tiny inedible orange, but I have a recipe for making a chutney from it. It is so pretty, tiny orange fruits all the time, and highly perfumed blossom, with glossy green foliage. Hope I have not rambled on to much, but love to hear from anyone, and to read all the subjects that are posted.

#122551 August 9th, 2005 at 04:43 AM
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I am not familiar with MONDINI tree; we have something similar called CALAMONDIN (Citrus mitis). Calamondin is edible. See picture at this link.

What does the soil structure looks like? Citruses thrive best in well drained soil and the hottest microclimate in the garden. They need a good deal of water; the soil should always be moist but never standing water. Frequency of watering and the amount of water depends on the type of soil. They are also heavy feeders. The first two years, fertilize regularly 3x between February and September; from the 3rd year to maturity (8-10 years) 2x also between February and September.

My citrus trees are planted in containers. Calamondin, Grapefruits: [Oro Blanco and Pink], Kumquat [Nagami],Lemons [Improved meyer], Limes [Bearss], Oranges: [Blood [sanguinelli], Mandarin, Washington Navel and Valencia], Pummelos [Chandler], and Tangelos [Minneola].

If it does rain, can you save rain water in cistern or several 32 gals/128 liters containers?

#122552 August 9th, 2005 at 06:27 PM
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Hi again Papito, sounds as if you have a great assortment of citrus trees, I had quite a few in C.Town, but here I only have a very small garden so would not be able to plant so many in the soil. I do have a huge roof solarium, plus very large back terrace and large veranda at the front of the house, so like you I would have to grow more in pots. The soil is heavy clay, and only supports scrub and brush, as our land has only been residential in the last two years, before that it was untouched land/mountains.
I use compost and some soil in my pots, and add compost to sites when I plant. As you suggest I do feed all my plants during the summer, especially as the nutrients in the soil in the pots is washed out with watering.
We only have about 15 days of rain a year, we do store water but most of it is for our use as we are cut off now and then. It is so dry here that unless water can be stored under a building, which we cannot, it just dries out eventully, we have to be very careful with water as you can imagine.
By the way should I be posting these messages on another page?

#122553 August 9th, 2005 at 08:30 PM
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I guess this developing thread can be posted under the "Fruit and Vegetable Gardening" topic, so that other members of TGF are aware of your special gardening problems and be able to offer you any assistance or advice.

#122554 August 12th, 2005 at 08:02 AM
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Here's an article with pictures of a method of saving rainwater.

http://www.gardenwatersaver.com/contest.html

#122555 August 12th, 2005 at 08:09 AM
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ahhhhh~ohhhhhhh, slackin' in my duties here...

I was going to say,
yes, definately start a new thread in the
appropriate area.."Fruit and Vegetable Gardening"
**Copy and paste it if you'd like where it
begins... or start a hole new thread..
Although you've got alot of good info on the
bottom half of this Welcome!!!!

Hey, by the why Pamela Joy, glad to have you
here and Welcome!!!
Looking forward to hearing all about your wonderful growing seasons' and climates and such.
We enjoy talking with members all over the world.
It is alot of fun for us to do that...

#122556 August 12th, 2005 at 04:40 PM
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Thanks Papito and Weezie13, I will post my findings and hopefully progress on my plantings on the virgin ground that is my new small garden, here in Spain. Whilst going through some photo's last night I came across some pictures of the beautiful large rural garden that I left in England. I created that from nothing so I hope I have success here.
I have used very large pots on the terraces, and the plants in them are growing beautifully, especially Jasmine and several different palms. My favourite is the Strelitzia, (Crane flower) which has bloomed this year. I have some nice photo's that I will post for you if I can. Must get on and do some watering now.


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