Plants not growing

Question

I planted Lime tree, Lemon tree, Tangerine tree, Areca Palm, Manilla palm and Rhapis palm in my back yard 5 months ago. They got water from sprinkles for 5 min 3 times a day. The weather is hot and the soils seems like clay to me. I noticed that other plants are growing except those. They are 20-30% smaller in size to me that cause me worried. I added fertilizer for them once before but not helping. No insects found. Only some yellow leaves on Areca palm and dry on tip of Manilla palm leaves. Not sure what is wrong and how to fix. Please help. Thank YOU!

Answer 1

Most trees don’t show much growth their first year; by necessity, they focus on development of a healthy root system. You’ll see top growth next year. Fertilizing will not help unless there is a deficiency. Your watering technique concerns me. To assist in developing deep roots, less frequent but deeper watering is desired. You want to train the roots to go down deep. And if you have clay soil, daily watering may build up so much moisture in the soil that small feeder roots rot. With any large plant, testing for dryness down 1-2 inches before watering is a good strategy. Water with a drip hose long enough to deliver one inch. I suggest a soil test so you’ll know how – or if- to fertilize next year. Phosphorus stays in the soil a long time. If more is added every year, there is a risk of too much phosphorus which impairs nutrient absorption.