It's true Mandarin! The Variegated are a bit more fussy than the regular ones.
I too left mine in the original potting mix for almost a year and finally transferred out of it last summer..lol
I was scared too. My first one died in the gritty too.

But, I don't attribute it to the mix since many have been successful at it. I just think it's the timing of doing it and one needs to make sure it's very healthy when you bare root.

I put my second one into the 5.1.1 mix and it's doing GREAT!
Have you thought of trying teh 5.1.1 mix at times too?

If I am not mistaken, I think Josh also has one that he transfererd into a gritty mix and it's doing terrific!

Mike

Mandarin~ Congrats on your first lemon! How nice!! Nothing like the satisfaction of home grown!!!

Hi Mike :-)
I think the only problem Josh has had was a Deer. Other than that, his tree has done very well in a gritty mix. :-)

JoJo

Thanks Mike, it helps to know I'm not alone with the variegated lemon challenge! I think the 5:1:1 is lighter than gritty? I need lighter pots these days, just as you do ( I broke a knee and wrist in a car accident ). Yes, I'll try 5:1:1, but I'll probably check back in before I do!
Thanks JoJo, it's amazing to pick a lemon at all, but to do that inside when it's so cold outside? Ate a kumuat off the tree today while watching it snow out the window...it's ironic, and wonderful!

Hello! Mike, JoJo! Hey, Mandarin! :-)

Both Mike and JoJo are correct. I do have a variegated pink Lemon, I did re-pot in Gritty Mix,
and the only problem I've had was my fault...leaving it where the deer were able to get at it :-(

Now that it's indoors, it's blooming nicely. It is in a smaller terra cotta pot, though,
and so I have to water about every 4 - 5 days or else the leaves begin to curl. Spider Mites
are a constant issue with all of my Citrus, so I just spray them with Neem Oil + Pro-TeKt
every couple of weeks (or if I see any fine webbing appear).

I, too, left my pink Lemon in the nursery soil for its first season....but in November, we had
a cold-snap in the upper-20F's and my Citrus took some leaf-damage. I was very unhappy with the
idea of leaving the tree in the old soil for another Winter (I purchased in January and the tree
struggled those first months). Then we had a storm that knocked the tree over and loosened it in the pot -
so I figured it was time to re-pot, even though it was late in the season to be doing such a thing.

I really like the 5-1-1 for Citrus, although it does break down sooner than true Gritty Mix.

Here's a pic of my poor pink Lemon after the deer got to it. This is what I found
early in the morning.

Encouraging news as my 3 yr old Meyer is about to be on its way from four winds (and I am not too far- climate wise from mandarin). What is the pro tekt for and how will I know if I need it?

i researched some more threads and found out about pro-tek. i will plan to buy some and use it.