Plant Rescue Box
In stock
"Plants shouldn’t end up in the bin just because they no longer look ‘perfect’. They deserve our love and care, for without them none of us would exist. All too often houseplants are treated as disposable items, like a wilted bunch of flowers but they are alive and do so much for us, the least we can do is try our best to help them recover" Sarah @theplantrescuer
What's in the box?
- 1 large citrus tree between 60 and 100cm tall in a 5L (20cm diameter pot).
- 1 pot of our winter citrus feed to help strengthen your plant
- An A4 care guide all about looking after your new citrus tree
The Plant Rescue Box contains a strong 6 year old citrus tree that has failed one of our stringent quality checks. At Plants4Presents we specialise in plants as gifts so our quality standards are really high. If a plant is a gift it needs to come out the box looking fantastic and sometimes we will have trees that just don't make that grade.
In some cases it can simply be that the plant doesn't have any visible flowers or fruits at the moment, sometimes it might be that they've had a pest attack and are in the process of recovering and building up their strength and sometimes it will be that they've been in their current pot too long and need repotting and feeding up again.
Plants like this are typically thrown away but we want to change the industry and give them a second chance!
These plants have come from our plant 'hospital' area and have been treated regularly with an organic pesticide called SB invigorator and a programme of natural predators. They will be carefully checked before despatch to ensure that although they may have had pest problems in the past they should not arrive with any live plant pests.My plant has an odd shape, mottled or yellow leaves, can I get a refund?
All the plants sold will be imperfect but with the right care will grow - so sorry, no refunds will be given. The price reflects the condition of the plants.Who should buy this box?
Citrus plants do need a bit of attention and this rescue box is aimed at people who already have some plant care experience. You will also need somewhere nice and bright to keep your new friend as citrus trees love a bright spot. A frost free patio, greenhouse or large south facing windowsil are all good spots but citrus won't thrive in a dark room. Because these plants are 'seconds' our main range of citrus trees are normally more suitable if it's a gift.Need more advice check out Sarah's Instagram feed for tonnes of tips and advice on how to rescue plants or check our her new book here
SHIPPING INFORMATION
All our plants are sent on tracked overnight services and are carefully wrapped and boxed in kraft paper and recycled card by our team of plant lovers to make sure they reach you safely. You can choose your preferred delivery date on the order form and leave instructions about where to leave your plant if you'll be out.Our special citrus edition Plant Rescue Box includes a strong 6-year-old citrus tree with a pot of specialist citrus feed to help return it to full health. For one reason or another these trees are not looking their best, but they are healthy plants with a strong root system and so they will make a full recovery with the right care, which is why we also include care instructions to help you along the way.
This week we have super giant calamondin trees that are already well over a metre tall plus a selection of large lemon trees, large Meyer, large orange and large Chinotto trees available. Please let us know if you have a preference, ideally by putting down up to 3 preferences from the above, and we'll do our best to follow this or leave it to us and we'll just choose the nicest looking on the day.
PLEASE NOTE, we do not offer a handwritten greetings card option with the rescue plants
Excellent value. I received a large vigorous plant with free citrus fertiliser. Its made clear that the plant will not be at the peak of its fruiting and flowering but will be vigorous and healthy and I was most impressed by the size and vigor of the plant.
Lovely tree well packaged
I have bought two of these now, the lemon I got over a year ago is now a fantastic tree, and recently I got a calamondin which is a beautiful tree, and I can already see with a little care and attention she will soon be truly stunning.
Very good.
Give a rescue plant a home. Meyer lemon is filled with fruit and also flowering. Thank you Plants4Presents.
I've ordered a rescue kumquat tree and it arrived in good condition with new leaves coming out. Here is our new arrival Kamilla next to Leyla - a lemon tree we bought from Plants4Present just over an year ago.
See the review I have just written
Excellent plant. Very pleased.
Despite being rescue plants they are in surprisingly good condition.
Fabulous, thank you
These instructions are sent with the plant gift
“Plants shouldn’t end up in the bin just because they are not perfect” Sarah @theplantrescuer
Your rescue citrus tree will need a little extra TLC before it starts to thrive.
1. FEEDING
Your rescue plant may have been at our nursery for some time and the leaves may be showing some signs of nutrient deficiency. Pale, stripey or patchy leaves are all signs that your plant is short on nutrients so it will need regular feeding to ensure the new growth comes through in better condition.
We’ve included a pot of our recommended balanced citrus feed. If your leaves are not a glossy dark green colour this can be used at double the recommended strength for the first month to give your plant an extra ‘boost’.
This winter feed is a balanced feed that can be used all year round or you can also buy a summer feed for use from April to September to give your plant a bit more nitrogen during the summer growing season.
2. REPOTTING
Spring is a great time to repot citrus trees to give them some extra nutrients and this will help your citrus tree recover more quickly. Citrus trees should be kept in relatively small pots so only repot one pot size from this 20cm pot to a 22 or 24cm diameter pot. Use a good quality container compost and give your plant a thorough watering after repotting.
3. PRUNING
You can prune citrus trees at any time of year and a good haircut can do wonders to tidy up a tree. Always use sharp secateurs and cut above a leaf node. If your tree has an odd shape then Spring is a great time to balance out the shape, trim any long or bare branches back flush to the stem or to an old leaf node. Unlike with some plants, citrus leaves are evergreen and once they have matured with a stripey or pale colour you cannot change their colour back to a healthy green. You are therefore best to prune off these older leaves either on arrival or in several stages over the next few months. By feeding the tree regularly you can then ensure that the new growth comes through nice and green and will eventually replace the older unsightly growth.
These are strong 6 year old trees with a well established root system so with a little care and attention we expect them to thrive and produce delicious fruit and scented flowers for many, many years to come.
If you need more help on reviving your tree then please do check out our detailed guidance and citrus care video here.