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Shrubs, Vines, & Herbs
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Cirtrus Tree
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Planting:
Citrus can be planted any time of year, however spring time is the best because it allows a full season
for the tree to become established before cold weather.
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Soil:
Dig a hole twice as wide and twice as deep as the root ball. Back fill with a mixture of one half existing
soil and one half Roger's Planting Mix (thoroughly mixed together).
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Location:
A lawn is
not a good place for a citrus tree, because grass generally needs more water and fertilizer
than what is good for the tree.
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Watering:
Citrus trees are sensitive to
too much or too little water. They will not tolerate a soggy soil.
For established trees, water deeply and infrequently, as opposed to frequent, shallow waterings. A general
guideline would be to water about every two weeks to a depth of six feet. A trickling hose left on for 24 hours is an ideal
way to water. Newly planted trees need water more frequently and should not be allowed to dry out for the first 2 to
3 months. Citrus trees planted in pots need water more often because of the restricted root space. The smaller
the container, the more often you will need water. Make sure to apply water long enough so that it drains out the
bottom of the container.
Citrus trees appreciate frequent "showers." Spraying the trees down will keep the humidity high, and the
leaves clean. This will also help discourage pests.
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Fertilizing:
Fertilize with Bandini Citrus Food. Follow the directions on the label for your particular variety
of citrus. Three to four applications a year, applied at 90 day intervals is recommended. Citrus trees in containers
will need to be fertilized more often, because the frequent waterings they require will quickly flush nutrients out of
the soil. Watch for:
Iron Chlorosis: Yellowing leaves with veins remaining dark green.
Treat with chelated iron or iron sulfate, but also check your irrigation
practices — this condition may be caused by excess water.
Zinc Deficiency: Yellowish blotches or mottle between leaf veins.
Treat with zinc foliar sprays.
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Pruning:
Citrus trees need little pruning. Prune only to remove dead, diseased, broken or sucker branches on
mature trees. When trees have excessively dense foliage, some pruning is necessary to admit light into fruiting areas.
If alternate fruit bearing (fruit every other year) is a problem, thin fruit during a heavy year. Keep in mind that
the amount of foliage on the tree is directly related to the amount of fruit the tree will produce.
Lemon trees tend to grow more upright, and a moderate annual heading back (reducing height of tree) is
sometimes suggested. This will reduce the crop somewhat but will result in a more attractive, bushier tree.
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Frost Damage:
Symptoms of minor frost damage are yellow, droopy or wilted leaves. Frozen leaves may
not change color, but will either shrivel and drop before they die, or dry on the twig and remain on the tree for weeks.
Young shoots may be blackened.
Wait until new growth clearly defines the damaged areas before pruning (this could be months), and prune off
all damaged twigs or small limbs as soon as all danger of frost is past.
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Sunburn:
Citrus bark is easily damaged by the sun. Young trees are the most susceptible. Paint exposed bark
with white wash or white indoor latex paint.
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Ripeness and Storage of Fruit:
The only sure way to determine ripeness is to taste the fruit. Fruit color is not
an adequate indicator of ripeness. Once fruit is mature, most varieties can be kept on the tree for several weeks
and picked as needed — the exception being the mandarin orange.
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PESTS:
Many pests are controlled naturally by various beneficial insects that feed on the damaging ones. Frequent use
of pesticides will destroy the beneficial insects as well as the unwanted, damaging insects. Spray only in severe cases.
Citrus Red Mites:
Leaves become speckled and silvery, then turn brown. Frequent washing and high
humidity discourages mites. If heavily infected, use Ortho Volck Oil.
Citrus Thrips:
Young thrips, or nymphs begin to appear around March. Symptoms to look for are
distortion of new growth and leaves and scarring of fruit. A definite sign is a ring around the fruit at the blossom end.
Spray with Diazinon. Eggs live through the winter on stems and leaves. If thrips appear every year,
spray immediately when flowers drop.
Aphids:
Aphids are sucking insects which typically attack new growth, causing leaf curling and stunting.
Aphids may transmit viral diseases. Ants feed on the aphid secretion called honeydew. Spray with
insecticidal soap. If ants are also present, spray with Diazinon instead.
Mealybugs:
Like aphids, these small, sucking insects secrete honeydew that attracts ants. Heavy
infestations may resemble snow or cotton. Mealybugs cluster on twigs or the undersides of leaves. Ladybugs are
natural enemies of mealybugs, or treat with Malathion mixed with Ortho Volck Oil.
Scale:
These sucking insects may be red, black, brown-white, purple or yellow in color. The insect itself
exists under a waxy protective dome-like shell. Spray after bloom and
before scale become established on fruit.
Use Malathion combined with Ortho Volck Oil. Do not use oil if the weather is hot.
European Brown Snails:
Symptoms include irregular holes in leaves and pits or scars on fruit.
Snails sometimes completely cover the trunk with their shells. Hand picking is a very effective control for just a
few trees, or use snail bait such as "That's It."
Fruit Drop:
Large amounts of young fruit drop from the trees. Tree appears healthy otherwise. Some
fruit normally drops every year as a natural thinning process. If excessive amounts of fruit seem to be
dropping, the tree is being watered too little or too often.
Leaf Drop:
Citrus trees are evergreen but will shed some leaves throughout the year. Lack of water or
nitrogen, insects or frost injury may cause leaves to drop.
Fruit Splitting:
Changes in weather are the usual cause of splitting fruit. Two factors may trigger this:
high humidity after a dry weather condition, or if a mature tree is allowed to dry out for weeks (to the point of
wilting) and then receives deep watering. Normally only a few fruit on the trees are affected.
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