Author Topic: Watering Citrus  (Read 2331 times)

Millet

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Watering Citrus
« on: April 02, 2018, 04:41:27 PM »
Tree health and yield will suffer if the soil becomes to dry. To provide adequate water for flowering, fruit set and vegetation growth the soil water depletion (container grown trees included) should not exceed 25 to 33 percent of available water from February until the beginning of the rainy season or the winter months. (Citrus Industry)

Vlad

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Re: Watering Citrus
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2018, 05:08:31 PM »
What is "available water" and how is it measured?

Millet

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Re: Watering Citrus
« Reply #2 on: April 02, 2018, 05:31:26 PM »
Available water is the DIFFERENCE between field capacity which is the maximum amount of water the soil can hold and wilting point where the plant can no longer extract water from the soil. (Container grown trees included) The reasoning behind the 25 to 33 percent is that at or below those percentages, available water to the tree while still available, becomes harder and harder  (slower and slower) for the tree's root system to extract from the soil. More and more of the trees energy is being used for less and less water.
« Last Edit: April 02, 2018, 05:49:34 PM by Millet »

beicadad

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Re: Watering Citrus
« Reply #3 on: April 03, 2018, 11:25:49 PM »
Available water is the DIFFERENCE between field capacity which is the maximum amount of water the soil can hold and wilting point where the plant can no longer extract water from the soil. (Container grown trees included) The reasoning behind the 25 to 33 percent is that at or below those percentages, available water to the tree while still available, becomes harder and harder  (slower and slower) for the tree's root system to extract from the soil. More and more of the trees energy is being used for less and less water.

67-75% available water seems a lot for citrus?

Millet

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Re: Watering Citrus
« Reply #4 on: April 04, 2018, 10:56:37 AM »
beicadad,  The above recommendations come from the monthly publication "The Citrus Industry"..  During the hot months of the year a citrus tree can  drink 30 to 130 gallons of water per day depending on the size of the tree. Water is especially needed during flowering/fruit set, and fruit enlargement.
« Last Edit: April 04, 2018, 12:30:52 PM by Millet »

raggashack

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Re: Watering Citrus
« Reply #5 on: April 04, 2018, 06:39:31 PM »
what millet says matches exactly with my experience, right now i could water my potted plants every day, when the sun is burning down.
i never overwatered a citrus in spring or summer, so i guess its not possible  :)

mangaba

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Re: Watering Citrus
« Reply #6 on: April 05, 2018, 05:52:38 PM »
An agriculture products seller aproached me a few days ago to sell me silica (?) dioxide powder as a water retainer for plants. He advised me to soak a quantity of powder with water  overnight and put it in the pit where I was going to plant like a citrus graft.  Would like to know if this technique is effective. Anybody used this technique to retain water in a dry soil ?

beicadad

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Re: Watering Citrus
« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2018, 04:05:26 AM »
beicadad,  The above recommendations come from the monthly publication "The Citrus Industry"..  During the hot months of the year a citrus tree can  drink 30 to 130 gallons of water per day depending on the size of the tree. Water is especially needed during flowering/fruit set, and fruit enlargement.

Millet, good to know. Thanks for sharing

Radoslav

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Re: Watering Citrus
« Reply #8 on: April 06, 2018, 10:59:46 AM »
As you wrote, this advice is useful during active phase of the year. In zone 6, to water a tree during winter, when citrus trees are in dormacy because of short day means lethal danger. No water from december to february is the way how to keep them in best shape.