Author Topic: How To Win A Citrus Fruit Competition  (Read 1600 times)

Millet

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How To Win A Citrus Fruit Competition
« on: May 17, 2014, 11:00:40 PM »
To obtain a large clean looking fruit suitable for competition, here are a few hints. After the bloom has set small fruitlets, wait until you are sure that they will be retained by the tree, because 60 percent of the first small fruit are normally dropped from the tree in the first month.   When the remaining fruit reaches the size of a large marble;, or ping pong ball, it is time to select what fruit to remove/prune from the tree.  A citrus fruit draws its entire required nutrition to grow from its beginning to maturity only from the closest 3-4 leaves to the fruit.   Therefore, go around the tree and prune the crop so that there is only one fruit per every 4 leaves.   For in ground trees, if your citrus tree is 3 years old you will need to fertilize the tree 5 times  per year, 4 year old tree fertilize 4 times and for trees 5+ years of age fertilize 4 times a year.  Careful tree maintenance for insects (mites, mealy bugs, scale and aphids) must be maintained to prevent peel scaring.  When the competition  nears select the largest fruit from the tree, one having the deepest coloration and cleanest peel.  This may or may not  be a fruit from the south side of the tree.  Before entering the fruit into competition, polish it it with a high quality food grade oil.  Good luck. - Millet