Author Topic: Citrus Fertilizing Questions  (Read 4892 times)

puglvr1

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Citrus Fertilizing Questions
« on: January 23, 2015, 07:30:11 AM »
Should I fertilize my Citrus trees now? I have a small 5 year old dwarf satsuma, a one year old Dancy and a 6-7 year old Meyer lemon. We have a pretty good chance of rain tonight/tomorrow and would like to take advantage of the rain to water it in...but not sure if I need to wait till the end of Feb.

They should start blooming soon, I'm seeing the beginnings of a few teeny tiny buds appearing on my Dancy...

Thanks!

Tropheus76

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Re: Citrus Fertilizing Questions
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2015, 08:46:36 AM »
You might want to report this on the actual citrus forum, but to answer your question in brief, I fertilize mine every two months. I iron drench them every two months. I foliar spray Neem/Spinosad(depending on prevailing weather temps), liquid fish, liquid sea weed, alternately every two weeks. Millet is the real expert on citrus though.

bsbullie

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Re: Citrus Fertilizing Questions
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2015, 09:20:56 AM »
You might want to report this on the actual citrus forum, but to answer your question in brief, I fertilize mine every two months. I iron drench them every two months. I foliar spray Neem/Spinosad(depending on prevailing weather temps), liquid fish, liquid sea weed, alternately every two weeks. Millet is the real expert on citrus though.

Millet is the expert on pot grown citrus, especially the zone pushers however growing citrus in Florida is a totally different ballgame.

With in ground d citrus is Florida,  especially on young trees,  fertilizing monthly to every other month is good along with intermittent foliar feedings.  Be careful of the nitrogen you give them.  Too much will give you beautiful plants but the fruit may suffer.   Also keep an eye on the ph level in h our soil.  If your fruit is light and dry with overly thick rinds/pith, you may need to broadcast some suffer (tiger eye, not the sulfur you would spray on mangoes for powdery mildew).

As far as need, not a fan of it.  If mites are an issue, I wohld prefer volck.  I know ghe spinosaid is a "safer" alternative to imidacloprid,  if you dont have leaf miner issues and no real pest issues, why use it.
- Rob

puglvr1

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Re: Citrus Fertilizing Questions
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2015, 09:52:39 AM »

Thanks Tropheus and Rob!

Unfortunately I do have CLM's they are all over my neighborhood so there's no getting around it. I use to use Volck oil but after calling the company (Ortho) to figure out why I can't find them  in stores any longer...was told they have discontinued it  :-\...I hate when that happens! I ended up using Monterey Hort. oil and hope that will work similar to Volck?

thanks for the help...I will add some fertilizer before it rains  :)

willowwater

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Re: Citrus Fertilizing Questions
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2015, 11:02:58 AM »
Is 8-3-9 considered a good citrus fertilizer?

bsbullie

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Re: Citrus Fertilizing Questions
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2015, 11:11:39 AM »
Is 8-3-9 considered a good citrus fertilizer?

Yes, just check on the minor element package it contains.   Where did you buy it?  Additional foliar feeding may help in general.
- Rob

willowwater

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Re: Citrus Fertilizing Questions
« Reply #6 on: January 23, 2015, 08:21:57 PM »
Is 8-3-9 considered a good citrus fertilizer?

Yes, just check on the minor element package it contains.   Where did you buy it?  Additional foliar feeding may help in general.

Bought it from Diamond Fertilizer in Homestead. Hope this is alright since I literally hauled 300 lbs of it back to the Bahamas with me. Fruit Tree Special #1587. 8-3-9 w/suretrx. I also started soil drenching at half strengths about every four - six weeks always after a heavy rainfall and foliage spraying every other week or so with DYNA-GRO Foliar Pro and Bonide Liquid Iron Plus Micronurtients. Pomelo and Naval Orange that didn't flower at all last year are beginning to put out buds this year. Limestone soil is poor and pH high here, so also dropped a few tablespoons of Keg-River Sulfur and worked it into the mulch around plant root zones. I am ultra conservative with fertilizer applications as I don't want to burn plants (made that mistake before). The focus at this time is on citrus, however this is what I do with basically all of my trees from Apples to White Sapote.  Any insight on how best to feed particularly in poor high pH soils would be appreciated. I am learning a lot from the experiences of forum members. Thanks everyone.

Millet

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Re: Citrus Fertilizing Questions
« Reply #7 on: January 24, 2015, 04:21:07 PM »
Fertilizer should not be applied between October 1 and February 1 for the first year or two of a trees growth in Florida, especially in regions north of Polk county where severe cold damage has occurred.  This will reduce the possibility of untimely growth flushes in the winter. After about 2 to 5 years young trees begin to bear fruit.  A commercial citrus tree in Florida, for example, bears an average of 45, 90 and 135 fruit during years 2, 3 and 4, under ideal conditions.  The quality of fruit produced on young trees is usually poor compared with that produced by the same tree when fully mature, so don't get discouraged.  The goal of the fertilizer program for young bearing citrus trees is to continue to stimulate vigorous growth of leaves and branches that may compete with early fruit production.  After the tree has become established, the goal will be to replace nutrients removed from the soil with the fruit and to provide enough nutrients to sustain continued tree growth.  Many different fertilizer formulations are available for use on door yard citrus trees.  Three of the most commonly used formulations in Florida are 6-6-6, 8-8-8 and 10-10-10 w/trace minerals.  Higher analysis mixed formulations such as 12-0-12 or 15-0-14 are commonly used on older mature trees. As a general rule in Florida 1 year old trees are fertilized 6 times a year, 2 year old trees 5 times a year, 3 year old trees are fertilized 4 times a year, and 4 year old trees and older 3 times a year. The amounts of fertilizer per tree depends on the trees age.   Do not use a fertilizer with higher than an 8-8-8 analysis on young trees during years 1-3.  For older mature bearing trees on well drained soils, three applications of fertilizer per year are sufficient, one application in the fall,  followed by a second application in the late spring,  and a third in late summer.
Millet

bsbullie

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Re: Citrus Fertilizing Questions
« Reply #8 on: January 25, 2015, 03:20:32 AM »
Millet - i am not trying to get into an argument with you however that sounds like a copy and paste from some generic publishings that has a number of inaccuracies.   To start with, the three NPK fertilizer formulations you mention may be the most common , along with 8-10-10 however there are a number of commonly available and used formulations  specifically made, recommended and used for the home grower.

What a citrus grower uses on their trees as they raise them for sale to the wholesale and retail nurseries has no bearing on what should be used for the end user who is planting them in their yard.  What a commercial citrus grove uses also has no direct bearing on the homeowner should use.  Depending on the location,  what a citrus grove in Indian River County has for soil and what many a homeowner has are two totally different compositions so a generic growing instruction as you have posted may not, and in many areas is not, a good guide to follow.
- Rob

Riverland

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Re: Citrus Fertilizing Questions
« Reply #9 on: January 25, 2015, 05:19:00 AM »
Areas such as Florida where rainfall is historically very high should have frequent fertiliser applications throughout the year.
Compound fertilisers are highly soluble and hence are readily leached on sandy soils with high rainfall.
If anything younger trees can be fed less often as their nutrition requirements are lower than those of crop bearing age.
« Last Edit: January 25, 2015, 05:21:52 AM by Riverland »

bsbullie

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Re: Citrus Fertilizing Questions
« Reply #10 on: January 25, 2015, 11:06:23 AM »
Areas such as Florida where rainfall is historically very high should have frequent fertiliser applications throughout the year.
Compound fertilisers are highly soluble and hence are readily leached on sandy soils with high rainfall.
If anything younger trees can be fed less often as their nutrition requirements are lower than those of crop bearing age.

Totally untrue about younger trees.
- Rob

Millet

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Re: Citrus Fertilizing Questions
« Reply #11 on: January 25, 2015, 11:53:53 AM »
The advice I offered above comes from that as suggested by the University of Florida. Most certainly, any and everyone  is free to grow their citrus trees as they feel best.  Much of the information I have suggested above comes from a booklet titled "Florida Your Dooryard Citrus Guide" (Third Edition).  If interested, this 41 page booklet can be purchased from:

IFAS-Extension Bookstore
UF/IFAS Communication Services
P.O. Box 110011
Gainesville, Florida 32611-0011

Millet


Riverland

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Re: Citrus Fertilizing Questions
« Reply #12 on: January 25, 2015, 03:26:28 PM »
Areas such as Florida where rainfall is historically very high should have frequent fertiliser applications throughout the year.
Compound fertilisers are highly soluble and hence are readily leached on sandy soils with high rainfall.
If anything younger trees can be fed less often as their nutrition requirements are lower than those of crop bearing age.

Totally untrue about younger trees.

No it is not.
If the tree is non bearing it has lower requirements for potassium and trace elements, as these are required in flower and fruit formation.  Unless you are growing lemons that are constantly flushing new growth then the N requirements are also not as high.
« Last Edit: January 25, 2015, 03:29:18 PM by Riverland »

Bush2Beach

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Re: Citrus Fertilizing Questions
« Reply #13 on: January 25, 2015, 03:30:28 PM »
Fertilize your citrus once a month with Lilly Miller Rhody and Azalea food. Citrus are heavy feeders and this fert has been proven to work well and is widely available. Down to Earth makes a citrus fert as well.
I have seen nursery trees come in 5 gallon of cement hard decomposed granite and agree with Rob about from nursery to homeowner.

bsbullie

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Re: Citrus Fertilizing Questions
« Reply #14 on: January 25, 2015, 03:50:17 PM »
The advice I offered above comes from that as suggested by the University of Florida. Most certainly, any and everyone  is free to grow their citrus trees as they feel best.  Much of the information I have suggested above comes from a booklet titled "Florida Your Dooryard Citrus Guide" (Third Edition).  If interested, this 41 page booklet can be purchased from:

IFAS-Extension Bookstore
UF/IFAS Communication Services
P.O. Box 110011
Gainesville, Florida 32611-0011

Millet

Then it must be true...   ::)   ::)
- Rob