When To Fertilize Citrus Trees In Northern California
Citrus trees like all plants need nutrients to grow.
When to fertilize citrus trees in northern california. Horticulturalists at the university of california davis. Gardeners in northern and southern california can enjoy fresh grown citrus. For citrus that is 2 to 3 years old the university of california recommends fertilizer applications three to four times a year with 2 tablespoons of nitrogen spread over the root area and 1 to 2. I have 11 mature citrus trees many varieties.
Know when to fertilize there is a right and wrong time to fertilize your trees. Because they can be heavy feeders fertilizing citrus trees is sometimes necessary in order to have a healthy and fruit bearing tree. Citrus trees should be planted in the early spring. Citrus trees should be ideally be planted in sandy soils or clay loams that are at least 1 1 2 feet deep with a ph between 6 and 7 5.
Like other fruit trees citrus trees need the right balance of nitrogen. Fertilizing cycles for citrus trees. I give them a light feeding of synthetic citrus fertilizer once a year foliar sprays of neem oil and fish emulsion as often as i can the timing is tricky and mulch deeply with leaves. Then the next issue is how frequently to apply nitrogen after that.
So fertilizer timing starts with when the first frosts might come. Citrus trees benefit from proper application of fertilizer to enrich the soil. Use a citrus fertilizer and use only as much as required. Since my trees are mature and produce plenty of fruit my major concern is health and pruning.
Or keep reading here to learn the 5 easy steps for fertilizing your fruit trees. Fruit trees need good nutrition to grow and produce an abundant harvest just like vegetables flowers and other plants. Citrus trees weren t introduced in california until the 1800s. Learning how to fertilize a citrus fruit tree properly can make the difference between a bumper crop of fruit or a bummer crop of fruit.
Northern california growers should choose a cold hardy citrus such as kumquat yuzu or tangerine. Whether orange grapefruit meyer lemon or lime citrus trees enjoy the temperate california climate in central and southern california.