Citrus trees are prolific bloomers and fruit producers, and they also tend to be heavy feeders.
As a result, it is imperative that you fertilize your plants often and appropriately.
Many people produce their own citrus at home:
- Do not provide enough fertilizer to their citrus trees
- Don’t fertilize on a regular basis.
- Don’t use the wrong fertilizer for your plants.
We’ll go through how and when to fertilize your citrus trees in this article. Learn more by reading on.
What Is the Best Fertilizer?
Make sure that the fertilizer you use is specifically designed for citrus trees.
A balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer is needed for trees that are cultivated in the landscape.
More nitrogen is required for plants grown in containers.
Look for an NPK rating of 12-6-5 for citrus. Sulfur, iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, boron, and zinc are common micronutrients in citrus fertilizers.
Fertilizer rich in nitrogen and phosphorus will benefit all citrus trees.
When Do Citrus Trees Need Fertilizer?
The amount of fertilizer your tree needs will be determined by its size and age.
Depending on how old your citrus tree is, you should apply the appropriate amount of fertilizer.
Fertilizer encourages the growth of branches, leaves, and a stronger root structure in young citrus plants.
Growing new plants and producing fruit requires nutrients that established fruit trees don’t have.
Fertilizing Citrus Trees in Their First Year
Throughout the growing season, provide mild and frequent fertilization to young trees. The following are included in this list:
- Trees that produce lemons (Meyer Lemon too)
- Kumquats
- Trees of lime
- Oranges that have been infused with calamondin
- Grapefruit
The drip line of the tree should be surrounded with a 3-foot-wide circle of organic fertilizer.
Your new trees should be fertilized as soon as possible throughout the growing season in areas with humid climates, such as Florida.
Early in February, as the buds begin to swell, you should fertilize your young trees for the first time.
A pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer specifically designed for citrus fruit plants should be used in the first year.
Every six weeks from now until October, make a new application.
Start feeding early in the growing season in your tree’s second year, but give it a little more fertilizer.
Your tree will require a pound of citrus fertilizer in its second year.
Continue feeding for another seven weeks, until the end of October.
It’s time to start fertilizing your tree again in its third year.
This time, you’ll use twice as much fertilizer and lengthen the interval even farther.
Spring and summer, as well as the month of October, call for feedings of 2 pounds every nine weeks.
Having yellow or pale green leaves with brilliant green veins is a symptom of magnesium, iron, or zinc deficiency, according to the literature.
Fully Mature Citrus Trees: How to Fertilize Them
You must fertilize mature trees in order to replace the nutrients that are used up during the production of fruit.
Your mature tree, on the other hand, naturally requires nourishment to grow and thrive.
It’s time to cut back on the amount of fertilizer you use once your tree reaches the three-year mark.
Directly beneath the tree’s canopy, spread the fertilizer.
Apply fertilizer to the border of the canopy or even further.
Fertilize only three times a year when your trees have been in the ground for three years or more.
In February, May or June, and October, you should fertilize.
You’ll have to figure how how much fertilizer each tree needs.
You’ll need to maintain tabs on the tree’s age in order to do this.
A pound of fertilizer per year of maturity is required for mature trees.
Your tree needs 4 pounds of fertilizer in February, another 4 pounds in May or June, and a final 4 pounds in October if it is four years of age.
Do Citrus Trees Need Fertilization?
Most fruiting trees, including citrus trees, necessitate early spring fertilization.
To get the most micronutrients into the soil, spread the granular fertilizer uniformly around the base of the tree.
These micronutrients can be found in foliar sprays.
Place it away from the tree’s base, not on a mound.
You can delay fertilization until the fruit is about the size of a pea, if necessary.
Also, don’t prune until you see fruit on the trees.
This will occur around the 15th of May.
For Citrus Trees in Your Garden or Landscape, Use These Steps to Apply Fertilizer Correctly.
Spread the fertilizer evenly around the tree’s base to begin.
Avoid touching the trunk of the tree at all costs.
After applying fertilizer to your trees, be sure to water them well.
Especially in dry climates, this is critical.
Feed Citrus Trees in Containers by Following These Steps
Your citrus trees will naturally produce more fruit if you feed them appropriately.
If you reside in a warm area, you can plant your own trees in your backyard or along your property line.
Citrus trees in pots can thrive in colder areas because of their adaptability.
It is recommended that citrus plants in containers receive fertilizer just for a portion of the growth season.
Get started early in the spring and stop fertilizing by mid-summer for best results.
A good time to start getting your tree ready to become dormant is now!
You may want to use slow-release fertilizer once a year for citrus trees in containers.
The only time it would be used again would be in the early spring.
Feed your plants up to every other week from early spring through mid-summer if you are using a liquid fertilizer plant food.
You’ll need a citrus fertilizer made specifically for potted plants if you’re growing citrus in containers.
Nitrogen should be twice as abundant as phosphorus in this mixture.
When it comes to nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K), an ideal NPK ratio of 12-6, 6-6, would be ideal.
Fruits like grapefruit, which may be grown successfully in USDA zones 9 through 11, require only a fraction of the amount of fertilizer once they’ve reached maturity.
Start with Best Practices for Long-Lasting Citrus Trees
Citrus trees are best purchased from certified nurseries for the greatest results.
To ensure you’re getting trees that are unlikely to spread citrus illnesses and that have been adequately cared for since germination, this is the best method.
- When it comes to citrus plants, don’t go overboard.
- Remember that they require a minimum of 15 feet of space around them.
- Do not plant citrus trees near existing structures, such as drainfields and septic tanks, as this can damage the trees’ ability to produce citrus fruit.
Make sure your citrus trees have the necessary conditions to thrive in addition to fertilizing them.
- Orange trees can handle some shade, but full sunlight is ideal for them because they produce more fruit that way.
- Keep your citrus trees well-watered until they are established.
- Observe them and remove any suckers that appear from the base.
- The tree’s growth will be hampered if you leave the weeds in place.
- Once your citrus trees have reached maturity, you won’t have to worry about pruning them as often.
- Even so, you’ll want to get rid of any dead or diseased branches or limbs.
- Pruning inhibits fruit production when done in excess.
