Spring Is For Citrus Blossoms
Tomorrow is the first day of spring. Happy spring to you! There is no finer day than the vernal equinox for any flower and foliage loving gardener.
The first day of spring is the only time of year when the sun rises in the east and sets in the west for everyone across the world. It's also the only moment each year when the Earth's tilt is zero in relation to the sun. So, if you were standing on the equator, the sun would pass directly over your head on the vernal equinox.
The first day of spring is determined by the vernal equinox, which is when the sun crosses over the plane of the earth's equator, making night and day approximately equal lengths all over the world. When the day of the equinox passes, both of the Earth's hemispheres get an equal amount of sunlight.
Why is March 20th the first day of spring this year? Are we early? Actually, March 20th will be the first day of spring next year as well. There are actually two ways to determine the first day of spring- the astronomical cycle or the meteorological cycle- but most people use the astronomical cycle. The astronomical cycle considers March 20th, 2018 to be the first day of spring this year.
What is your favorite horticultural harbinger of spring? Wisteria blossoms hanging from an arbor? Freesias or daffodils in bloom? Ranunculas at the flower fields? Good choices all, but my favorite sight and smell of spring are the abundant and sweetly scented citrus blossoms. Each type of citrus blossom has its own distinct scent, they really are subtly different and unique. Oh the memories I have as a kid inhaling the perfume of mile upon mile of orange blossoms. The other sight I love on the first day of spring is the lush verdant abundance of all that citrus foliage! Even lousy growers can enjoy a month or so of decent looking trees in spring. May I give you some urban farmer advice? Don't lose this spring momentum!
Your citrus look better today than they will look all year. The rains have washed away some salts and given the trees all that soft water. The trees are in full bloom. There is no sign of any leaf miners as of yet. Enjoy this time while you have it, it is only going to get tougher from here out, but I want to give you some tips to keep all this positive citrus scented energy flowing in the right direction.
1) Check your irrigation now, before the rains are over. I maintain many, many acres of citrus and probably see more citrus in a week than most of you will see in your life. What is the biggest problem I see? Improper irrigation. When I see an awful, pest infested, poorly fruiting, withered up little tree, 9 times out of 10 I know the problem without looking much further. Lack of water, or water not being applied where the tree needs it. Do you have a single bubbler next to the trunk, or a single little drip emitter that was placed next to the trunk 10 years ago? ARGHHHH!!! And you wonder why your tree looks so bad? Fix the water problem. Keep water at least a foot away from the trunk, but apply water evenly throughout the under canopy of the tree all the way out to the drip line (the outer perimeter of foliage). Solving your water issues will take care of the majority of your citrus problems. Remember in these drought tolerant times that citrus are not drought tolerant, they are thirstier than you think, but so very worth the investment of a little of your precious water supply.
2) Feed your trees now with a high quality citrus food. Any brand such as Gro-Power, Dr. Earth, E.B Stone, Whitney Farms, or similar will do just fine. If you haven't fed the trees in a while, I'm certain they'd benefit from a meal. If you feed with an organic food, it will gently be made available as the tree needs it, and won't disrupt the trees cycle.
3) If your leaves are yellow with green in the veins, they are chlorotic and would benefit from the application of some iron. I love Liquinox liquid chelated iron and zinc. Use it as a soil drench once a month until your leaves get that spinachy green back.
4) Mulch! Then, mulch some more. I am always touting my little mantra to my clients and students. Mulch, Mulch, Mulch!!! My friend Nan Sterman frequently uses her own mantra of "No bare soil"! I only need to fertilize once per year with expensive citrus food as I apply a layer of compost and a layer of mulch afterward 3 times per year to my trees. On a commercial citrus orchard I care for in Rancho Santa Fe, we have gone through well over 130 yards of wood chips in the last 6 months, and we just keep adding more all the time. Why? It disappears. It is becoming gorgeous, moisture retaining, permeable, well aerated soil. We are using less water, having less erosion, having healthier trees, and more fruit. I tell people all the time that if after applying mulch their soil isn't noticeably improved and alive with worms and rich black humus, I'll give their money back. I have never had to give a refund. Apply at least 4" of mulch throughout the dripline of your trees, but keep it at least a foot away from the trunk.
5) Hose down the leaves of your citrus every two weeks. Spray the top, and be sure to spray underneath as well. I love using a bug blaster nozzle at the end of a watering wand. My clients that follow this advice discover the pest problems are cut by 75% without needing to do anything else. The best part? It's only water! Keep your trees clean, and most of your pest problems go away. Here is a link to what I suggest. https://www.amazon.com/Bug-Blaster-BB30-GRN-Green-BlasterTM/dp/B00MP3JLFU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1521525608&sr=8-3&keywords=bug+blaster+nozzle
6) Delay pruning. I don't prune citrus when they are flowering. If your trees need some pruning wait until the fruits that have been set are the size of a marble. Most often I find that people over-prune their citrus. Don't do that! If you visit a citrus grove you will see foliage throughout the tree all the way down to knee level. Don't cut away very productive fruit bearing structure. Over-pruning also makes your trees vulnerable to sunburn, and sunburn can be very destructive to your trees.
Go out and enjoy the lush look of your citrus and breathe in their perfume and tell me if that isn't the best scent of spring. Take good care of your trees and they'll reward you with those juicy sweet fruits in a few months. Happy spring and happy gardening.
The first day of spring is the only time of year when the sun rises in the east and sets in the west for everyone across the world. It's also the only moment each year when the Earth's tilt is zero in relation to the sun. So, if you were standing on the equator, the sun would pass directly over your head on the vernal equinox.
The first day of spring is determined by the vernal equinox, which is when the sun crosses over the plane of the earth's equator, making night and day approximately equal lengths all over the world. When the day of the equinox passes, both of the Earth's hemispheres get an equal amount of sunlight.
Why is March 20th the first day of spring this year? Are we early? Actually, March 20th will be the first day of spring next year as well. There are actually two ways to determine the first day of spring- the astronomical cycle or the meteorological cycle- but most people use the astronomical cycle. The astronomical cycle considers March 20th, 2018 to be the first day of spring this year.
What is your favorite horticultural harbinger of spring? Wisteria blossoms hanging from an arbor? Freesias or daffodils in bloom? Ranunculas at the flower fields? Good choices all, but my favorite sight and smell of spring are the abundant and sweetly scented citrus blossoms. Each type of citrus blossom has its own distinct scent, they really are subtly different and unique. Oh the memories I have as a kid inhaling the perfume of mile upon mile of orange blossoms. The other sight I love on the first day of spring is the lush verdant abundance of all that citrus foliage! Even lousy growers can enjoy a month or so of decent looking trees in spring. May I give you some urban farmer advice? Don't lose this spring momentum!
Your citrus look better today than they will look all year. The rains have washed away some salts and given the trees all that soft water. The trees are in full bloom. There is no sign of any leaf miners as of yet. Enjoy this time while you have it, it is only going to get tougher from here out, but I want to give you some tips to keep all this positive citrus scented energy flowing in the right direction.
1) Check your irrigation now, before the rains are over. I maintain many, many acres of citrus and probably see more citrus in a week than most of you will see in your life. What is the biggest problem I see? Improper irrigation. When I see an awful, pest infested, poorly fruiting, withered up little tree, 9 times out of 10 I know the problem without looking much further. Lack of water, or water not being applied where the tree needs it. Do you have a single bubbler next to the trunk, or a single little drip emitter that was placed next to the trunk 10 years ago? ARGHHHH!!! And you wonder why your tree looks so bad? Fix the water problem. Keep water at least a foot away from the trunk, but apply water evenly throughout the under canopy of the tree all the way out to the drip line (the outer perimeter of foliage). Solving your water issues will take care of the majority of your citrus problems. Remember in these drought tolerant times that citrus are not drought tolerant, they are thirstier than you think, but so very worth the investment of a little of your precious water supply.
2) Feed your trees now with a high quality citrus food. Any brand such as Gro-Power, Dr. Earth, E.B Stone, Whitney Farms, or similar will do just fine. If you haven't fed the trees in a while, I'm certain they'd benefit from a meal. If you feed with an organic food, it will gently be made available as the tree needs it, and won't disrupt the trees cycle.
3) If your leaves are yellow with green in the veins, they are chlorotic and would benefit from the application of some iron. I love Liquinox liquid chelated iron and zinc. Use it as a soil drench once a month until your leaves get that spinachy green back.
4) Mulch! Then, mulch some more. I am always touting my little mantra to my clients and students. Mulch, Mulch, Mulch!!! My friend Nan Sterman frequently uses her own mantra of "No bare soil"! I only need to fertilize once per year with expensive citrus food as I apply a layer of compost and a layer of mulch afterward 3 times per year to my trees. On a commercial citrus orchard I care for in Rancho Santa Fe, we have gone through well over 130 yards of wood chips in the last 6 months, and we just keep adding more all the time. Why? It disappears. It is becoming gorgeous, moisture retaining, permeable, well aerated soil. We are using less water, having less erosion, having healthier trees, and more fruit. I tell people all the time that if after applying mulch their soil isn't noticeably improved and alive with worms and rich black humus, I'll give their money back. I have never had to give a refund. Apply at least 4" of mulch throughout the dripline of your trees, but keep it at least a foot away from the trunk.
5) Hose down the leaves of your citrus every two weeks. Spray the top, and be sure to spray underneath as well. I love using a bug blaster nozzle at the end of a watering wand. My clients that follow this advice discover the pest problems are cut by 75% without needing to do anything else. The best part? It's only water! Keep your trees clean, and most of your pest problems go away. Here is a link to what I suggest. https://www.amazon.com/Bug-Blaster-BB30-GRN-Green-BlasterTM/dp/B00MP3JLFU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1521525608&sr=8-3&keywords=bug+blaster+nozzle
6) Delay pruning. I don't prune citrus when they are flowering. If your trees need some pruning wait until the fruits that have been set are the size of a marble. Most often I find that people over-prune their citrus. Don't do that! If you visit a citrus grove you will see foliage throughout the tree all the way down to knee level. Don't cut away very productive fruit bearing structure. Over-pruning also makes your trees vulnerable to sunburn, and sunburn can be very destructive to your trees.
Go out and enjoy the lush look of your citrus and breathe in their perfume and tell me if that isn't the best scent of spring. Take good care of your trees and they'll reward you with those juicy sweet fruits in a few months. Happy spring and happy gardening.
Some great tips John! My Satsuma tangerine is smack dab in the center of my chicken run. The tree used to be on a slope and all the water would slide right past hungry feeder roots.
ReplyDeleteNow it's level and is surrounded by a thick, and I mean thick, layer of straw. And a smattering of chicken poop.
Last year there was too much fruit. I think from all the manure, mulch and other nutrients. The branches snapped under the strain. This year I'll cut back selectively to place nutrients into fewer fruit.
You ever work with plums? I planted two in the front. One Satsuma (I know, repetitive) and one...um...Santa Rosa (I think). I'm just waiting with baited breath for some buds to show. Not sure when though.