How to Care for Your Citrus Trees

Citrus trees are native to subtropical or tropical regions, enjoying mostly frost-free climates and suffering often severe damage from freezing temperatures. Many different types of citrus are grown in home landscapes, from oranges to lemons to grapefruits. Most care and maintenance tasks are similar across all types of citrus trees, because they all have the same basic needs. Care of young and newly-planted citrus trees is slightly more demanding than the maintenance of older, established citrus trees.

Things You'll Need

• Garden hose or irrigation system
• Hoe or herbicides
• Citrus tree fertilizer
• Pruning tools
• Shovel
• Blanket
• Insecticide or horticultural oil (optional)

Instructions

1. Water your newly-planted citrus trees deeply once each week during the first growing season to soak the soil down to and around the root ball when the top 1 inch of soil begins to feel dry to the touch. Water established citrus trees from spring until autumn to provide 1 to 1 ½ inches of water each week.

2. Keep the canopy area around the citrus trees free of weeds and grass by hoeing, hand-pulling or applying an herbicide weed killer that's safe around trees. Avoid mulching around the citrus trees to prevent root rot, but if you do mulch keep it at least 1 foot away from the tree trunk.

3. Feed your citrus trees during the first three years once each month from spring until October with a granular citrus tree fertilizer, according to the dosage instructions on the package. Spread the fertilizer granules over the root zone of the citrus tree, keeping the fertilizer about 1 foot away from the trunk base, and water thoroughly. Feed mature citrus trees in February, May and again in September with a granular citrus tree fertilizer, according to the instructions on the label.

4. Prune away any shoots or suckers that grow from the citrus tree trunk below the lowest branches. Remove all dead, damaged or disease growth from the citrus tree each year in early spring.

5. Provide protection for your young citrus tree in winter, if your region experiences frosts or freezes. Create a soil bank by mounding up soil around the trunk, up to the lowest set of tree limbs. Create the soil bank in late November and remove it carefully in early March. Cover the young citrus tree with a blanket when freezing temperatures or frosts threaten.

Tips & Warnings

• Plant your citrus trees in full sunlight and well-draining soil. Be sure to plant the tree so that the top of the root ball is no more than ½ to 1 inch below the ground level.

• To facilitate proper watering of the newly-planted citrus tree, create a ring of soil on top of the ground that's about 6 inches high and 6 to 8 inches thick, making the ring slightly wider than the planting hole. When watering the citrus tree, simply fill the ring with water.

• Watch out for pests infesting your citrus trees, particularly mites, scales, aphids and whiteflies. Apply an appropriate insecticide or horticultural oil to your citrus tree to control these insects.

References

• Aggie Horticulture: Home Fruit Production -- Citrus

Resources

• Citrus Tree Care