How to Fertilize Florida Orange Trees
The orange tree, brought to Florida by the French in the 19th century, proved popular and profitable; it's not surprising that today, the official flower of Florida is the orange blossom, while the state beverage is orange juice. Orange growing is a major industry in Florida, but you don't need to be a professional citrus grower to raise these beautiful trees and enjoy their fruit. They are not difficult to grow in a garden or yard, as long as you satisfy their needs for fertilization, proper soil pH and protection from frost. By providing your Florida orange tree with the proper nutrients, you can look forward to growing a beautiful tree that yields delicious, wholesome fruit. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Slow-release commercial citrus fertilizer
- Mycorrhizal fungi treatment, available at garden supply stores
- Chelated iron tablets (optional)
- Organic mulch of grass clippings or leaves
Instructions
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Use a specially-formulated, high-quality, slow-release citrus fertilizer that will supply the micronutrients--magnesium, boron, copper and zinc--your Florida orange tree needs to thrive. Apply the fertilizer within two weeks of planting your Florida orange tree.
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Provide frequent, light applications of this fertilizer every six weeks. To reduce the possibility of excessive growth during cold weather, don't apply it between October 1 and February 1 for the first year or two, especially if you live north of Polk county in Florida, where there is possibility of frost or freeze.
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Add a mycorrhizal fungi treatment to the soil. These beneficial fungi live on the roots of your Florida orange tree, where--in exchange for food--they facilitate the absorption of water and nutrients from the soil.
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Examine your Florida orange tree regularly for signs of Iron deficiency, which shows up on younger, newer leaves. The leif veins may still look green and healthy, but leaf tissue in between will be pale and yellow, and smaller than normal. This happens either because the soil is naturally low in iron, or because very alkaline soil--over 7.0 pH--is making iron absorption difficult for your orange tree.
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Place chelated iron tablets at the drip-line if your orange tree shows signs of iron deficiency. The drip-line is the place where rainwater drips down to the ground from the outside tip of the branches.
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Apply 3 to 6 inches of organic mulch to the base of your Florida orange tree to facilitate nutrients from the fertilizer moving through the soil. Don't pile the mulch any higher than half a foot, however. According to the University of Florida website, if you apply too much mulch, you must apply water and fertilizer to fulfill the water and fertilizer needs of microorganisms living in the mulch before nutrients will be available for the orange tree to use. To avoid the possibility of fungal disease, keep the mulch at least 12 to 24 inches from the trunk.
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Weed frequently around your Florida orange tree to prevent weeds from competing with your tree for fertilizer nutrients.
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References
- Photo Credit David De Lossy/Photodisc/Getty Images
