See tips for citrus reset management for maximum efficiency in the UF/IFAS Tip of the Week for Florida citrus growers.

Florida citrus growers must have an eye for maximum efficiency of their groves, and that means removing and replacing citrus trees that are declining and not profitable. The UF/IFAS Tip of the Week in a Citrus Industry article shared the essentials for citrus reset management. See the details below.

Citrus Reset Management Elements

The Tip of the Week offered the following tips on citrus rese management:

  • “The reason for the decline should be determined, and the condition should be corrected so that the replacement tree does not suffer the same fate.”
  • “Replanting in a mature grove seems justified only when a minimum of 8 feet between canopy driplines, not from trunk-to-trunk, is available for canopy development of the new trees.
  • “Resets should be watered, protected, fertilized and weeded regularly.”
  • “Special care is needed to control the citrus psyllid and citrus leafminer. A rigorous program including systemic (imidacloprid and thiamethoxam) and contact pesticides is recommended.”
  • “Keep weeds under control during the establishment period of the reset because weeds compete with young citrus trees for moisture and nutrients.”
  • “Weed control around a reset site should be considered at pre-plant, early post-plant and after the tree is established. If residual herbicides are used, they should be applied in greatly reduced rates and well in advance of planting…”
  • “Contact or growth-regulating herbicides are usually preferred since they do not leave residual effects.”
  • “The use of controlled-release fertilizers for resets may be a better option than making several trips with soluble dry fertilizers to scattered resets throughout large blocks.”
  • “Young citrus trees require frequent but moderate water application for survival and proper growth.”
  • “Drainage is as important as irrigation. Excess water must be removed from the rootzone.”

Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.