One Florida growing company is finding success planting high-density citrus.
A recent Florida Citrus Mutual conference saw the presentation of the high numbers of a high-density citrus operation. According to a Citrus Industry article, Larry Black, general manager of Peace River Packing Company in Fort Meade, explained his company’s success with high-density citrus planting. Read the details below.
High-Density Citrus Explained
The article explained that the average citrus planting density at the Peace River Packing Company has been 303 trees per acre. However, this last season, the company saw incredible production from one 25-acre block at a density of 459 trees per acre.
Black maintained that some of the four-year-old Valencia, high-density citrus blocks are seeing production at over 300 boxes per acre. The article maintains its double the current average yield, due to citrus greening. Black added, “And based on tree health, it appears the yields are going to increase again next year.”
Larry Black, general manager of Peace River Packing Company in Fort Meade, told growers at the recent Florida Citrus Mutual conference about his company’s success with high-density plantings.
Black reported some four-year-old Valencia blocks are producing more than 300 boxes per acre. That’s double the current average Florida citrus yield of about 150 boxes per acre in the face of HLB. “And based on tree health, it appears the yields are going to increase again next year,” Black said.
The Details of High-Density Citrus
Black maintained the high-density blocks require a high degree of management. “Definitely it requires intensive management. It takes a lot of capital up front for the trees and the infrastructure to put in. We’re managing them intensively and it’s paying off,” Black said. Spraying to combat the citrus psyllid is a major consideration.
“We’re spraying roughly once a month, depending on the time of year,” Black said. “It works out to be about 12 to 13 psyllid-control sprays a year company-wide on all the acreage. On our young blocks, our high-density blocks, we’re supplementing with an additional spray per month. So it’s an every-two-week spray cycle in addition to the soil-drench applications that we’re applying at maximum rate.”
Black encouraged other growers to give high-density a try. “We see that there’s not a silver bullet (for HLB), that we have to use the tools that we have available,” Black said. “And it’s clear for the first 15-plus years of a grove’s life, high density has an economic advantage, particularly with today’s (high) prices.”
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