Options to Help Citrus Trees Recover From Hurricane Damage

The UF/IFAS Tip of the Week article shared tips to help citrus trees recover from hurricane damage, such as from Hurricane Ian.

UF/IFAS researchers report that Florida citrus trees damaged by Hurricane Ian have been slow to recover. In a recent UF/IFAS Tip of the Week article, researchers maintained that “Using a measure of health of the leaves that are on the tree, tree health continued to decline all the way through the dry season and didn’t recover to healthy levels until between May and July of this year, at least eight months after the storm. Some trees died in the last few months.” The article also shared tips to help citrus trees recover from hurricane damage. See them below.

Help Citrus Trees Recover From Hurricane Damage

The article shared the following options to help citrus trees recover from hurricane damage:

Stress Mitigation Methods
“Post-hurricane management should focus on keeping trees irrigated and/or shaded. Take care of water status in your trees. There was a consistent decline in leaf health through the dry season in the most affected areas, but also in areas where winds never got above Category 1 strength. It has also been observed that, even months later, the stems of Category 1-affected plants had a low capacity to move water. This is probably why these trees had difficulty dealing with the very dry months. Frequent irrigation (daily where possible) and the use of particle films both can mitigate these stressors. So, if your trees are still limping along, consider these approaches to help them recover.”

Use Windbreaks
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Consider planting windbreaks for any new citrus blocks. Researchers have seen that trees along grove edges were most impacted by Hurricane Ian, while those in the middle of groves were less harmed. Trees on the edge of plantings adjacent to open spaces or bodies of water were most affected. Planting windbreaks helps provide a more buffered environment and reduce the actual windspeed through the grove.”

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.