Explore recommendations from UF/IFAS for meeting the nutritional needs of citrus infected with citrus greening.
“Citrus trees require optimal nutrition to be able to maintain high fruit yields, canopy size and good root health,” shared a UF/IFAS Tip of the Week article, adding that, “Adequate nutrition supports not only yield and growth, but also tree resilience to disease and environmental stress, which is particularly important in HLB-affected groves.” With citrus greening, or HLB, being endemic in all of Florida, meeting the nutritional needs of citrus is more important than ever. See the recommendations from UF/IFAS for supplying optimal nutrition for Florida citrus.
Meeting Nutritional Needs of Citrus Recommendations
The article shared these recommendations for meeting the nutritional needs of citrus infected with citrus greening:
- “A balanced mix of macronutrients and micronutrients is needed to ensure the tree’s requirements are met.”
- “UF/IFAS) recommends applying CRF products two to three times per year to maintain year-round nutrient availability in the root zone.”
- “Conventional granular fertilizer can be applied four times per year, starting in February and ending in September or October.”
- “Liquid fertigation can be done weekly, bi-weekly or monthly, depending on the grower program, but can be switched to CRF in the summer months to avoid excessive leaching due to rain.”
- “Foliar fertilizers are encouraged, especially for micronutrients, to mitigate deficiencies and can be applied three to four times per year.”
- “Fertilizer sources that are good for HLB trees are those that contain a bit of every nutrient to allow for spoon-feeding of the weak root systems of HLB trees.”
- “Soil-applied fertilizers should be placed in the wetted or irrigated zone to ensure optimal uptake.”
- “The amount of fertilizer to apply should be determined based on both soil tests and leaf analysis.”
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.