See the latest on citrus grove soil pH recommendations from Extension agent Chris Oswalt.
With the rise of citrus greening in Florida citrus, issues like citrus grove soil pH and nutrients have been found to be more important than ever. Multi-county citrus Extension agent Chris Oswalt shared recommendations for soil pH in the citrus grove at a recent OJ break at the Citrus Research and Education Center, according to a Citrus Industry article. See the details below.
Citrus Grove Soil pH Recommendations
“Soil pH is real important, especially with HLB-infected trees today. We’ve found that it’s beneficial to keep the pH at a little lower level than what we would, say, with normal, healthy trees. So in order to maintain the pH in that range that we’re recommending, it’s important that we measure soil pH I think more frequently,” Oswalt said. Citrus grove soil pH recommendations he shared include:
- Test more frequently than the standard once a year soil pH testing.
- Aim for a soil pH of 5.8 to 6.5 pH range for citrus that’s affected by HLB, as recommended by Oswalt and UF/IFAS research.
- Use a handheld pH meter to easily and affordably test soil pH; they are relatively inexpensive and can measure the pH of both soil and liquids.
Oswalt maintained that soil pH is so important “because there’s a lot of things that we’re doing out there to try to manage this (HLB) and make micronutrients and nutrients more available to these trees because of the limited root systems. Soil pH is a way that we can try to keep those nutrients soluble and available for these trees to take up.”
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