During spring, citrus trees require ample nutrients to support flowering and fruiting, making spring fertilization a key measure for ensuring high-quality and productive citrus trees later on. So, what are the techniques and timing for fertilizing citrus trees in spring? Let's find out.
Citrus Spring Fertilization Timing
Citrus trees with weak growth can be fertilized at the end of March, while vigorously growing citrus trees can be fertilized in April.
Citrus Spring Fertilization Techniques
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Bud-inducing Fertilization: Apply bud-inducing fertilizer about 2 weeks before the buds begin to sprout in spring. The fertilizer amount should account for 10% of the total annual fertilization, primarily consisting of quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer combined with organic fertilizer. In case of drought, it should be combined with watering.
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Flower-promoting Fertilization: Before citrus flowering, apply well-rotted organic fertilizer and a balanced nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, with a little extra phosphorus and potassium if needed. Sufficient nutrients encourage the development of flower buds, resulting in more flowers.
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Post-flowering Fertilization: After flowering, citrus trees enter a critical period of nutrient demand, with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels at their lowest of the year, especially nitrogen. Use urea combined with compound fertilizer during the transition from peak flowering to post-flowering.
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Fruit-setting and Fruit-enlarging Fertilization: Apply fertilizer emphasizing both nitrogen and potassium, especially focusing on increasing potassium content to promote rapid fruit enlargement. High-potassium compound fertilizer can be used for this purpose.
Considerations for Citrus Fertilization
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Fertilization should be adjusted based on the soil fertility of the citrus orchard, growth vigor, and yield level of different citrus varieties at different ripening periods.
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In addition to root nutrition, foliar nutrition is essential. Common foliar fertilizers include urea, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, amino acid water-soluble fertilizer, and multi-element foliar fertilizer.
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Fertilization management should be combined with high-yield and high-quality cultivation techniques, such as spring pruning, disease and pest control, etc.
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Optimize the amount, ratio, and timing of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers according to citrus growth, yield level, and orchard soil fertility, while appropriately reducing the amount of chemical fertilizers.
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Follow the principle of "less but frequent" fertilization. For 1-2 year-old saplings, foliar spraying is the main method, supplemented by ground fertilization. For mature trees, since spring shoots are the main fruit-bearing branches, increase the amount of pre-bud fertilization to promote spring shoots for next year's fruiting.
In conclusion, effective management techniques for citrus spring fertilization involve careful attention to timing and methods of fertilization, tailored to the vigor of the trees, to achieve abundant flowering and fruiting.
