Your citrus trees will not be liking the wild swings in temperature – we are having days that bounce between 10 and 40! Also, the heat and dry combined with strong winds can make the soil hydrophobic, which means nutrients around the tree get washed away.
So, if you have citrus trees and are experiencing these conditions then you need to give them some extra attention, meaning
- Feed the trees well
- Hydrate the soil around them – citrus likes well drained soil, so they will need to be regularly watered
- Mulch around them
- Hydrate the soil around them – citrus likes well drained soil, so they will need to be regularly watered
- Mulch around them
Yellowing leaves – yes citrus loves water, but they need feeding as well, and just like a baby crying, their yellowing leaves are screaming out to be fed!
Conversely, if the leaves are cupping, the tree is asking for more water.
You can see both these conditions in the photo above of my dwarf lemon tree. Something for me to address this weekend!
You may be seeing some aggressive upright growth on your tree. These branches will not produce fruit, so can be removed. Doing a small prune of your citrus fruit regularly is the best way to go and ensures the tree will not go into shock and turn into a shrub, which can happen if you just do one big prune at a time.
Rabbits! You may see signs of them chewing away at the bark of the tree. To prevent that run glad wrap or masking tape around the base of the tree, up to a point where the rabbits can’t reach above, to keep them away – they don’t like it!
I know there is always a lot of maintenance and tidying up to do in the garden at this time of the year, but amongst all of that, don’t forget to look after the citrus trees, they will reward you.
Enjoy!
Peter