How many years does it generally take for a citrus tree to bear fruit?

Citrus is a very common cash crop, and its fruit is sweet and sour and well loved by the public, so how many years does it take for citrus to bear fruit? Let's take a look below.

1. How many years does it take for citrus to bear fruit

A citrus tree can bloom in the second year after planting, generally begins to bear fruit in three to five years, reaches full fruiting age after 5 years, and can have an economic life as long as 40-50 years. But in recent years, dwarfing and close-planting cultivation techniques have been used in various places, which can bring fruiting earlier and enter the full fruiting period earlier, but their economic life is correspondingly shortened.

2. How is citrus planted?

1. Planting time: Citrus is generally planted in spring from late February to mid-March before the spring shoots sprout. In areas without freezing damage in winter, it can be planted in autumn from October to mid-November; planting in spring and summer from April to May, after the spring shoots stop growing and before the summer shoots emerge, also gives a high survival rate; container seedlings can be planted in all four seasons.

2. Planting spacing: The most common spacing for citrus cultivation is 4X6 m, but there is currently a tendency to use different planting methods to make citrus densely planted in the later stage, so spacings of 4X3 m and even 4X1.5 m are also often used. The planting density is usually 410 plants per hectare, and under dense planting conditions there are also 800 or even 1600 plants per hectare. Dig planting pits at a specification of 1×1 m. Apply base fertilizers such as weeds, garbage fertilizer, decomposed organic fertilizer, and superphosphate into the pits. It can be planted in spring or in autumn.

3. Planting soil: Soil is the unconsolidated layer on the land surface composed of minerals, organic matter, water, air, and organisms, with fertility and capable of growing plants. Citrus grows well in light soil, but if suitable rootstock is used and there are good drainage conditions, citrus can also grow in heavy loam. Soil with a pH value above 8.0 is unfavorable for citrus growth. Citrus is sensitive to soil salinity and boron (even in deep soil), and is also sensitive to compacted soil. The citrus root system is mainly distributed in the 0.90 m soil layer and varies depending on irrigation conditions. The vast majority of aerobic active roots are distributed in the surface 30 cm soil layer. In light soil, the recommended irrigation cycle is 2 times per week, and daily irrigation is even better.

4. Fertilizer and water management: Citrus needs irrigation in dry months, so when winter is dry and the temperature is above 13 degrees Celsius, irrigation must be carried out. In addition, dehydration is dangerous, as it causes the fruit's water to flow to the leaves and causes the fruit to shrivel. In orchards where phosphorus and potassium fertilizers were not fully applied before planting, the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers should be increased year by year; 1 month after young trees are planted, new roots begin to become active, and dilute manure water can be applied. The fertilizer amount should be small rather than large, and dilute rather than concentrated, especially chemical fertilizers, which require even more attention during application to avoid damaging the roots. Before each new shoot sprouts and during the growth period, 1-2 applications of quick-acting fertilizer should be made, striving to produce 3-4 shoots per year, that is, applying spring shoot fertilizer from late February to early March, summer shoot fertilizer in mid-to-late May, early autumn shoot fertilizer in early-to-mid July, and winter fertilizer in late November.

Citrus cultivation is relatively simple, and the economic value of planting it is also very high, but a suitable variety should be selected according to local actual conditions.