Latest Methods for Treating Citrus Trees After Frost Damage

Citrus still has a very large market in China, and it is also grown across a very wide planting area in the country. The peak season for citrus is generally autumn and winter, but temperatures in autumn and winter are relatively low. Although citrus is an in-season fruit, if it is not managed well, the citrus trees are also prone to frost damage. So how should citrus trees be treated after frost damage? Today, the editor will give you a brief introduction. Let's take a look below!

1. Harvest the fruit in time

If citrus trees suffer frost damage during the fruiting period, then the first thing we need to do well is to harvest the fruit in time. Harvesting the fruit in time can effectively reduce the load on the fruit trees, avoid excessive nutrient consumption, and prevent it from affecting the flowering and fruiting of citrus trees the following year. It can also prevent bacteria from developing in fruit that has already been damaged by frost and spreading on the tree, making the condition worse. When picking, be careful to protect the branches and trunks and avoid injuring them. After picking, grade and classify the fruit and bring it to market for sale as soon as possible. Fruit that has been damaged by freezing should be gathered together and deeply buried or burned.

2. Prune reasonably

After citrus trees suffer frost damage, we should pay attention to pruning reasonably according to the degree of frost damage to the citrus trees. This mainly applies to citrus saplings. If the twigs and shoots have not been damaged, but the leaves have suffered frost damage without withering and falling off, then the leaves should be removed in time. This avoids excessive loss of nutrients and water from the tree body and prevents citrus branches from dying. If the twigs and shoots have suffered frost damage and have already dried up, then they should be pruned in time after sprouting, keeping healthy branches and cutting off the dead parts. Adult citrus trees will have leaf drop after frost damage, and the flowering rate will increase, but there will be a large number of deformed flowers, so the fruit-setting rate is not high. Therefore, deformed flowers and excessive flowers should be thinned in time. For trees with severe frost damage, all flowers should be thinned to promote the sprouting of new shoots.

3. Cultivation and fertilization

The main purpose of cultivation is to renew old roots and promote the sprouting of new roots, and the depth of loosening the soil should be kept at about 12 cm. In addition, after citrus trees suffer frost damage, topdressing should be carried out as early as possible to promote new shoots, ensure the tree vigor recovers as quickly as possible, and avoid excessive impact on yield. The fertilizer should mainly be quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer, preferably applied as water-soluble fertilizer, with frequent light applications. Apply it in combination with cultivation work, applying an appropriate amount of decomposed farmyard manure or compound fertilizer to each plant to promote root development. At the same time, an appropriate amount of foliar fertilizer can also be sprayed about every ten days to help restore the growth vigor of citrus trees as quickly as possible.

4. Pest and disease control

After citrus trees suffer frost damage, their tree vigor is very poor, and the resistance of the tree body also decreases, so they are extremely prone to various pests and diseases. Therefore, we should also pay attention to doing a good job in pest and disease control. After frost damage, pesticides should be sprayed in time for prevention. Thiophanate-methyl and similar products can be used to spray the inner canopy to prevent diseases such as resin disease and anthracnose. Spray for the first time when new buds of citrus trees have sprouted to about 50 mm, and then spray again at stages such as new leaves unfolding and new shoots maturing.

The above is a brief introduction to how to treat citrus trees after frost damage. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and we hope it can be helpful to everyone!