The Latest Guide to Citrus Fertilization Timing and Application Rates

Citrus is a very popular fruit, and its planting area in our country is very large. When growing citrus, we need to pay attention to doing a good job of fertilization, as fertilization is the key to ensuring that the nutritional needs of citrus growth are met. And when fertilizing, we must first understand the fertilizer requirements of citrus well, and control the fertilization timing and application rates well. So below, the editor will introduce to you the fertilization timing and application rates for citrus. Let's take a look!

1. Fertilizer Requirements

According to professional survey data, when growing citrus, for every 1000kg of fruit produced, the proportion of nitrogen and potassium fertilizer is the highest, followed by phosphate fertilizer, and finally nutrient elements such as calcium and magnesium. Among these, the ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium should be controlled at about 1:0.3:1.3. The nutritional needs of citrus will continue to change with the growth stage of the citrus. The absorption of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium by growing citrus begins to increase rapidly in spring, reaching a peak demand period around June. Then it begins to decline in autumn, and after winter it will stop absorbing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium nutrients.

Generally, from April in spring until October, this is the peak period of nutritional demand for citrus trees. If fertilization is improper, the harm caused to citrus trees is very great. For example, when the spring buds of citrus trees are sprouting, if there is too much nitrogen fertilizer, it can easily cause excessive vegetative growth of spring shoots, leading to a lower fruit-setting rate. If nitrogen fertilizer is excessive in the later stage, then late autumn shoots will continuously sprout, making it impossible for the citrus to overwinter safely. However, during the fruit expansion period, citrus has a relatively large demand for nitrogen fertilizer. If nitrogen fertilizer is lacking at this time, physiological fruit drop will be aggravated, and both quality and yield will be greatly affected.

2. Fertilization Application Rates

When fertilizing citrus trees, the application rate is very important. The fertilization application rate for citrus trees should be properly controlled according to the fruit load of the tree, tree age, variety, soil, and various other conditions. Under normal circumstances, if the yield of citrus per mu is 2500kg, then the nitrogen fertilizer application rate should be controlled at about 30kg, phosphate fertilizer at about 15kg, and potassium fertilizer should also be maintained at 30kg. A reasonable fertilization rate is the key to ensuring the normal growth of citrus. Be careful not to apply too much fertilizer, to prevent achieving the opposite result.

3. Fertilization Timing

The first fertilization should be applied half a month before spring sprouting or when the spring shoots turn green. Applying it too early or too late will have a relatively large impact on the growth of the citrus tree and the fertilizer effect. Then, after the citrus stops dropping fruit, apply the fruit-strengthening fertilizer, generally in August each year. The ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the fruit-strengthening fertilizer should be balanced, and especially during fruit expansion, the proportion of potassium should be appropriately increased to promote fruit expansion and flower bud differentiation. Then, before and after fruit harvesting, apply the post-harvest fertilizer. Control the application time well according to the variety. Early-maturing varieties can be applied while harvesting, while late-maturing varieties should be applied one week before harvesting.

The above is a brief introduction to the fertilization timing and application rates for citrus. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and we hope it can help everyone!