What to Do About Citrus Fruit Drop? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Solutions

Recently, many citrus growers have reported that the phenomenon of citrus fruit drop is very serious, and they have been asking how to solve citrus fruit drop, otherwise the losses will be heavy. In fact, a small amount of citrus fruit drop is quite normal, because the tree cannot supply nutrients to so many citrus fruits, so it will automatically drop some of them. However, if a large number of fruits drop, the situation is more serious. Therefore, the editors of Qinong Net have compiled and analyzed this based on the feedback from growers, hoping to help all friends who grow citrus.

Causes of fruit drop

There are many causes of fruit drop. The editors have sorted out the most common problems. First, fruit drop can be caused by weather changes such as rain, typhoons, and high temperatures. Second, weak tree growth can also easily cause fruit drop. Third, too large a fruit load without flower and fruit thinning can also cause fruit drop. In addition, insufficient nutrients or a lack of certain specific trace elements can also lead to fruit drop, and the damage caused by pests and diseases is also a cause of fruit drop. Finally, when there are many newly grown shoots and branch and leaf pruning has not been carried out, the shoots age quickly, which can also cause fruit drop. These are all common causes of large-scale citrus fruit drop.

Stages and phenomena of fruit drop

Citrus fruit drop generally has three stages, namely the first physiological fruit drop, the second physiological fruit drop, and pre-harvest fruit drop. The first physiological fruit drop is mainly due to weak growth of the citrus tree and inadequate nutrition, so some fruits drop. At this time, the citrus fruits are about the size of a little finger. The second fruit drop occurs when the citrus fruits grow to about the size of a thumb. If fruit-preserving measures are not taken, yield will be severely reduced. The fruit drop before harvest causes the greatest loss, because by then the citrus fruits are almost ready to eat.

Prevention and control methods

For prevention and control methods, we need to treat the root cause according to the specific problem. It is wisest to carry out prevention and control according to different causes of fruit drop. Prevention and control methods should not be abused. For factors caused by weather, we generally adopt measures such as timely drainage, cooling, and wind protection. Next is to increase the application of organic fertilizer to improve the immunity of the citrus tree itself. If the citrus tree grows weakly and lacks trace elements, then scientific fertilization is needed. For too large a fruit load, timely flower and fruit thinning is the best prevention and control method, and flower and fruit thinning should be carried out according to the principles of removing diseased fruits, weak fruits, and deformed fruits. Pruning branches in early spring or winter each year and cleaning and disinfecting the orchard can also prevent fruit drop very well.

The above is what Qinong Net has compiled regarding the causes of citrus fruit drop and its solutions. If everyone has other questions, or if there is anything the editors have missed, everyone can leave a message for the editors to add to it. At the same time, you can also follow our website to learn about the growing information you want to know.