5. Good Organic Gardening - September-October 2016 AvxHome.in

Citrus tips | WEEKEND GARDENING
Citrus trees have many shallow roots
close to the soil surface and these can be
prone to drying out. Mulching around citrus
with an organic mulch will help to keep the
soil moist and also protect the vulnerable
roots from exposure to baking sun. A bonus
is that organic mulches break down over
time, adding wonderful organic matter and
nutrients to the soil. However, don’t mulch
right to the trunk.
Citrus plants are very hungry! Growing all
that lush foliage and delicious fruit requires a
lot of nutrients, so it’s important to keep your
trees well nourished.
Do this by feeding with a “complete”
fertiliser, one that contains the three
main nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus and
Dwarf citrus varieties
can also be planted into
large containers using
good-quality potting
mix, bypassing poor soil
conditions altogether.
potassium. Nitrogen promotes healthy
green leaf growth while phosphorus helps
create a strong root system and potassium
encourages lots of flowers and fruit.
Regular applications of organic composted
chicken manure around the root zone will
help provide citrus with the nutrients it needs
to stay healthy and productive.
Pest control
Citruses are usually pretty tough plants and
many will survive for years in the back corner
of a yard without a second thought. Healthy,
well-fed and well-watered trees are better
able to withstand insect attack.
However, there’s a range of common pests
and diseases that can plague citrus and
severely impact on its health and yield if not
controlled. Let’s look at the most common
citrus problems.
Citrus leafminer The tiny citrus leafminer
moth lays her eggs on soft young foliage
and the eggs hatch into larvae that tunnel
into the leaves, distorting them and causing
silvery tunnels. The leaves look awful and
if large numbers are affected it will reduce
the amount of green leaf surfaces available
for photosynthesis. Citrus leafminer requires
prevention rather than cure as, once the
leaves are infested and curled, the damage
is done. Foliage that has been sprayed with
oil deters the leafminer moth from laying
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