Summer citrus care essentials

There’s so much to love about citrus trees. They grow everywhere that’s warm and sunny, look lush and handsome year-round and, to top it all off, they reward growers with tangy juicy fruit that can be eaten, drunk or preserved. Here are some summer care tips for your citrus, from weeding to feeding and watering.

Summer care

This summer, show your citrus tree that you care by giving it the attention it craves. Start by weeding under the tree before giving it a deep drench of water. If it has been raining, check how moist the soil is before watering. When the soil is weeded and moist, conditions are just right for a good feed, before adding an organic mulch. Citrus trees in the ground appreciate two feeds per year: one now, in late summer, and another in late winter. Any fertiliser is beneficial, but to give your tree the nutrient balance it needs, make at least one of the applications a complete citrus food.

Watering tips

After applying fertiliser, it’s important to continue watering citrus trees regularly as the fruit grows. If a tree lacks water, it may discard fruit or produce a crop that’s undersized and dry. Citrus in the ground needs a deep watering once or twice a week (depending on local soils and conditions) and a well-drained spot so it doesn’t get waterlogged. Check potted plants daily during hot or windy weather, and water as the potting mix starts to dry.

Pest watch

Summer is peak time for citrus pests, so keep a close eye on your trees and be prepared to take action fast. Look for scale on stems, as well as under or on leaves, or on the skin of the fruit, and check for stink bugs on small fruit or clustered on the stem. Two warning flags that scale is present are ants running up and down the trunk and branches, and signs of sooty mould, which is a black, crusty growth that covers the leaves. Clean away sooty mould with a soap spray, then treat the scale.

For more tips and advice, read our Citrus tree care guide.

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