- Author: Chris M. Webb
As with many things in life, chances for long-term success with citrus are increased with knowledge and planning. Even the size of the plant put in the ground has an impact on long-term growth and return on investment. Ventura County UCCE Farm Advisor, Ben Faber shares his knowledge with us.
What size plant should I buy?
The longer the plant has been in the container, the longer it takes for the plant to adjust to the soil after it has been planted. The smaller the plant, the more rapid the growth once it is put in the ground and survives -- a 5 gallon container- grown lemon will have outgrown the 15 gallon container in 3 years. This has been shown consistently with all manner of container grown plants……..and they are cheaper.
One vital consideration is the type of variety to plant. Please remember to use only rootstocks that are California-grown certified trees that are known to be free of disease. It is illegal to bring in citrus trees or cuttings into California from other states or countries because they may be infected with disease or insects.
Rootstocks
There are many different rootstocks available to growers. Choose rootstock based on characteristics that are important to the growing site, such as greater nematode resistance, salt resistance, disease resistance, etc. The retail nursery typically sells whatever rootstock the wholesale nursery propagates. Wholesale nurseries do not all use the same rootstocks, but use those that they feel grow best for them. In some cases, a retail nursery may be able to special order a rootstock for a special situation. You can always ask.
There is one choice that the buyer can make, though – whether the rootstock is dwarfing or not. The ‘Flying Dragon’ rootstock creates small tree, under 6 feet and it is very slow growing. It especially lends itself to container culture.
For home growers, another important consideration is where to plant the trees. Irrigation needs are an important piece of this puzzle. Keep the following in mind while looking for a planting location:
Growing citrus in a lawn
Trees don’t belong in lawns. In California, we irrigate. Do you irrigate to the needs of the lawn or to the tree? Frequently, lawns are irrigated by timers, putting a short burst of water on. Trees like a deep watering. Shallow watering leads to an accumulation of salts in the tree’s root zone and salt burn results. If possible, keep a 6-foot turf-free area around the trunk. And best of all, irrigate the tree separately from the turf and ensure the lawn sprinklers do not wet the trunk, which can lead to crown rot in the tree.
Citrus can be grown in containers. Ben offers the following suggestions for the best results:
Container grown citrus
Citrus grows well in containers, especially if you choose varieties like ‘Meyer’ lemon which is a less aggressive tree or use ‘Flying Dragon’ dwarfing rootstock on one of the other citrus varieties. There is a long history of orangeries in Europe, where full sized trees were grown outside in containers in the warm weather and then moved into large greenhouses when it got cold. Half barrels and terra cotta pots can be used, but if a large container is used and you want to be able move it, put the container on some wheels first. Fill the container with a good quality potting mix and plant your tree. Containers dry out much faster the soil grown trees, so stay on top of the irrigation. When irrigating, make sure water comes out of the bottom of the pot to avoid salt accumulation in the root zone. Prune as necessary to keep the canopy in balance with the pot or pot up to the next size.
Additional information can be found on the Ventura County UCCE website.
Healthy citrus
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Ventura County UCCE staff research associate, Maren Mochizuki explains how weather data is collected and shared.
The California State Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS) is a program of the California State Department of Water Resources Office of Water Use Efficiency.
CIMIS consists of a network of more than 120 weather stations throughout California that measure parameters such as air and soil temperature, precipitation or rainfall, wind speed, relative humidity, amount of solar radiation, and much more. This data is recorded every minute at most stations; data from some stations are available from as far back as 1982!
Growers use this data to aid in irrigation planning and scheduling for their crops but data from any of the stations is available free to the public the day after the data has been recorded.
To find stations nearest to you and to view a sample report with data from the last seven days, please visit: http://wwwcimis.water.ca.gov/cimis/frontSampDailyReport.do
Photos of CIMIS station
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Ever wanted or needed to know more about a pest? This is a common request at the Ventura County UCCE office.
The University of California has a wonderful website devoted to IPM (integrated pest management). The site is quite diverse. It has information about:
- the home, which includes pests of structures, people and pets.
- gardens and landscapes, where viewers can search by plant or by common pests, including plant diseases and weeds. Common management methods are also a part of this section.
- whether pesticide use is appropriate, how pesticide use relates to water quality, and other pesticide guidelines and suggestions.
- identification of pests and natural enemies with the aid of photo galleries.
- quick tips, available in PDF format, in English and Spanish.
These subjects and much more can be found here.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
The California Avocado Commission (CAC) funded a multiyear study lead by Greg W. Douhan, a UC Plant Pathology and Microbiology researcher, to control avocado root rot. Control of this destructive pathogen will ultimately be accomplished with resistant rootstocks.
The research team is focusing on crossing already-resistant rootstocks, and has identified several that have greatly improved yields on land infested with Phytophthora cinnamomi. Six plots are being tended this year including one in Santa Paula. They have plans for additional plots for the study. Work is being done at the UC South Coast Research and Extension Center in Irvine and at University of California, Riverside (UCR).
"Seed screening seeds from our breeding blocks will continue…We have also collected new isolates of P. cinnamomi to determine how diverse the population is so that appropriate isolates can be used in the initial screening process. My graduate student is finishing up this summer and will hopefully have most of our advanced lines characterized genetically. I am also submitting a USDA grant to work on the parentage analysis of our advanced lines as well as continue to work on genetically characterizing avocado rootstocks.”
To read the entire study report, please visit http://www.avocado.org/growers/symposiumcontent.php?research=b3.
- Author: Chris M. Webb
Monique Myers, Ventura County UCCE’s Costal Community Development Advisor has some great information to help us conserve water and reduce the flow of pollutants all at the same time!
Myers writes this on our website, “Water is a valuable resource in Southern California. It is important that we capture rainwater and allow it to soak into the ground where it can water plants and replenish groundwater supplies. Rain that falls on hard surfaces, such as buildings and asphalt, picks up pollutants as it flows. This 'stormwater' is then directed to storm drains and ultimately ends up polluting our streams and oceans."
Individuals can help conserve water and prevent polluted stormwater runoff through wise gardening and land-use practices. Our website provides some useful tips for Southern California residents.
Some of the suggestions are for large projects, and while you might not be in a position to tackle those changes now, the information may be useful to you in the future or may be of benefit for a friend or neighbor. Many of the other ideas, such as composting and natural planting, can be incorporated easily as time and resources allow.
Please follow this link http://www-csgc.ucsd.edu/BOOKSTORE/greensheets.html to see them.