Hi everyone, This is my first post. I recently purchased a home in North Florida and in the backyard there is a large Lemon tree and a large Calamondin tree. The Calamondin tree seems to be doing very well and is covered in fruit, though the fruit is very sour. My questions are mainly geared towards the Lemon tree. The tree itself is large. About 8 - 9 feet tall and has a drip line that extends about 4 - 5 feet out from the trunk. I have been reading a lot of stuff in the past few days to gather as much information I can on the general care. I noticed there was Black soot on the leaves so I mixed up some white oil and sprayed the underside of the leaves. I also weeded the as much of the area beneath the drip line as I could and I intend to spread some citrus fertilizer today and then lay a thin layer of mulch down on top. It has been very dry here lately so I don't know if this has affected the growth at all. I noticed a one bloom and a few ones beginning to form. There was also one green lemon still on the tree. A few of the questions I have are these. The fertilizer recommends spreading once every two months, but I have read that people recommend once a month. Which should I go with? When are the typical growing/fruiting seasons for a lemon tree? How often should I water if the tree is in situ? Especially since we are currently in a drought period. Is there any other general advice I should keep in mind to ensure a good harvest? (The previous owner said the tree generally produces around 2 bushels of lemons.) Thanks, Kevin
Welcome Kevin, The black on the leaves is probably sooty mold--it can be reduced by keeping the leaf litter cleaned up beneath the tree. You can also spray with a copper fungicide. I fertilize monthly from March to the first of Sept., but I will also add one in mid Jan from now on. Withold fertilizer after Sept to allow the tree to cold harden. You should only water inground trees during a drought. We were pretty dry last spring and I never watered my lemon-- but it also never showed any sign of stress (like leaves curling). Drought stress can help induce flowering and my lemon tree flowered heavily this Feb-Mar. I have not had calamondin fruit yet, but I understand they are best used for cooking and cleaning. one other thing--make sure your fertilizer has trace minerals--if not add them separately. Skeet
