I have a grapefruit tree That i purchased from a local nursery in Southern Ga.. This tree was planted 2 years ago to the instructions I was given at the nursery. The Tree seems to have virtually no growth and yellow leaves. Last spring the tree had a lot of blossoms but nothing materialized. i am at wits end and need anyones wisdom or help in this matter. I look forward to all consrtuctive ideas to help my little grapefruit tree grow up to be a big fruit bearing adult . Thanks and Happy New Year Tom from Townsend Georgia.
What has been your fertilizer schedule for this tree since you planted it? If you fertilize the tree what is the formulation of the fertilizer that you use, and how often are your applications. What has been your watering schedule, and in what manner is the water applied and how often is the tree watered?
Dear Millet, Thank you for your interest. The fertizer that I use are the Jobes Citrus Tree fertilizer spikes and I put them in a t about 2 month intervals. Watering here in South Georgia has been a little bit of a Problem due to the drought. Saying that I have tried to be a good citizen and limited the amount of water to the tree to once every couple of days . I hope this helps in your quest to help my little tree become a productive tree in Georgia. Thanks again and Happy New Year Tom
I believe your problem is a combination of water and fertilizer. Most citrus growers contend that spikes are not a good method of fertilizing a citrus tree, especially when irrigation is held to a minimum. Citrus trees requires high levels of nutrition. During the first few years, apply fertilizer to young trees to stimulate vigorous growth of leaves and branches that become the framework of the mature tree. Frequent light applications of fertilizer should be made approximately every 6 weeks. In southeast Georgia fertilizer should not be applied between October 1 and March 1 for the first year or two. It is important to understand that warm winter temperatures, not irrigation or fertilization, play the major role in stimulating untimely winter flushes. The recommended fertilizer schedule for a young grapefruit tree growing in southeast Georgia is as follows. 2-year old Grapefruit: Recommended fertilizer formulations 6-6-6 or 8-8-8 6-6-6 Apply 10 lbs. of fertilizer per year divided into five applications (2 pounds per each application) between March 1 and September. 8-8-8 Apply 7.5 lbs. of fertilizer per year divided into 5 applications (1.5 pounds per each application) between March 1 and September 3-year old Grapefruit: Recommended fertilizer formulations 6-6-6 or 8-8-8 6-6-6 Apply 15 lbs. of fertilizer per year divided into four applications (3.75 pounds each application) between March 1 and September. 8-8-8 Apply 11.3 lbs of fertilizer per year divided into four applications (2.8 pounds each application) between March 1 and September. When looking for the above fertilizers try to find formulations that also contain trace minerals. For young trees, apply fertilizer uniformly in a 3 foot diameter circle around the tree. As the tree becomes older, the area fertilized should be enlarged as the root system expands. As a rule of thumb, fertilize an area twice the diameter of the tree canopy. Care should be taken to avoid root or trunk damage by uneven placement or mounding the fertilizer against the trunk. DO NOT use a fertilizer with higher than an 8-8-8 analysis on young trees during years 1 - 3. Good luck to this tree. - Millet
