Arizona Citrus Gardener

How to care for your Arizona (AZ) 
or Lake Havasu City Citrus Trees

Orange Trees, Lemon Trees, Grapefruit Trees, Tangelo Trees, Lime Trees - Tending your Desert Citrus Grove. They may have thorns, but they can thrive in Lake Havasu City Arizona!

Planting a Citrus Tree
Dig a hole that is the same depth as the root ball of the citrus tree, and about 3 to 5 times wider than the root ball.  To encourage outward root growth, score the sides of the citrus tree's root ball. After placing the citrus tree in the hole, backfill with the original soil, filtering out the rocks. Soil amendments, composts, mulches, etc. should be avoided.  To prevent sunburn damage, paint the citrus tree trunk with white latex pain.  Do not fertilize the first year.

Pruning a Citrus Tree
Prune citrus tree only to remove suckers (growth below the graft union of the tree), and dead diseased or damaged branches. Cosmetic pruning can result in decreased yields.

Watering the Citrus tree
The first year:
Summer: Water the entire citrus tree root system deeply, to a depth of 3-4 feet every 3 days.

Winter: Water the entire root system deeply, to a depth of 3-4 feet every 6 days.

After the first year:
Summer: Water the entire citrus tree root system deeply, to a depth of 3-4 feet every 4-7 days.

Winter: Water the entire root system deeply, to a depth of 3-4 feet every 8-12 days.
If you irrigate by a bubbler system, double irrigate citrus trees every couple of months to leach out accumulated soil salts.

Fertilizing the Citrus tree
Do not fertilize citrus trees the first year.  Do not fertilize in August,  November or December.  In January or February fertilize 1/3 the recommended annual amount for the trees,  then the same amount again in April or May, and the final third in September or October, if the temperatures have dropped below 100 degrees. Because of its high salt content, barnyard manure is not recommended for citrus trees.

Iron Deficiency
of a Citrus Tree
Liquid chelated iron is recommended for the Havasu citrus tree.  It can be mixed per the instructions, or sprinkled under the tree’s canopy and watered in.  It can also be sprayed directly on the leaves (yet not in the heat of summer)  for several weeks, until it greens up. Ideal season for this is either spring or fall.

More about Citrus trees in Havasu.