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Thread ID: 137139	2014-05-27 06:12:00	Citrus tree health	Greg (193)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1375984	2014-05-27 06:12:00	My g/f has a naartjie (mandarin) tree which gives a prolific bounty of the best seedless fruit I've ever tasted. However this year they're really small and without exception every piece has brownish blemishes over the skin. They still taste great, but it's weird that they're so small and looking ugly. When I first met her over three years ago the lemon tree was rampant with fruit, as was the grapefruit tree (also the best tasting and juiciest fruit I've ever tasted). But now for the third year running the grapefruit isn't producing, and for the second year in a row there's nothing on the lemon tree. The naartjie tree also missed a year without any fruit. I fertalise the trees with recommended citrus feed (at irregular intervals) and sometimes with epsom salts. In contrast the 3 y/o lime tree which I planted is really healthy and gave seven limes last year! What gives do you think?	Greg (193)
1375985	2014-05-27 06:41:00	Suphate of potash twice a year and spray with copper/zinc before flowering. LL	lakewoodlady (103)
1375986	2014-05-27 07:48:00	Suphate of potash twice a year and spray with copper/zinc before flowering. LLOh yeah - I brew that up daily. Especially sulphates. I also give danial notices to my blood-letting. But seriously, does that answer all the issues? Or at least most? Thanks LL - I appreciate cos I'm mad about citrus and want to get this right for the coming year.	Greg (193)
1375987	2014-05-27 07:54:00	How crowded together are the branches? A small bird should be able to fly through the centre of the tree without touching anything. And do you fertilize on the drip circle not by the trunk?	gary67 (56)
1375988	2014-05-27 08:11:00	There is a good recipe in the film "The Fastest Indian". If you have seen the film I'm sure you will remember it!	Bryan (147)
1375989	2014-05-27 19:49:00	My g/f has a naartjie (mandarin) tree which gives a prolific bounty of the best seedless fruit I've ever tasted. However this year they're really small and without exception every piece has brownish blemishes over the skin. They still taste great, but it's weird that they're so small and looking ugly. When I first met her over three years ago the lemon tree was rampant with fruit, as was the grapefruit tree (also the best tasting and juiciest fruit I've ever tasted). But now for the third year running the grapefruit isn't producing, and for the second year in a row there's nothing on the lemon tree. The naartjie tree also missed a year without any fruit. I fertalise the trees with recommended citrus feed (at irregular intervals) and sometimes with epsom salts. In contrast the 3 y/o lime tree which I planted is really healthy and gave seven limes last year! See here for the disease issue: www.ipm.ucdavis.edu Lots of brown blemishes, so you need to identify which one. Other than feeding the tree, the right amount of water helps......it was dry last summer, did you water it lots? You should water long and slow...not short shallow waterings, and make sure it's not waterlogged in winter.... For fungal/bacterial issues, there is a spray which combines copper and sulpher in one, use that. The size issue indicates to me it probably didn't get enough water over summer. If it gets thirsty, it can yellow the leaves (and yeah you can think that's epsom salts) and drop the leaves too...and sometimes even drop the baby fruit.	pctek (84)
1375990	2014-05-27 20:33:00	There is a good recipe in the film "The Fastest Indian". If you have seen the film I'm sure you will remember it! x2 Urea sulphate and plenty of it twice a year. Ours took a hammering after the quakes, as the driveway had to be re-sealed and there were several main roots that had to be cut off. Lurking.	Lurking (218)
1375991	2014-05-27 20:50:00	Thanks folks. I'll try all the ideas, except the World's Fastest Indian one... this neighbourhood is too close and urm "sophisticated" to stand for that (unlike my own back at Marewa).	Greg (193)
1375992	2014-05-28 00:30:00	There is a good recipe in the film "The Fastest Indian". If you have seen the film I'm sure you will remember it! My instant thought too!	lordnoddy (3645)
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