Citrus nurseries are backed up, more backed up than I’ve seen them in years. So now is the time to ride through your groves, see which trees are holding fruit, get rid of those that aren’t and order replacements.
We’ve seen an unusual amount of high winds in the last month, along with drier weather. These factors, plus sustaining a crop and diseases like Huanglongbing or HLB, also known as citrus greening, have placed a lot of stress on our citrus trees. As a result, we’ve had a lot of fruit drop.
Now is the time when we can tell if trees will produce and HOLD their fruit. Check them now and resist the temptation to postpone resetting until the summer. During the growing season, the trees are more likely to look perfectly fine when they are not. They may not hold your crop!
Even if you just flag trees now and re-evaluate them in a couple of months, you’ll have a much better idea which trees are healthy and really producing, instead of just looking good.
Be sure to contact me if you need help removing dead or infected trees or getting resets to keep your grove producing at optimal levels.
CREDIT
column by BRAD WEIHRAUCH
BIO: Brad Weihrauch is a Polk County native. He grew up around a family business of agriculture and customer service. After Winter Haven High School, he went on to complete his education at Polk Community College and Warner Southern College. After serving 17 years in customer service for a large retailer, Weihrauch returned to his agriculture roots and founded RWC, an agri-service and management company, in 2002.