Feeding Citrus in Winter

Many plants do reasonably well without much fertiliser, but others (known as ‘gross feeders’) must be fertilised regularly. Citrus, roses and lawns are in the latter category.

Fertilise citrus now

To fertilise a full grown citrus tree spread about 1.5-2 cups of fertiliser, such as Yates Gro-Plus Citrus Food, under the tree to the drip line where the feeder roots are to be found. The drip line is the line of the outer edge of the branches where the drips from foliage would fall. Water well after applying fertiliser. You will need to repeat the process in late summer. It is good to alternate fertilisers - say citrus food in August/September and chicken manure in February.

Citrus gall wasp

Citrus trees usually don’t need pruning unless they grow so tall that you can’t reach the fruit. However, if you see any lumpy growths on the leaf stems, leaf midribs and fruit stems of your citrus tree, you must prune them off. These galls are caused by a pest called the Citrus gall wasp. The adult is a black wasp about 3mm long, which lays eggs in young citrus growth in spring. The larvae hatch within three weeks and start feeding inside the stems, causing galls to form. They feed throughout the following summer, autumn and winter, and emerge as adult wasps around October to November. There is only one generation per year. To control this pest, remove all galls from the trees by the end of August. Place them in a plastic bag, seal the bag and put it in the garbage.

Further information

Yates Gro-Plus Citrus Food costs approx. $8 for 3kg.

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