January or February is the time of year when I start fertilizing lemon trees on our homestead. Fertilizing coupled with weekly watering has proven successful and this fall I was able to harvest quite a few lemons. Living in zone 9A, I planted my lemon trees in the ground and these fertilizing practices have worked well on our homestead.
The Jobes Fruit & Citrus Fertilizer Spikes are fast and easy to use by inserting them around the tree using a hammer. The spikes prevent nutrient runoff and slowly release the nutrients into the ground to the lemon trees root system. The trees get a steady and consistent dose of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium throughout the growing season. Hammer the spikes into the ground at the tree’s drip line and at least 30″ away from the trunk. I used 3 spikes per tree since my trees each have a 3″ trunk diameter. Water well before and after application.
Citrus trees also need nutrients of iron, zinc, manganese, magnesium and sulfur. Several years ago I noticed yellowing of my lemon tree’s leaves and discovered miro-nutrients were the culprit. I apply a foliage spray in January and mid-summer using a mix of Southern Ag Citrus Nutritional Spray and water to prevent any micro-nutrient deficiencies. I apply this foliage spray about 2 weeks before using the Jobe’s spikes.
Throughout the spring and summer I water my lemon trees weekly and patiently wait for lemons to appear. If at last 1″ of rainfall has fallen over the week, you can skip the weekly watering. A soaker hose works best for watering to prevent water loss from overhead sprinklers.
