Caring for your Citrus Trees in Summer
Watch our detailed video for more information on looking after citrus trees or see our top tips below for a handy reminder of what you should be doing right now
As the weather and day length changes, so does the care that your citrus trees need. Because sometimes people can be caught out by this, we've put together our top 5 tips to remember this season.
Our TOP 5 Citrus Plant Care tips for Summer
1. Watering
In the heat of summer it is important that you do keep up with the watering. If your tree is outside and there is a breeze or the weather is warm they can dry out quickly. As always, water heavily from the top of the pot and let the excess water drain away. Don't let your citrus tree stand in water for long and ideally don't water again until the top of the soil is dry.
2. Position
Consider moving your trees outside for the Summer as Citrus do love a summer holiday. This is particularly important if you are having trouble getting your citrus to flower or fruit and if you are suffering with any pests.
3. Summer Feed
Citrus benefit from a balanced Summer and Winter Citrus Feed. This is in addition to the free plant tonic we include when your tree is delivered. The Summer feed has more Nitrogen for leaf growth and the winter feed has proportionately more Phosphorous and Potassium to help develop fruits. In the summer months it's particularly important to use a balanced Citrus Feed and don’t forget to do it every other watering to keep your tree at it’s best. If you notice new growth is coming through light or mottled in colour this shows your plant is still lacking nutrients - give us a call on 01825 721162.
You should be able to buy citrus feed from a good garden centre, or you can of course buy the citrus feed that we use for £6.95 and have it delivered free of charge. Buy Summer feed
4. Watch for Leaf Drop
Citrus trees are not deciduous. Losing one or two leaves is not too much of a concern but any more than this and it’s a sign that your tree is unhappy. At this time of year the most common cause of leaf dropping is letting your plant get too thirsty, remember they do need quite a bit of water when in a pot in the Summer.
Other things that can cause leaf drop are sudden or dramatic changes in temperature, too much water or being in too windy a position - but if you're not sure - give us a call on 01825 721162.
5. Treat early for Pests
Outdoors, birds and other insects plus the cooler night time temperatures will keep most pests at bay, which is another good reason to keep plants outside in the summer months. Nevertheless, it's a good idea to check your plants regularly, aphids, caterpillars and even slugs can occasionally be a problem in the summer and should be treated as soon as possible. A soapy washing up liquid solution is normally good enough if the infestation hasn't got too advanced. Spray on to the leaves morning or evening a few times a week until it's cleared. Alternatively we sell a really good plant based insecticide called 'SB invigorator' or for a whole range of natural biological controls including scale and red spider mite treatments we recommend our friends at www.ladybirdplantcare.co.uk.
Before moving plants indoors in the autumn always have a good check for pests. Round brown circles, white sticky fluff, webbing, holes in the leaves or stickiness are all signs of pest attack and should be treated as soon as possible.
Not sure what you've got? Send us a picture by email or via our contact us page or give us a call and we'll be more than happy to help you identify any problems.
Although citrus don't always follow a strict fruiting season in the UK, they usually would have either flowers or green developing fruits at this time of year (and sometimes both). Don't worry if it seems to be taking a while for your fruits to develop. It can take between 3 months and a year for each fruit to ripen (depending on the variety).