FARM NEWS
Home Citrus Questions By Jeremy M . Kichler , UGA Extension , Colquitt County Extension Coordinator , jkichler @ uga . edu
This week has been abusy one for home gardeners in Colquitt County . Let ’ stalk about some of the questions Ihave been receiving , and hopefully this can help you .
What are those big worms on my citrus tree ? This has been atopic of discussion for a week or so among home citrus enthusiasts . These worms are probably the orange dog caterpillar , which is the larva of the giant swallowtail butterfly . The butterfly lays eggs that hatch on new growth flushes . The larvae consume the young foliage . The eggs are easy to see when looking at the young foliage . The butterfly is large and black and yellow . Treatment is seldom required on larger trees , but they can defoliate young trees . Ifyou would like to treat , please consider aBT insecticide product .
How doIcontrol citrus leaf miners ? Iamglad you asked about this . Consider drenching young trees with imidacloprid before the new growth flushes in early May .
This control measure may last up to twomonths of citrus leaf miner control or spray new growth mid-flush for uptotwo weeks of control . Leaf miners should be controlled on young trees as they will slow growth . Please read insecticide labels before application . Trees with aheavy fruit load may not require atreatment as they usually have asmall flush . The first flush in March is not usually significantly attacked in Georgia , and treatment is normally not needed .
When do Ifertilize mycitrus
tree ? Iwould consider using 10-10-10 fertilizer ( or an equivalent ) for the bearing tree . Three applications per year-February , May-June , and August-September are suggested . Apply fertilizer from near the trunk to well beyond the leaf drip of the tree ( on large trees , this usually involves fertilizing about 4to 6feet beyond the leaf drip ). A reasonable rate of application to maintain healthy foliage and good fruiting is about half apound of 10-10-10 fertilizer per year of the tree ’ s age ( rates are for sandy soils ; clay soils and others with greater inherent fertility would require less fertilizer ). After anumber of years , afertilizer containing nitrogen and potassium or just nitrogen alone may prove adequate . Amaximum of 1.5to 3.0 pounds of actual nitrogen per tree per year should be adequate .
If you have questions please contact your local county agent .
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