[Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page

[Dick]

Helen, I have five healthy, fruiting citrus varieties that have never had 
any fertilizer except Ammonium Sulphate 21-0-0 as prescribed on the bag 
according to the trunk diameter because someone of authority told me that 
desert soils (like ours) typically are alkaline but contain all the 
nutrients needed by citrus in ample amounts except nitrogen but need the 
sulfer to overcome excess alkalinity(salt). My 30 year old healthy trees 
have borne that out. Too much nitrogen, I have learned, will result in 
excessively thick rinds and vegetative growth in lieu of fruit becaust the 
tree percieves no need to perpetuate itself by producing seed. I have 
noticed that fruit on the tree longer than normal tends to get dry but 
sizing I think is a function of a tree with a well-balanced diet assuming 
the nitrogen is applied in the right amount in a three foot band around the 
tree's perimeter where most or all of the feeder roots exist.

I believe irrigation is the first priority. It must be three feet deep 
around the drip line. Between that perimeter shallow trench and the tree 
trunk, my trees have not seen a drop of water that did not come from the 
sky. There are no feeder roots there anyway.  I irrigate when ever the soil 
in that band is quite dry at least three inches deep in the trench whose 
center line is also the dripline. Flush irrigation flushes excess salts 
below the feeder roots largely iliminating salt burn on the foliage but will 
not do away with burn already on the foliage.. Make yourself a four foot 
long probe with a broomstick handle on a brass rod from your local hardware. 
When you can easily sink it three feet around the drip zone, irrigation is 
deep enough and you can shut the water off. The probe makes an attractive 
but dangerous Zorro sword for children to play with. Store it in the same 
place you stash your loaded shot gun.

I add 21-0-0 as prescribed on the bag in that trench and water it in 3 feet 
in March, june and September.

Your trees should explode with the right amount of water and fertilizer at 
the right time in the right place.

If any of this is unclear or confusing, don't hesitate to inquire further. 
Master gardeners begging to ply their avocation
abound. Further discussion is invited.

Dick Gross, Master Gardener Volunteer
U of A Maricopa county Cooperative Extension.

--- Original Message ----- 
From: <hwbiz at cox.net>
To: <arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, December 25, 2007 1:19 PM
Subject: [Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page


> helen
> 85310
> hwbiz at cox.net
>
> the oranges on my tree this year are smaller than usual and are not very 
> juicy.
> what can I do to help for next year?
>
>
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