[Arid_gardener] Thripes damage from this past spring.

[Dick]

Gus, I am confused by the two names, yours and - - Mike? No problem, though..

I have seen the curled leaves from time to time on my own five healthy citrus varieties in the ground but tend to ignore it and could never identify any permanent damage except that thrips seem not to put a healthy tree's foliage or its fruit in any jeopardy aside from uglying them up. I believe the thrip damage is mostly cosmetic at least in my landscape.

I believe the best way to fight off insect and disease attacks is to keep the trees healthy enough to do it themselves without chemicals other than fertilizer. It has worked for me, anyway.

I maintain a three foot wide  shallow trench around an adult tree with its dripline being roughly in the middle of the trench. This zone is the only area where feeder roots exist, I understand, to adsorb nutrients and water. I irrigate by putting a hose in the trench with a flow rate to maintain a shallow head of water all around the tree for as long as it takes to soak about three feet deep. I ckeck depth with a 1/4th inch brass rod 36 inches long with a 4 inch piece of broom handle mounted on one end and a dull point filed on the other. When I can insert the rod to its hilt easily several places around the drip line, I turn off the water. I have never added a drop inside that zone but rain has wetted it on rare ocassions. I don't irrigate again until the soil in the trench is quite dry 3 or 4 inches deep irregardless of how long it takes for that to occur or when I can detect a lack of luster or a noticeable droop of the foliage. If I deep water, the trees are a lot more tolerant of periods of drought. Shallow irrigation has to be repeated much more frequently. Three of these trees are in their 40th year and still setting more fruit than we can eat or give away. I deep water no established tree more frequently than monthly in the summer, less frequent or when I detect a thirst in the cool months..

I have never used a chemical insecticide on citrus but, properly applied, I see nothing wrong with it except that I would be hesitant to eat the fruit.

I am asuming your dwarf Naval is in the ground and hope it is no deeper than it set in the 24 inch pot. I don't quite know what else to say about your tree, Gus, but, if you have good drainage and adequate fertilization, fate will take care of the rest. A tree properly fed and watered will grow but there is nothing much you can do otherwise to speed the process up. It takes time. of course and these may be okay. I feed and water deeply no established tree oftener than monthly but weekly in the summer for a new transplant is not too often if drainage is adequate.

I rarely fertilize after September because tender new winter growth won't survive mild fall freezes.

Dick Gross, Master Gardener Volunteer
Maricopa County Cooperative Extension



  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Gus Nelson 
  To: arid_gardener at CALS.arizona.edu 
  Sent: Friday, November 16, 2007 12:52 PM
  Subject: [Arid_gardener] Thripes damage from this past spring.


        Hello,
           I have a 24 gal Navel orange that was planted this past spring, I live on the west side of the valley, and it has good drainage. It became infested with bugs this spring, my landscaper sprayed with pest killer and the plant went into shock, and lost most of its leaves. We watered for 2hrs every four days this summer, on a drip system. The leaves are all coming back but they are slender and curled at the ends.. Is there anything that can be done to help this dwarf navel orange.?
        Thank you. Mike Lonergan  
               
       



------------------------------------------------------------------------------


  _______________________________________________
  Arid_gardener mailing list
  Arid_gardener at CALS.arizona.edu
  http://CALS.arizona.edu/mailman2/listinfo/arid_gardener
  All contents copyright 2007. Arizona Board of Regents/University of Arizona
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://CALS.arizona.edu/pipermail/arid_gardener/attachments/20071116/ad031392/attachment.html