{"id":5383,"date":"2015-04-03T14:03:08","date_gmt":"2015-04-03T19:03:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/treefolkstest.wpengine.com\/?p=5383"},"modified":"2015-04-03T14:03:08","modified_gmt":"2015-04-03T19:03:08","slug":"citrus-for-austin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.treefolks.org\/es\/2015\/04\/03\/citrus-for-austin\/","title":{"rendered":"Citrus for Austin"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SatsumaSpring time is the right time for citrus in Austin.<\/h2>\n

The tree planting season in Austin runs from October through March, with the fall and winter being the best time to plant\u2014but there is one notable exception to this rule.\u00a0 Citrus trees are best planted in the late spring after the weather has warmed up and there is no danger of frost.\u00a0 Nursery stock, and citrus in particular, is often grown under idyllic conditions and will likely not be acclimated to the conditions in your yard.\u00a0 This means the beautiful, blooming, tender leafed citrus tree that you might find for sale at local nurseries in February is probably not going to like\u00a0that last cold snap we always seem to get mid-March.\u00a0 Early April is the perfect time to plant a kumquat, satsuma, or lemon in a sunny and protected southern or western facing spot.<\/p>\n

Most importantly, citrus trees need plenty of rich, well-drained soil and ample sunlight.\u00a0 Neither rocky outcrops nor soggy low spots are ideal for these trees.\u00a0 They\u2019ll also need supplemental irrigation, regular fertilization, and occasional protection in winter to produce a good yield, so if you are a \u2018set it and forget it\u2019 gardener, you are probably better off planting something else (like a fig tree, for example).\u00a0 If you have a sunny concrete patio, planting a citrus tree near the patio provides a nice heat sink to help protect the tree during cold weather, and the tree makes a nice conversation piece and sweet perfume to enjoy while you sit outside with friends.<\/p>\n

Follow tree planting best practices.<\/h2>\n

Dig the hole at least twice the width of the pot, and a little shallower than the depth of the soil in the pot.\u00a0 When you remove the tree from the pot, hold it firmly in one hand at the base of the trunk, and gently knock on the top edge of the plastic pot until the pot falls off.\u00a0 Set the tree down on the ground and cut or pull the outer roots away so that there are no longer any roots circling around and around and around and around and\u2026.\u00a0 It is better to be a little too aggressive at this stage than to have a tree with circling (aka girdling) roots.\u00a0 Girdling roots stunt the tree\u2019s growth and can even kill it in the long run.\u00a0 Now, set the tree in the hole and fill it back in with the existing soil.\u00a0 The tree should be planted slightly above the grade of the existing soil, so you\u2019ll still see the potting soil.\u00a0 Don\u2019t bury the trunk.\u00a0 If you want to add compost and mulch, it should be applied to the soil surface, and kept at least 4 inches away from the trunk.<\/p>\n

Citrus are thirsty.<\/h2>\n

Make a shallow berm around the edge of the now filled in hole with some dirt, to act as a watering basin.\u00a0 It\u2019s important to give your tree plenty of water when you plant it, and every week thereafter.\u00a0 Citrus trees need 40 \u2013 50 inches of water per year to make a good harvest, and Austin gets 32 inches of rain on average, so unless it\u2019s planted next to your gutter downspout or something similar, you\u2019ll need to give it supplemental watering for the life of the tree.\u00a0 Remember, the best gauge of whether the tree needs water is to check the soil.\u00a0 If the soil is still moist at a depth of 4 inches, you don\u2019t need to water.\u00a0 Also, if your tree is sitting in saturated soil, it will quickly die.\u00a0 So, don\u2019t over water your tree either.\u00a0 Always check the soil moisture by digging down with your hands or a small trowel to check whether you should water.\u00a0 Watering slowly will prevent runoff and waste.\u00a0 About 15 gallons a week for the first year or two should suffice, but that amount will increase as the tree gets bigger.<\/p>\n

Spare the clippers and feed the roots.<\/h2>\n

Citrus trees flower and produce fruit on both new growth and buds hiding at the base of leaves on last year’s\u00a0growth, so don\u2019t prune your trees until after they have bloomed in the spring.\u00a0 When pruning, focus on removing dead or diseased wood, and any root suckers from below the graft union. \u00a0Otherwise, citrus trees can be allowed to grow into their natural form.\u00a0 Slow-release organic fertilizers (ex. compost, alfalfa pellets) should be applied in early to mid-January, while more readily available fertilizers (ex. synthetics, blood meal, guano) should be delayed until mid- or late February, so as not to encourage the tree to break dormancy until after all danger of freezing weather has passed. \u00a0Well-established citrus trees produce heavily in the Austin area with our long growing season. \u00a0With a little bit of care and attention, you could be giving away fruit to your friends and neighbors in just a few years.<\/p>\n

\"PhotoGreg Mast is TreeFolks’ Community Forester and coordinates the TreeFolks NeighborWoods Program in addition to managing the organization’s\u00a0GIS and mapping needs for the Bastrop County Community Reforestation Program.<\/em><\/p>\n

Greg is an ISA Certified Arborist, has a MS\u00a0in Geography from Texas State University, is an avid home gardener, and speaks German. \u00a0He lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, their two sons, one\u00a0dog, and a passel of goats.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Spring time is the right time for citrus in Austin. The tree planting season in Austin runs from October through March, with the fall and winter being the best time…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[58,54,53],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-dcg","category-featured-trees","category-tree-care"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t