Michael Womack
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Saturday, March 4, 2000

Orange tree is not confused

Long-growing citrus can ripen as blossoms appear

 

My orange tree has been blooming and there is still fruit from last season on the tree. What should I do? Is there something wrong with my tree?
   Don't worry! There is nothing wrong with your citrus tree. You don't have to do anything except pick the fruit when it is ripe. It is okay to have maturing fruit and blossoms on the tree at the same time. Part of this phenomenon is due to the long maturing period required for some citrus varieties. Valencia orange, for example is just starting to hit prime ripening season while Mars orange trees have been producing fruit since late last fall.
   Citrus are tropical trees, coming from regions between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. In their native habitat, they are ever blooming, flowering at various times throughout the year. However, citrus planted in our area tend to bloom primarily in the early spring, partly in response to rapidly increasing spring temperatures following the cooler winter weather.
   I have some plants that I want to move to a different place in my yard. Can I do that now?
   We're at the end of the transplanting season. If you want to move plants, do it very soon. Early spring is the best time to transplant tropicals such as hibiscus and bougainvillea. However, hardy shrubs, evergreen trees and deciduous trees tend to do best when transplanted in the late fall as they start to slow down their metabolic functions in cooler weather. The mild, wet conditions typically associated with that period of time allow these hardy plants to reestablish their root system before they provide a spring flush of growth.
   Here are a few hints for moving plants:
  

Try to retain as much of the root system as possible
  

Don't knock off the soil when you dig up the plant. After you dig around the rootball you want to move, roll the plant to one side, place burlap or a tarp under the edge of the rootball, and then roll it onto the burlap. The material under the rootball will help hold it together when you try to move the plant.
  

Remove some of the plant canopy, especially if there are a lot of leaves, to prevent excessive water loss through transpiration.
  

Dig your new hole the same depth and 2-3 times the diameter of the rootball.
  

Water the plant well as soon as you finish transplanting.
   I've heard a lot of conflicting information about preparing the soil when planting trees and shrubs. Can you help me sort this out?
   First of all, think of shrubs and trees as two separate types of plants. Shrubs tend to be planted in beds with other shrubs, allowing you to prepare the entire area by adding large amounts of compost. Trees on the other hand, are independent plants with much larger root systems.
   When preparing a bed for shrubs, break up the soil using a shovel or a turning fork to a depth of 10-12 inches. You may have to water thoroughly a few days in advance to get the soil to a workable condition. Next add ample amounts of compost, especially in heavy clay soils, and till it in until the soil appears to be loose and fluffy.
   Whatever you do, don't add lime to the soil. Most plants do best with a slightly acidic soil in the 5.5-7.0 pH range. Coastal Bend soils are alkaline with a pH of 7.5-8.5 and are highly buffered. Lime will increase the pH of the soil. Many garden books recommend lime in soil preparation, but they are not written for our region; that recommendation is typical for the highly acidic soils in pine groves of the northern and eastern United States. Bottom line, don't use lime in our area.
   Trees are a different story when it comes to soil preparation. Many years ago it was commonly recommended to prepare the soil that was back-filled around newly planted trees; however, recent research has changed that recommendation in the last 10 years or so. Amending the backfill soil around trees prevents roots from extending into the harsh environment of the surrounding native soils due to the soil interface and differences in soil-water relations between the native and amended soils.
   When planting a tree, it is recommended to dig the hole for a tree to the same depth as the soil in the container and 2-3 times the diameter of the rootball of the tree. After placing the tree in the hole, backfill with the unamended native soil. Just make sure your break up heavy clay soil before returning it to the area around the tree. Remember this as a rule of thumb: The soil you dig out of the hole is what you put back in around trees.
   After planting, make sure you mulch around the tree to help hold water in the rootball area and to reduce weed competition. Just don't pile up mulch around the base of the tree. If the mulch is touching the tree bark, it's too close.
  
  
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