As we progress more into the New Year, now is the time to begin preparing our landscape trees and citrus trees for the upcoming growing season.
The hurricanes that blew through this year have taken their toll on landscape trees and citrus trees. We need to begin to rejuvenate them and get them back to a healthy growing condition.
Late January through February are ideal times to fertilize healthy landscape trees. If the trees have been severely damaged and are unhealthy, wait until March or April to fertilize.
Our healthy landscape trees generally need fertilization only once every three years if maintained in a healthy growing conditions and properly mulched. Tree fertilization methods are now based on the root system spread.
The general recommendation is 1-3 pounds of nitrogen per 1000 square feet of root spread area. The higher rate of 3 lbs/1000 square feet of root spread would benefit unhealthy or unvigorus trees.
I have fact sheets that explain this with convenient tables. If you have questions, contact Barton at 985-873-6495.
Citrus Trees Fertilization
As of this writing we have not had any killing freeze on our citrus. Citrus trees do respond to annual fertility applications to maintain the health and vigor of the tree and to produce quality fruit.
Homeowners can fertilize their citrus trees in late January or early February. The general recommendation rates are to apply 1 ½ pounds of 8-8-8 per year of tree age up to 12 years. A one year old tree would receive 1.5 lbs. of 8-8-8 and a 5 year old tree would get from 5 to 7.5 pounds. Trees 12 years or older should receive 12-18 pounds of 8-8-8 per tree on healthy trees. Our Louisiana Home Citrus Production booklet publication 1234 can be obtained from our website www.lsuagcenter.com.
Planting Irish Potatoes
Now is the time to plant Irish potatoes. Seed potatoes should be cut a few days prior to planting to allow the cut surfaces to heal over. Be sure each seed piece has at least one eye or bud on it and place cut side down. Plant seed pieces 10-15 inches apart in a row. About 7-9 pounds of seed potatoes are required to plant 100 feet of row. Fertilize before planting with 7-8 pounds of a complete fertilizer per 100 feet of row. Sidedress with1 pint of ammonium nitrate when plants are 8 inches tall. Harvesting should take place between 90 and 120 days from planting.
Citrus Leafminer
We are getting calls about how to control citrus leafminer. This is an insect that causes the leaves to curl and you see what looks like a trail on the leaves. There are a few products to use but there is a relatively new one called Spinosid. Read and follow label directions when applying all insecticides.
Question: What does pinching or heading back of shrubs mean?
Answer: There are five basic techniques for pruning shrubs. Definitions are:
1. Pinching – removing the tip of a succulent green shoot before it becomes woody and firm. This is done to reduce length and encourage branching.
2. Heading back – cutting a branch back to a healthy bud or branch to stimulate growth and increase bushiness.
3. Thinning – removing a branch at its point of origin (ground, parent stem, side branch, etc.) to create a more open plant without stimulating new growth.
4. Renewal pruning (rejuvenation) – removing the oldest branches by pruning them near the ground leaving the younger, more vigorous branches (which may also be pruned). Abelia and spirea are good examples for this type of pruning.
5. Shearing – removing the tips of most branches with shearing or hedge clippers. Shearing should be used sparingly as it destroys the natural shape of the plant and inhibits light penetration. Eventually causing dieback in the interior of the shrub.
Information provided by Barton Joffrion, LSU AgCenter. For more information, please visit t the Terrebonne website www.lsuagcenter.com and clicking on Parish Offices, then Terrebonne. You can also contact 985-873-6495 oremail bjoffrion@agcenter.lsu.edu or Terrebonne@agcenter.lsu.edu.