Citrus trees are causing gardeners a lot of problems in this wetter-than-normal El Nino year. Our mailbox has been full of letters like these:
* Claude Parent of Fort Lauderdale writes that he has holes in his grapefruit about 1 inch deep.
* Louis Turano's orange tree in Coral Springs has produced a lot of dry fruit.
* John Wagner of Hollywood says the fruit quality has changed radically on his 20-year-old grapefruit tree. The fruit is tart with a thick rind and most of it is green.
* And Nora Dunn of Delray Beach says she has a young navel orange tree with large green fruit that is dry inside.
Grapefruit holes are caused by shield-shaped insects called stinkbugs. They are not worth spraying. Harvest fruit as soon as possible to minimize further damage.
Dry fruit, thick rinds and tart fruit are all caused by excess water. The water needs of citrus and lawns are incompatible because the lawn needs more water. The citrus eventually gets root rot and dies. Cap all sprinklers under the canopy of the tree permanently and direct other sprinklers away from the tree's root zone with one-half heads.
Because of El NiM-fo, we are experiencing more rain than usual and warmer weather. Citrus needs some cold snaps to ripen the fruit.
Some fruit has not even colored up, so it is not ripe. Fertilize in March, June and October with citrus fertilizer.
Citrus trees produce varying crops each year depending on weather, rainfall, pollination, etc. It is like farming, and each year is different.