Fertilizer management
Dr. Mongi Zekri
Multi-County Citrus Agent
University of Florida
863 674 4092
E-mail: maz@ufl.edu
For mature trees, fertilizer application should be split into 3 applications per year with a
complete balanced fertilizer (Sept.-Oct., Jan.-Feb., Apr.-May). The highest nutrient
requirement extends from late winter through early summer. This coincides with flowering,
heavy spring flush, fruit set, and fruit development and expansion. For best fresh fruit
quality, nutritional requirements, particularly nitrogen (N), should decrease late in the
summer and fall. Based on tree demands, 2/3 to 3/4 of the yearly fertilizer amount should
be applied between January and June. In warm areas such as southwest Florida where tree
growth can continue during the winter, fertilizer applications should also be made in the fall
and winter to satisfy vegetative growth demand.
IFAS fertilizer guidelines for nonbearing citrus trees
Tree age
Lbs fertilizer per tree
per year
(range)
Lbs fertilizer per tree
per application
(range) Application
6-6-6 8-8-8 6-6-6 8-8-8 frequency
1 3-5 2-4 0.5-1 0.5-1 6
2 5-10 4-8 1-2 1-2 5
3 8-15 6-11 2-4 2-3 4
4 14-17 10-13 5-6 3-4 3
5+ 18-23 14-17 6-8 5-6 3
8-2-8 or 8-4-8 would be a better fertilizer formulation to use for
mature citrus trees than 6-6-6 or 8-8-8.
