Approximate times for citrus-growing practices in California's Central Valley. Actual times vary according to location weather, crop history, and crop cultivar and development stage. Testing foliage and whitewashing trees generally are done once during the indicated period. Practices such as frost protection, irrigation, and pest monitoring are ongoing or are repeated at appropriate intervals.
| TIME OF YEAR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CROP DEVELOPMENT PERIOD | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC | ||||||||||||
| Prebloom | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bloom period | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Petal fall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fruit development | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CULTURAL and MONITORING PRACTICES | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Monitor pests regularly1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Harvest | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Survey weeds2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Frost protection | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Monitor soil moisture, irrigate if it is dry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Irrigate regularly based on monitoring trees' varying need for water | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manage ants3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fertilize | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prune | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manage fruit set and size | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sample leaves for nutrients | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Protect fruit from senescence and manage fruit drop | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Whitewash trunks | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | While pests should be monitored throughout the year, they do not need to be monitored as often during the cooler periods (Oct. to Jan.) as during the rest of the year. |
| 2 | Survey weeds at least 2 times during the year, with winter and summer being most important. |
| 3 | When using sweet liquid ant baits, begin monitoring early (about February along the coast, somewhat later in the Central Valley) before any Homopteran honeydew becomes abundant. Competition from abundant honeydew reduces ants' attraction to sweet baits. |