Recognizing Cleaning Challenges

Having citrus trees in your backyard is so enjoyable. You can pluck an orange or grapefruit off the tree and enjoy its tart, sweet, juicy flesh any time that you like! But citrus trees do require care that is a bit different from that demanded by the average fruit tree. And if you don't care for them properly, they won't give you a lot of that delicious fruit. To ensure you have plenty of citrus to snack on this year, follow these three citrus tree care tips.

Don't Over-Trim

Most fruit trees need to be carefully pruned each year in order to yield a good harvest of fruit. This is just not the case with citrus trees. It's very easy to over-prune them, which will hamper fruit production. Have your tree trimming company out every two or three years to look over the tree and trim away any dead and damaged branches, but don't just head out there with your shears in hopes of cutting away healthy branches to help the tree.

Make Sure the Soil Drains

Citrus trees do require plenty of water if you want the fruit to be juicy. However, their roots do easily drown, so you want to ensure the soil around them drains well. If you ever notice water pooling in the area around the tree, try digging a trench or a little ditch to encourage the water to drain away more effectively. Never water the tree if the soil is still moist, either. Wait until the top 6 inches or so of soil are dry so you don't risk over-saturating the deeper soil where the tree's roots are located.

Spray With Fungicides In the Dormant Season

The best time to spray a citrus tree with fungicides is when the tree is dormant for the winter months. You can use a conventional fungicide, but if you don't like the idea of spraying harsh chemicals on your tree, Neem oil is a good alternative. It is a natural essential oil that many people use on their skin; it's very safe, but repellent to fungi and bugs.

Keep in mind that if your citrus tree has not been making a lot of fruit lately, it might take a few years of following these tips to get the fruit production up. You should slowly notice that production improves somewhat, year after year, until you are enjoying the abundant citrus fruits you desire. For more information, contact companies like Home & Commercial Cleaning Service.