Citrus care plan and how to grow gourmet quinces

Citrus Care Plan

Autumn is a busy season for ripening of citrus fruit. Unless you’re getting regular autumn rains, give citrus a deep drink each week. Low soil moisture can affect fruit quality, so it’s important to ensure watering is adequate.

And to help keep citrus leaves healthy and green and nourish the developing fruit, feed each week with Yates Thrive Citrus Liquid Plant Food.

It contains a special blend of nitrogen to promote green leaf growth, phosphorus for strong root development and potassium to encourage flowering, healthy plants and quality fruit. Just mix 2 capfuls into a 9 L watering can and apply around the root zone of in-ground and potted citrus.

Disease Watch: Phytophthora

Citrus love moist but well drained soil, which creates a healthy environment for their roots to thrive and lower trunks to remain dry and healthy. Prolonged wet weather and saturated soil can encourage development of collar rot diseases like phytophthora stem canker.

These diseases affect the ability of the citrus trees to effectively absorb soil water, leading to wilting, poor plant health and sometimes plant death if left untreated.

Here are a few steps you can take to help reduce the incidence of citrus collar and root rot diseases:

Remove lower hanging branches of citrus trees, which improves the air flow around the trunk.
Applying mulch over the root zone is very beneficial, helping to keep the roots moist. However, keep mulch away from touching the trunk itself, as this can keep the trunk wet which can promote collar rot.
Brush Yates Liquid Copper mixed into water-based paint (at 250mL/L) onto the stems where cankers appear, after removing any dead tissue. One or two repeat applications per season may be all that’s required for natural healing to commence.

Grow your own gourmet quinces

Quince is a fruit that can’t be eaten raw, as it’s tough and very tart. But don’t let that put you off: quinces are the star ingredient in some delightful foodie recipes.

Quince paste is a delicious addition to a cheese platter and quinces can also be made into jellies or jams, as well as stewed, poached and roasted.

Golden coloured quinces are harvested around April and the fruit has a lovely exotic fragrance. They’re hardy deciduous trees and will grow from cool areas up to the subtropics.

They can grow into quite large trees, but smaller varieties growing to around 4m tall and wide are available. Look out for quince trees in your local nursery this winter.

Quince planting tip – mix a handful of Yates Dynamic Lifter Organic Plant Food into the bottom of the planting hole before planting deciduous fruit trees like quinces.