Water Management
Giving your tree enough water is critical to successfully growing citrus in the home landscape. Watering is important for improving tree growth and performance from the first days of planting through its fruit bearing years. Well-watered trees will also respond better to fertilizer and pesticide applications.
Watering is crucial when you first plant your tree. Wet at least the first 3 inches of soil when you first plant the tree. You will want to ensure that the tree is watered 2 to 3 times per week for approximately 4 weeks.
Be mindful of rainfall in your area when watering your citrus tree. If you receive ½ inch (or more) of rain in a single rain incident, do not water for 2 days because the soil will be moist enough from the natural rainfall. Florida receives enough rainfall in a year, but we don’t receive the rainfall when we need it, especially in the months between October and May. Rainfall information can be obtained from a nearby Florida Automated Weather Station (https://fawn.ifas.ufl.edu/) which has more than 96 stations statewide. It is a useful tool when planning your watering regime.
This video will show you how to water trees in a home garden setting.