66 



ROEDING'S FRUIT GROWERS' GUIDE 



A Lemon tree just transplanted 

 from the nursery to the orchard 

 with its branches shortened in 

 as they should be. The crown 

 is started twenty-eight inches 

 from the ground. 



to produce crops and 

 still the tree may show 

 that something is lack- 

 ing. This is accounted 

 for by the fact that 

 any analysis of the soil 

 will show what it con- 

 tains but does not tell 

 whether the plant food 

 is available, and unless 

 it is in such form that 

 the roots can feed upon 

 it, it is useless and 

 other plant food will 

 have to be furnished. 

 For this reason the 

 question of fertilization 

 can only be determined 

 by the growth of the 

 trees; at the same time, 

 it is not advisable to 

 let the orchard go 

 without any fertiliza- 

 tion until it begins to 

 show a starved condi- 

 tion. By applying 

 about the same amount 

 of plant food that the 

 tree takes from the 



ground each year, one can prevent the soil from be- 

 coming exhausted. Then if the tree shows by its 

 growth a lack of certain ingredients, it can be supplied 

 accordingly. It has been my observation that barn- 

 yard manure applied in liberal quantities is one of the 

 best fertilizers for the promotion of growth, as it not 

 only supplies Considerable plant food but assists in 

 making that already in the ground more available by 

 its action in loosening up the soil. 



Cover crops of legumes, such as peas, vetch, fenu- 

 greek, burr clover and melilotus, are also quite gener- 

 ally used and are giving good results. They are sown 

 in the late summer or early fall, and allowed to grow 

 during the fall and winter, ahd are then plowed under 

 in the spring. The value of a cover crop depends 

 largely on the amount of growth it makes and the 

 manner in which it is turned under. To get the best 

 results a legume should be selected that will make a 

 heavy growth and then it should be thoroughly turned 

 under in the early spring. This is very important, 

 otherwise it draws moisture to such an extent from the 

 tree that it does more harm than good. No cover 

 crop, fertilizer or manure is of any particular value on 

 top of the ground. It must be turned under or placed 

 in the ground where the rootlets of the tree can feed 

 upon it. 



Commercial fertilizers are used quite extensively and 

 with good results, but on account of the cost, a good 

 many growers do not use enough per tree to get the best 

 results. It is necessary to use some commercial fer- 

 tilizer in connection with the use of barnyard manure or 

 cover crops, in order to supply all the ingredients neces- 

 sary to properly feed the tree. 



The planter should bear in m'nd that no matter 

 what form of fertilization is used satisfactory results 

 cannot be obtained unless the soil is properly cultivated, 

 as the rootlets of the tree cannot take up the plant food 

 unless the soil is kept in condition so that these feeders 

 can continue undisturbed in quest of it. 



THE TIME TO PLANT 



Citrus trees being evergreen, they can be planted at 

 all seasons of the year, although the months of March, 

 April, May and June are considered the most favorable. 

 In the interior valleys, where it is extremely hot and dry 

 during the summer months, it is advisable to plant as 

 early as possible in the spring, although planting should 

 not commence until the ground is fairly warm, so that 

 the tree will immediately start to grow. Trees planted 

 too early, while the ground is still cold and wet, will re- 

 main in a dormant condition until the ground gets suffi- 

 ciently warmed up so that they can make a start. When 

 this condition prevails for any length of time it causes 

 the finer roots to decay; as a consequence of this, when 

 the tree does start, it will make rather a slow growth 

 until new rootlets are formed. For this reason it is 

 advisable to defer planting until conditions are favor- 

 able for the tree to start to grow as soon as planted. 



Along the coast where the summer c'imate is more 

 moderate, citrus trees are planted with good results all 

 through the spring and summer months. In fact, the 

 trees planted during June and July seem to make nearly 

 as good a growth as those planted in the spring. Where 

 planting cannot be done before this time, it is my 

 opinion that July or early August planting is preferable 

 to waiting over until the following spring. Even though 

 the trees do not make quite as vigorous a growth as 

 those planted earlier in the season, they make sufficient 

 growth to become thoroughly established, in conse- 

 quence of which, they are all ready to start with the 



A one-year-old Lemon tree in the orchard, properly pruned. 

 The importance of having a sturdy crown which will 

 later on carry a heavy crop of fruit is illustrated here. 



