I would not dig up any trees to fertilize. Citrus need a lot of nitrogen as well as a preference for acid soil. There would be no advantage to pruning them. All weeds within the dripline should be removed. Mulch with compost to try and get microbial activity going as well as conserving moisture and preventing regrowth of weeds. I doubt that the citrus need iron to correct leaf color, probably just nitrogen. Not being allowed to use citrus fertilizer you will need to research alternatives for acid plants that contain the macro and minors citrus require. Your deciduous fruit trees could probably use some pruning to remove buds and stimulate new growth where desired. A picture would help. The same weed removal and compost mulch I would use on the deciduous trees. Your area should be OK for Phosphorus and Potassium and really should only be deficient in Nitrogen. The soil may be compacted and lacking oxygen in the root zone, but the compost in time will help that. Good luck. Al

The cheapest quick organic fix would be to plant a cover crop over the entire area NOW while it's still winter and raining (hopefully, raining again!) It will add nitrogen and improve the soil. Peaceful Valley has many to choose from, and so does Territorial:

http://www.groworganic.com/browse_22_Cover_Crop_Seed.html

http://www.territorialseed.com/prod_detail_list/8

If you don't want to do the work of tilling it under after it matures, you could tamp it down by adding another layer of mulch by spreading 12 inches of straw over the whole area. The green manure will decompose and break down under the straw. Or you could cut it down and just add another cover crop, a summer one. Another cheap mulch is grass clippings from your neighborhood, kept to a depth of 4 to 6 inches, they break down wonderfully and smother all the weeds.

Carla in Sac

Unless you know that you need iron I'm not sure that iron shavings would be of much help. If that is what you want to try, an auto repair shop that does a lot of brake work would probably be happy to give you some iron filings from machining brake rotors and drums.

I use it on my roses to add intensity of color. If you do have a lack of iron, they would help your deciduous trees (they are closely related to roses).

One way to get a higher nitrogen content from compost is to make compost tea. Put some compost in a burlap bag and soak it in an old trash can filled at least part way with water. After a few days, pour out the water and water your trees with it. Much faster acting than waiting for the compost to break down, however it doesn't add any tilth to the soil. Even doing this I'm afraid your citrus will suffer, as they are huge nitrogen feeders. Sulfate of Ammonia works wonders as it is very high in nitrogen and drives the soil in the correct direction. I don't think it is considered an organic ingredient though.

Thank you all so much! I have not had a chance to get photos but hope to do so tomorrow.

Al - The citrus have extremely yellow leaves and have not (apparently) grown since planted. Does that sounds like it needs more nitrogen? Do you have a suggestion for a good source of organic nitrogen? I used blood meal on my small lawn to get rid of the bur clover and it worked like a charm (also greened it all up prettily.) Would blood meal work in this situation? I've also heard that coffee grounds might be helpful with both acid and nitrogen and our local coffee shop will supply me for free - any thoughts on that? I think mulching with compost is an excellent idea - I may have to put some shredded bark on top to keep it from blowing away....(In spite of being shielded somewhat, we do get stiff breezes May-September.)

Carla - I'm a huge fan of green manure and have a raised bed in clover now! Thanks for the links; I was unfamiliar with those sites. My problem with the orchard site is that a lot of the space between the trees was purposely planted with natives, and I would make some folks real angry if I messed with them :-) I'm real careful with my weeding! We don't have a lot of grass around here, but I'll try begging for clippings on our local bulletin board.

Jim - my neighbor recommended iron filings and I did try this on a lime tree with good success (in a previous home.) I have never heard of it for roses, but that's good to know - my own garden is mostly fruit trees and roses. I'd love to do compost tea and though it is somewhat inconvenient I will probably try to do this, but I'm not sure it is something I want to undertake regularly.

Does anyone have any advice on a watering schedule? I'm definitely going to widen the basins so they'll hold a bit more.

Thanks all for your help, and I'll try to get those photos up tomorrow.
Amy

Blood meal is an excellent source of nitrogen. Here where we share our space with Raccoons we can't use it because they will dig a big hole where ever they smell the blood. The same with fish fertilizer. I hope that you do not have any competition with the roots of your trees. At least as far as the dripline should be weed free and mulched. Al

This is I think a dwarf Meyer lemon, about 2' high. This is one I was considering digging up to amend the soil:

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Unknown tree (apricot?) typical of orchard:
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This bent little tree - what to do with it?
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Apple tree, deep in weeds, apparently headed downhill!:
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Orchard site. It is hard to spot the little trees here but they are in the picture:
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Yow.
You have your work cut out for you. Thanks for the efforts you are putting into this project.

Renee

It looks like the trees were planted and forgotten. First I would hoe the weeds away from the trees about three feet. Level the area by cutting into the high side and making a watering basin. Drive a stake just outside the watering basin on the high side. The best stakes I have found,also the cheapest, one half inch electrical conduit comes in 10 foot lengths, cut in half and drive two feet into the ground. Use horticultural plastic tape to support the tree to the stake. Do not wrap the tape completely around the tree which will damage the cambium. You will gradually be able to straighten up the trees. The deciduous trees need to be pruned now. If you don't feel competent to prune them to shape get some one to help you. The citrus tree looks like it is getting enough nitrogen, note the oversize leaf size of the new leaves. I would use chelated iron and acidify the soil also. Remove the wooden stake and stake as suggested. These are all young trees and I think you can make them grow with very little expense and I moderate amount of labor. Good luck Al