Cross pollination not needed for 99% of citrus. Here is a link that might be useful: How to grow satsuma

Hi lgteacher, I have used the materials from my state extension and called my local contact but I haven't ever gotten anyone. It may be my own fault if I'm calling at off hours. They don't have an email either. At any rate, a good idea to keep trying. BarbJP, I'm using a Fertilome solution, which says the min. days to wait between applications is six (for citrus). It also says the max. number of applications per season is six, so it sounds like you're right in that a biweekly application would be more than six total. I'm glad you pointed that out. Will talk to the nursery again or ask my local master gardeners, if I can reach them. Do you typically apply the imidacloprid more than once per season? I realize I don't need to do it any time soon since I just did 2 weeks ago. Re: neem oil, I was under the impression that I should not use neem or other horticultural oil, since we're over 90 degrees. Is that right? I have the oil so would happily apply it if it is advisable. Several of the branches on both trees were bare, because all of the affected leaves had come off. I trimmed those branches back. I hope this wasn't a bad idea but I was concerned about the non-leaf to leaf ratio eventually harming the trees (not enough photosynthesis going on). On the plus side, I noticed a lot of new little buds on the satsuma. Here's a pic (sorry for the quality). That's positive, right?? One additional question: I have noticed a lot of these little black bugs with orange legs on my plants, esp. the grapefruit tree, which seems to have been more affected than the satsuma. What is this and is it harmful, do y'all know? Thanks a million to all of you.

Both of them get watered about once a week, give or take a few days since its still pretty cool over here. I check the soil moisture by sticking a finger a few inches into the mix. I don't think it's under watering, because when I got the plant last summer and it started looking sad, my initial reaction was to water it every 3 days, or 2 days when it was really hot. It didn't make much of a difference. Fertilizing made the leaves turn green again, but they never uncurled much no matter what. This is how it looked about a week after I bought it An update as of today: Satsuma dropped another leaf. It's been dropping one or two leaves every month since about November. Additionally, on closer inspection I noticed this damage on the plant. Looks like something chewed it up at some point.

dchall, Since the tree has been in the ground for a year now and is established, it is watered weekly, either by Mother Nature or by us during the dry season when it gets a good, long soaking by hose. We try to ensure 1" a week. The tree's root flare isn't buried. Being a young tree, the flare is not big. The raised soil ring (native soil and composted mix) around the tree is obscuring the view of the flare. It is fertilized regularly (every 6-8 weeks since it is established) with citrus fertilizer. Fresh compost is applied and worked into the soil 3 times a year. We appreciate your input on the grass, but as dirtygardener stated, we have restrictions on both watering and fertilizing lawns here. That fertilizer ends up in our water supply through our normal rainy season and excess watering by us. Many area communities are starting to ban fertilizer altogether. Our Gulf and rivers are full of red tide and green algae...the worst in history. The current event started in October of 2017, and is getting increasingly worse every month with no end in sight. The effect on our marine life, our own physical health and our economy has been devastating. Red tide and green algae occur naturally in small amounts every year. But, it is suspected that the huge amounts of fertilizer from big sugar farms that get washed out into our rivers and end up in the Gulf are feeding the algae. Housing developments, where applying lawn fertilizer and watering to excess to grow lush grass is common, are only contributing to the problem. So, we will continue to responsibly water and fertilize our trees and plants and let Mother Nature determine when our grass gets watered and we will accept our grass as it is. Our neighborhood and surrounding areas all have yards similar to ours. Just an FYI, many of the weeds that grow in our lawns are host plants for the caterpillars of smaller butterflies and moths. Applying fertilizers and weed killers would kill not only the weeds but the caterpillars that feed on them.