By Muhammad A. Shahid, KeAndre Leaks and Davie M. Kadyampakeni
Right after a freeze, you may notice new growth turning black and leaves hardening, yellowing or looking water-soaked. About a week after a severe freeze, leaves may start to curl and turn brown. Leaves and fruits may begin to drop.
Do not attempt any recovery treatments immediately after a freeze. The best approach is to wait until spring, when you can clearly assess the extent of the damage and determine the proper recovery actions. The following are some considerations on fertilization, irrigation, insect and disease management, pruning and weed management for quick post-freeze recovery.
FERTILIZATION
After a freeze, citrus trees require nutrients to support recovery; however, fertilizer must be applied carefully. Do not apply any fertilizer until you see new growth in the spring. Once trees begin to flush, apply nutrients in small, frequent doses based on the extent of the damage the trees received.
Trees with severe damage will not produce fruit the following season, and their reduced leaf area means they cannot take up nutrients efficiently. Applying too much fertilizer, particularly nitrogen, at this stage can lead to nutrient toxicity and further slow recovery. For heavily damaged trees, use lower fertilizer rates to support gradual regrowth.
Micronutrients are also important during recovery and can help trees regain strength. Research has shown that foliar and root applications of silicon (monosilicic acid) at 150 to 200 parts per million can also aid citrus trees in recovering both root and shoot growth following freeze damage.
IRRIGATION
Due to freeze-induced defoliation, citrus trees take up less water than healthy trees. Therefore, irrigation should be reduced. Too much water can wash nutrients away, suffocate young, recovering roots and promote root-rotting pathogens.
Don’t stop watering completely; trees still need some moisture to recover. The goal is to keep the soil lightly moist, not soggy, until trees recover their normal foliage and canopy.
INSECT AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT
After a freeze, protect citrus trees from pests and diseases so they can recover faster. As trees start to regrow in the spring, new tender leaves and shoots are very attractive to pests like aphids and whiteflies. Plan ahead with a comprehensive plant-protection program that includes timely applications of insecticides and fungicides. Usually, one or two fungicide sprays along with nutritional sprays are enough to protect the new flush from infections.
Also, make sure to remove any fruit left on freeze-damaged trees. This helps the trees put their energy into regrowth instead of supporting damaged fruit.
PRUNING
Avoid pruning immediately after a freeze, because it’s hard to tell how much of the tree is truly damaged. Wait until spring or summer and prune only on living wood to remove the damaged parts safely. If the damage goes below the rootstock/scion union, pruning will just encourage growth from the rootstock. In this case, it’s better to regraft a new scion or replant the tree.
WEED MANAGEMENT
An effective weed-control program after a freeze is critical to support rapid recovery of freeze-damaged citrus trees. Freeze-damaged trees often experience foliage loss, which not only reduces the tree’s ability to capture sunlight but also increases sunlight reaching the ground, which encourages weed growth. Weeds then compete heavily with the recovering trees for water, nutrients and light, potentially slowing or limiting new flush development.
Since the trees are already stressed, any loss of newly emerging shoots or leaves can further reduce productivity. By maintaining strong weed management during the post-freeze period, growers can ensure that citrus trees have the necessary resources to recover efficiently and maximize the benefits of other recovery practices, such as foliar and root applications of silicon to support root and shoot regrowth.
Muhammad A. Shahid is an assistant professor, and KeAndre Leaks is an agriculture and food scientist, both at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) North Florida Research and Education Centerin Quincy. Davie M. Kadyampakeni is an associate professor at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred.
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