It's Not a Magic wand: A Simple Step to Protect Your Citrus Trees

It’s Not a Magic wand: A Simple Step to Protect Your Citrus Trees

Introduction

One interesting thing I have frequently observed is that the wire stake often remains in the orchard for years! It is commonly accepted that when establishing a new citrus grove or caring for young trees, providing support is an important first step. In citrus nurseries and during early planting, it’s common to see metallic rebars, wire stakes, or bamboo stakes, etc., placed alongside young tree trunks. This practice gives the tree the mechanical support it needs to grow straight and strong in its formative stage.

While this help is essential at first, it can become a hidden danger if left in place for too long.

A Helpful Tool Becomes a Hazard

The problem arises when a temporary support becomes a permanent fixture. As a healthy citrus tree grows, its trunk widens. If the stake is not removed, the growing trunk will press against the unyielding metal rod.

This creates a cascade of problems, for example:

Mechanical Damage: Constant friction and pressure from the rebar can chafe the bark, creating wounds and indentations. As you can see in the photos, the tree’s trunk is being deformed by the rebar, or the rebar is being absorbed (grafted)
Opening for Disease: These wounds provide entry points for pathogens, including fungi, bacteria, and insects, to enter and infect the tree. When mixing those wounds with irrigation (or rain) water and soil, it becomes a sweet cake for pathogens like Phytophthora.
Girdling: In a worst-case scenario, the tree may attempt to grow around the stake. This process can girdle the trunk, choking off the flow of water and nutrients through the tree’s vascular system and potentially killing it.

What starts as a helpful tool can end up causing significant, long-term damage to the very tree it was meant to protect.

Take-Home Message: Remove the stakes!

The solution is simple and requires no fancy technology. Once a young tree is established and can support itself, the rebar should be removed. This small maintenance act prevents future damage and is a part of ensuring the long-term health and integrity of the groves.

This removal, along with other straightforward practices, is part of a series of simple, effective strategies we will cover in future posts to improve the health and productivity of our groves.

Additional Information

For more information on planting and caring for citrus trees, you can consult the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension offices

For specific questions related to your grove, please contact your local UF/IFAS County Extension office.