Orange tree micronutrient or other deficiency?

General Fruit Growing
#1

The leaves on my Sanguinelli blood orange are yellow with green veins. I fertilized it in the fall, and just fertilized it again yesterday with 6-4-6 granular citrus fertilizer, raked into the top few inches and watered in. The tree is in adobe clay in San Jose, although the top 2’ of the entire yard was amended with sand and topsoil so it is not quite as bad as it once was.

Do I need something more like iron, zinc, magnesium or manganese? I’m not sure I’ve ever succeeded at getting the leaves to a nice, dark green color.

Click for full-size images:

Here is the tree.

https://www.outrageousoutgrowns.com/media/photos/trees/20210208_172248_sanguinelli_orange.jpg(image larger than 5000KB)

#2

I found this question and answer pdf from the University of California.It pertains to Southern California,but I’m not sure if your conditions are much different.
Numbers 24 and 26 seem closest to your issue.

#3

Good reference material, thanks. I’ll spray the leaves with micronutrients as soon as I get enough of a growth flush for absorption.

#4

I would also add magnesium sulfate

#5

Looks like zinc deficiency to me. Magnesium deficiency in citrus2

#6

Nothing to worry about. This is how almost all citrus in the Bay Area look heading into spring. Cool soil, with rains equals lack of nutrient uptake. As soon as the ground warms in about a month it’ll look much better.

#7

Do you know what your pH is?

#8

For a shotgun approach
You can apply a few ounces of dried kelp meal.
It’s a mild source for many trace minerals.

#9

I have ordered this Southern Ag product with all the micronutrients, although it will take a week to arrive. My understanding is it isn’t always obvious which one is deficient, and there appears to be no downside to applying all 4 in moderation.

Regarding all citrus in the SF bay area looking like this, that might be the answer if this tree reliably greened up in the summer, but that hasn’t really been the case.

I have not measured the soil pH. The city of San Jose apparently has some good data if I can figure out how to tease out my specific location.

I don’t think kelp meal is appropriate for a foliar spray due to solids clogging the sprayer, although it might be good in the soil.

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#10

In that case, maybe there is something else going on. I’d still wait for things to warm up a bit, as or citrus trees are not actively taking up nutrients late winter. They are more in a dormant stage right now. My Washington Navel is just barely pushing new growth.