What would you use kocide for? I don't spray anything on my citrus, except for leaf miners in the spring. That's it. And I have been alternating neem oil with spinosad, once a week, but am switching to rosemary oil diluted in water this year - someone else on the citrus forum has used it very successfully for leaf miners. That's really about the only problems that citrus have around here.

As for fertilizer, citrus need a good citrus fertilizer a couple of times a year, or a good organic fertilizer, applied to the soil. Potassium nitrate is only one component, and plants need the micronutrients and other majors as well. I hardly ever fertilize mine, and get good crops - in fact my lemon usually has 200-300 lemons on it with no fertilizer.

I use Kocide 3000 to control Scab, melanose, and brown spot on my Tangelos and Satsumas and apply it three times as a preventative dose - once right before the plants blooms, at petal fall, and again on the 2nd flush.

Application rate:

H2O: 5gal 3gal 1gal
Kocide 3k: 6tbsp 9tsp 3tsp

I spray my trees with a 2% KNO3 solution every 60 days or so to supplement potassium which leaches very quickly or gets bound by my sandy, calcareous soil.

This paper applies to my growing situation and touches on KNO3 applications and the benefits of them (Pg 4.) : http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/CH/CH08600.pdf

This is another good read regarding foliar sprays of KNO3: http://www.fshs.org/Proceedings/Password%20Protected/2002%20Vol.%20115/6-9%28BOMAN%29.pdf

You may also consider incorporating a wetting agent into your nutritional foliar spray solutions as it makes them much more effective. There are several wetting agents that are available but CoCo Wet is probably a good one - I follow the posts of another forum member that knows her stuff and itâÂÂs what sheâÂÂs going to use.

Do not use a wetting agent with the Kocide or any Oil based spray.

Best,

Skinn30a

Thanks for sharing your experiences Skinn30A. I will look up the website you recommended also. For the potassium nitrate I have the powder form so what ratio would you recommend gal/water. Thanks.

I do 2 level tablespoons per gallon. Take a couple of cups of water out of your gallon and heat it up. Dissolve the KNO3 in the hot water and then add it back to the rest. Mixes much easier that way.

Some of the stuff I've read calls for a much stronger solution but I'd rather do a weaker solution more often...comfort level thing for me...

Spray in the early morning and make sure to get the undersides of the leaves.

Check out KeyPlex HG if you find yourself looking for another foliar supplement. No K in it but my tress like it very much. Here again, I go with a weaker solution more often as opposed to a full strength dose once or twice a year.

My ground is so bad that I'm having to lean very heavily on foliar feeding to keep my citrus happy.

Also, in regards to the Kocide, do not apply in a solution with a PH of less (more acidic) than 6.5...

Best,

Skinn30A

Hi, I am giving you a website for a citrus guru who is in Lake Jackson, Texas. I just went to a class he conducted on citrus and will be attending a grafting class he is giving. His website is extensive and He also answers any email questions. I can't wait to see his extensive collection.
I have been blessed to find him.
https://sites.google.com/site/johnpanza/

Thanks to all for your help. I will certainly take your advice and implement