Lemons • Mandarins • Navels • Valencias • Grapefruit

As citrus moves deeper into spring and early summer across California, growers are balancing heavy nutrient demand, sizing, carbohydrate movement, heat preparation, and maintaining strong canopy health heading into aggressive fruit development.

From the Imperial Valley through Riverside and into the Central Valley, the key focus remains maintaining plant energy, supporting fruit sizing, maximizing nutrient efficiency, and preparing orchards for upcoming heat and water stress conditions.

Key Nutritional Priorities

1. Maintain Plant Energy & Fruit Development

Citrus trees are entering one of the highest energy-demand periods of the season. Nutrient movement, sugar production, and fruit sizing all rely heavily on phosphorus availability and active metabolism.

Axiom Ion Recommendations:

• Basilic Thunder (6-19-4)

Ortho-phosphate phosphorus designed to support:

• ATP and energy production
• Root activity
• Fruit development
• Flower-to-fruit transition
• Carbohydrate movement

• Axiom Ion Magnesium

Critical for:

• Chlorophyll production
• Photosynthesis
• Sugar production
• Maintaining healthy green canopy
• Energy transfer during fruit sizing

• Atlas

49 Independent Fermented Strains supporting:

• Nutrient cycling
• Root stimulation
• Nitrogen efficiency
• Soil biology activation
• Improved uptake during stress periods

2. Drive Fruit Size, Pack-Out & Quality

As sizing begins accelerating, maintaining calcium and potassium movement becomes critical for:

• Fruit firmness

• Peel integrity

• Uniform size

• Brix development

• Shelf life

• Pack-outs

Axiom Ion Calcium

Our lactate-bound calcium supports:

• Cell wall integrity
• Stronger fruit structure
• Reduced creasing and breakdown
• Improved root strength
• Better nutrient movement throughout the tree

Kalibrate

Supports:

• Sugar transport
• Fruit fill
• Water regulation
• Heat stress tolerance
• Fruit sizing consistency

Especially important during:

• Early sizing
• Heat spikes
• Heavy crop load periods

3. Support Soil Health & Irrigation Efficiency

Many citrus orchards continue dealing with:

• High bicarbonates
• Salinity
• Tight soils
• Water penetration issues
• Reduced microbial activity

Axiom Soil Strategy:

Pair:

• Atlas
• Axiom Ion Calcium
• Basilic Thunder

To improve:

• Soil structure
• Root expansion
• Water infiltration
• Nutrient availability
• Irrigation efficiency

This becomes especially important heading into summer irrigation cycles across Riverside and Central Valley regions.

4. Micronutrient Demand Increasing

Citrus demand for zinc, manganese, boron, and iron continues increasing during:

• Fruit sizing
• New flush
• Active carbohydrate production

Axiom Ion Micronutrient Program

Lactate-bound:

• Zinc
• Manganese
• Iron
• Boron

Designed for:

• Improved foliar absorption
• Less tie-up in calcareous soils
• Increased metabolic activity
• Better nutrient mobility during stress

Pest & Disease Pressure Update

Current Pressure Areas:

• Thrips
• Mites
• Scale
• Aphids
• Leafminers
• Mealybugs

Warmer weather and aggressive flushes are increasing pressure across many citrus regions.

Trees entering heat stress or nutrient imbalance become more susceptible to:

• Pest feeding
• Fruit scarring
• Weak canopy structure
• Reduced fruit finish quality

Plant Health & Defense Strategy

Finale

Supports:

• Plant defense response
• Reduced environmental stress
• Stronger overall plant health
• Cleaner canopy conditions

Axiom Ion Calcium

Helps strengthen:

• Cell walls
• Fruit integrity
• Leaf tissue strength

Axiom Ion Zinc

Supports:

• Enzyme activation
• Hormone activity
• Stress management
• Carbohydrate metabolism

Balanced nutrition continues being one of the strongest tools for reducing overall stress-related pest pressure.

Regional Focus

Imperial Valley Citrus

Key Focus:

• Heat preparation
• Salinity management
• Water efficiency
• Fruit sizing

Backbone Program:

• Atlas
• Basilic Thunder
• Axiom Ion Calcium
• Kalibrate
• Magnesium

Riverside Citrus

Key Focus:

• Fruit finish quality
• Pack-outs
• Root health
• Micronutrient efficiency

Backbone Program:

• Calcium
• Zinc
• Magnesium
• Atlas
• Kalibrate

Central Valley Citrus

Key Focus:

• Heavy crop load support
• Carbohydrate movement
• Brix development
• Summer stress preparation

Backbone Program:

• Basilic Thunder
• Kalibrate
• Calcium
• Atlas
• Micronutrient package

Overall California Citrus Strategy

The strongest citrus orchards this season will focus on:

• Maintaining plant energy
• Maximizing nutrient efficiency
• Building stronger root systems
• Improving fruit quality and pack-outs
• Managing salinity and heat stress
• Supporting consistent carbohydrate movement

Axiom Ag continues helping citrus growers across California improve:

• Fruit quality
• Brix
• Size consistency
• Peel integrity
• Soil structure
• Water efficiency
• Overall orchard performance

through our lactate-bound Axiom Ion nutrition platform for both conventional and organic citrus production systems.