I worry about this all the time. Too much water and moisture retention because of mulch. But.... My citrus are doing wonderfully. This time of year they get watered every 12 hours with a drip system. I replenish the mulch once yearly. It is a "woody" type mulch. I keep the mulch out to the drip line of the trees. I keep the mulch away from the trunk to help prevent gummosis. I use Agri-Fos once yearly. Bayer Citrus Care twice yearly. Arizona's Best granular fertilizer Feb, May, and Sept. Foilage-Pro twice yearly. They are doing very well. I guess the best judge of care is how the plants are doing themselves, so I am not going to change anything. But, being a "Citrus Dad" I still worry. :>)

Most recent planting. In the ground this last February. Thornless Key (Mexican) Lime. Growing like a weed.

Thanks. Interesting and helpful.

Agri-Fos seems to use the same novel systematic antifungal mechanism as Aliette. That's encouraging.

gonebananas, it really depends on where you live. Doc lives in Tuscon, AZ, where the temps can be pretty high, as well as sun intensity. And, water is a precious resource, so any way to retain a reasonable soil moisture is beneficial. Same here for me in S. California. But, you also need to know whether or not you have issues with phytophthora in your soil or not. My area of the country (N. San Diego county) is known to have issues with several strains of this organism responsible for foot root or gummosis in many different plants, not just citrus. So, I have to be very careful about not overwatering, and I also treat with AgriFos, as do all the commercial avocado growers in my area (that, or Aliette). So, it really depends on where you live, amount of rainfall, and what's happening in your native soils.

Patty S.

Wow doc:) thats what im talking bout NICE trees!!! More pics!!!

Correction: "systemic," obviously, not "systematic" fungicide.

I'm in central South Carolina (lat. 34 N) where sun intensity and bare soil temperatures can be brutal in summer, and where summer rainfall can be from deluge to drought, though winter is usually (not always) fairly moist. In summer, natural unirrigated soil moisture varies enormously, even on a weekly basis, in the clean sands I am accursed with.

I mulch 2:)
my babies just went into the ground not long ago

It is certain that your citrus trees should be grafted on poncirus trifoliata, all the more because it has a swivelling root that can find water quite easily. However, instead of mulch you should use light colored stones that helps preserve a certain level of humidity (but not too much). Do not water your trees every days since you will encourage Phytophthora fungus and also asphyxiate the root. I live in the South of Spain where the summer lasts at least 6 months and where the temperatures range, at the moment, from 22 to 38ú C and I water them every 4 days. They grow very well.