Aphids love nothing more than to get a hold of delicious young growing tips
and suck the sap out of them. Easily squished by hand you can swish them
off with soapy water with out harming the tree however, what we recommend
is applying a spray of pest oil.

Pest oil is one of the best panaceas you can have in your garden cupboard.
Applying pest oil to your citrus tree every month through the active growing
season will keep many uninvited visitors from planning a stay.
With the increase of Citrus Gall Wasp (particularly in Melbourne) it has been
reported that using Pest Oil may assist in its control. Smothering the little
instars (grubs) of the wasp as they wiggle out from that cankerous lump on
the citrus branches.
Pest oil is very safe and safe for the environment also, it’s inexpensive and
easy to use, do avoid spraying on scorching hot days, you can purchase
pest oil at your local garden centre.

Citrus really respond well to pruning and over time you can create a very
shapely and well-sized tree. It is important to keep your trees open in shape,
allowing light into all the branches, maximizing fruit production.
A tree in the home garden should also be keep at a manageable height to
allow for easy fruit picking.

Never be fearful of pruning a citrus, to begin, remove any dead or diseased
wood from the tree. Then you can move on to shaping, reducing the size of
the tree or pruning into a roundish shape to allow sunlight to hit the lower
branches as well as the top part of the tree.
A pruning saw and a good pair of secateurs and you’re away.






It is not uncommon at this time of the year that citrus fruit, particularly
oranges will split open while they are on the tree. What causes this no one
is really sure. However it does have something to do with a very tight/tough
skin on the fruit and fluctuations in water delivery.

Citrus that has suffered very harsh and dry conditions and then come into
a wet season will classically suffer from split.
Often the damage occurs when the fruit is not fully ripened. It doesn’t alter
the taste of the fruit and it’s not a disease so if your fruit is ripe enough you
can still eat and enjoy it.







Traditionally people use tomatoes in salad, Citrus particularly oranges offer
the same sharp acidic flavor, but their juicy sweetness provides an extra
zing to a salad, lifting it to another dimension.

4 Blood Oranges
4 small baby beetroot
I red onion
Big handfuls of washed spinach leaves
A Tablespoon of toasted almond slivers or pinenuts.

Lemon juice & olive oil 50:50 place in a small jar

Finely grate the zest from two of the oranges and add to the lemon &
oil dressing.
Supreme your blood oranges (do you remember this from an earlier
Juicy news?) - Here it is again, and place into a bowl.
Boil the beets until tender remove from water, cool and wearing rubber
gloves peel away the skin.

Cut beetroot in half or quarters and add into your citrus.
Salt and pepper to taste and toss together.

Finely slice the red onion and toss into the pinky sweet beets and citrus.

When you are ready to serve your salad toss in some spinach leaves and
mix with your hands.
Shake the dressing in the jar and pour a small amount over to dress
the salad.
Pile onto plates or into a bowl and sprinkle with toasted nuts.
This salad is delicious with roast chicken or duck or a cheesy quiche.