🍊 How much water does citrus need?
Citrus consumes about 30 L per square meter per week (1.18 inches/week, 32,069 US gallons/acre/week) during peak demand. Drought tolerance is rated 3/5, and the most water-efficient delivery is Drip irrigation.
What that means in practice
A 1,000 m² (¼ acre) plot of citrus needs about 30,000 L (~7,926 gallons) per week at peak. That's the budget you need to plan around — well capacity, pond drawdown, or municipal allowance.
| Plot size | Liters / week | US gallons / week |
|---|---|---|
| 100 m² (small bed) | 3,000 | 793 |
| 500 m² (large bed) | 15,000 | 3,963 |
| 1,000 m² (¼ acre) | 30,000 | 7,926 |
| 4,046 m² (1 acre) | 121,380 | 32,069 |
Recommended irrigation: Drip
For citrus, drip irrigation delivers the highest water-use efficiency. Drip systems put water directly at the root zone with 90%+ efficiency, vs sprinkler at 70-80% (the rest evaporates or drifts). Drip costs more in tubing and emitters; pays back in the first dry month.
Drought tolerance
Citrus scores 3/5 on the drought-tolerance scale (1 = wilts in two days without irrigation; 5 = thrives on rainfall alone in semi-arid zones). Higher-score crops are forgiving if your irrigation budget hits a snag mid-season; lower-score crops need a backup plan.
How to get the numbers right for YOUR farm
The figures above are typical mid-season demand under standard climate. Real consumption shifts ±50% with heat, wind, soil type, mulch coverage, and crop stage. Newly transplanted seedlings need less water than fruiting plants at peak. Heavy clay soil holds water 2-3× longer than sandy loam between irrigations.
The reliable approach is to start with this baseline, then adjust based on what you see in the field — wilted leaves mid-afternoon (under-watered), yellowing from the bottom up (over-watered or saturated soil), pulled-up plant with dry rootball (under-watered).
Plan irrigation alongside profit
Farm Planner's decision engine cross-references each crop's water budget against your supply (well, pond, municipal allowance) before recommending what to plant. The tonight-irrigation calculator combines this with the local NOAA forecast — skipping the run on a rainy day saves real dollars over a season. Free 30-day trial.