There's
nothing like the taste of fresh citrus fruits picked from your own trees.
However, unless you live in citrus country (California, Florida, Texas,
Arizona), then you're probably going to have to get creative about growing it.
The best way to grow citrus in colder climates is in a container. Even if you
live in citrus country, container growing makes sense. It keeps the trees dwarf
and compact, and makes the plants easier to manage. Newer varieties are better
adapted to container culture, and many varieties are self-fruitful, so you
don't need to worry about pollination.
Even if
you live in a climate where it will be difficult to get ripe fruit from your
citrus tree, there are always the sweet scented flowers that bloom year round
and make citrus a favored houseplant as well.
Here are the basics on how to grow citrus in containers.
1. Select the Right Plants. Although any citrus tree can grow in a container, full
sized grapefruit or orange trees may be hard pressed to survive many years even
in a large container. Look for dwarf varieties of citrus, such as 'Improved Meyer' lemon, 'Bearss' lime, 'Kaffir' lime, kumquats, 'Trovita'
orange, 'Calamondin' orange,
and 'Buddha's Hand'
orange for container growing. These tend to stay between 6 and 12 feet tall at
maturity outdoors and can be kept even at a smaller height in a container. In
cold areas the 'Improved Meyer' lemon, 'Calamondin' orange, and kumquats are
good choices since they're most likely to fruit indoors.
2. Select a Good Container. Start with a small container when planting a young citrus
tree since it will be easier to maintain proper soil moisture than in a big
container. If the soil stays too wet in a large container, the young tree with
a small root system may rot and die. A new citrus tree will grow fine in an
8-inch diameter container to start. Two to three year old trees will need a 10
to 12 inch diameter container. Eventually, you'll need a 16 to 20 gallon
container or one-half whiskey barrel-sized container for long term growth.
Select plastic, terra cotta, or wooden containers. Be sure
they have adequate drainage holes. Plastic containers are the lightest weight
and easiest to move in and outdoors with the seasons. However, the glazed terra
cotta containers look more attractive when the plants are being grown indoors
as houseplants.
3. Select the Right Soil Mix. Citrus need well drained soil, so selecting the right
potting mix is important. Commercial potting mixes with peat moss, perlite,
vermiculite and compost are fine to use as long as the soil is light enough to
drain water well. If your soil is still too heavy, try adding hardwood bark
chips to the mix to increase the amount of air spaces.
4. Potting Up the Tree. Place bare root trees in the container, gently packing in
soil around the roots to remove air spaces. Plant so the citrus roots are just
below the soil surface, but the crown is just above it. If transplanting an
existing citrus tree into a larger container, remove the old tree and examine
the roots. Cut off any dead, broken, and circling root and repot. Water well.
5. Watering.
Citrus prefer infrequent, deep watering as opposed to frequent shallow
watering. Water when the soil is dry to 6 inches deep. If the leaves are
wilting and perk up after watering, then you waited too long to water. If the
leaves are yellowing and cup-shaped, and don't perk up after watering, then you
have been overwatering. Usually once or twice a week is a good frequency to
water, but adjust it based on the time of year and weather. Cool cloudy
conditions in winter will necessitate less frequent watering than hot, sunny
summer conditions.
6. Fertilizing and Pruning. Fertilize in spring with a citrus plant food. Citrus need
extra nitrogen, so look for formulations with double the nitrogen compared to
phosphorous and potassium. If you can't find citrus plant food in your area,
timed-released or organic fruit tree foods with micronutrients are good
alternatives. These slow release products will feed the plant over time. If the
leaves yellow and the watering is correct, supplement the granular fertilizers
with occasional foliar sprays of fish emulsion.
Prune off any new shoots that arise from below the graft
union. These are rootstock shoots and won't grow into the desired citrus
variety. You can also remove thorns if you wish to make handling the tree easier.
These will gradually diminish as the citrus tree ages. Prune for shape and
balance in spring, removing errant or leggy branches.
7. Pests.
Control aphids, scale, and mealybug pests by hand picking them, dabbing
mealybugs with cotton swabs dipped in rubbing alcohol, spraying insecticidal
soap on aphids, and horticultural oil on scale.
8. Winter Care.
In cold winter areas, bring citrus indoors when temperatures dip into the 30Fs.
Slowly transition the trees to the indoor/outdoor environment in spring and
fall by bringing them in and out for one week. Place potted plants in a sunny
south-facing window, reduce watering and consider placing a humidifier or other
houseplants around to keep the humidity high during the dry months. In warm
winter climates, protect trees left outdoors from the occasional frost with
Christmas lights, blankets or burlap.
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