{"id":2359,"date":"2020-03-27T05:24:13","date_gmt":"2020-03-27T05:24:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/?p=2359"},"modified":"2020-03-27T06:25:47","modified_gmt":"2020-03-27T06:25:47","slug":"citrus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/2020\/03\/27\/citrus\/","title":{"rendered":"Citrus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

(Citrus<\/em> species) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction: Citrus are prized for their delicious fruit, but\ntheir wonderfully fragrant flowers and dark green evergreen leaves also make\nthem very popular ornamental garden plants for mild winter areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

History: These species all originated in Southeast Asia,\nmostly in China, though they have long been grown all around the world. Various\nfamous cultivars bear the names of the places they were developed (Seville\norange, Lisbon Lemon, Mexican Lime and Tahitian Lime).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Citrus:

Size
Standard \u2013 18-30 ft tall x 20ft wide
Dwarf \u2013 8-12 ft tall x 10 ft wide
Zone: 9-11
Winter chill hours: 0
Blooming period: Depends upon the species
Fruiting period: (depends on species)
Life expectancy: 10-50 years depending on whereabouts in the country and on what site.
Bearing age: 2-4 years
Days to harvest: 100
Spacing:
Standard tree 15-25ft apart
Dwarf tree 6-10ft apart (depends on species)
<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ease of growing: The Citrus are easy to grow in the right climate, not so easy if it isn\u2019t suited to them. All need full sun and hot weather if they are to produce sweet fruit. Lemons and Limes don\u2019t produce sweet fruit of course so don\u2019t need as much heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climate: More than most tree fruit the right climate is critical\nfor growing good citrus fruit and the area where they can be successfully grown\nis very restricted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Citrus\nare native to warm climates and can\u2019t tolerate much frost. Winter weather must\nbe mild, with few night below freezing (even one night of hard frost can do\nserious damage). The coldest it should ever get is 20 deg F and even then you\nwill need to protect them carefully (or grow them in pots and taken into a\ngreenhouse in winter). I list the relative hardiness of each species below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nplants also need lots of heat if they are to produce sweet fruit; if the summer\ndoesn\u2019t get warm enough the fruit won\u2019t taste very good (lemons aren\u2019t supposed\nto be sweet so they can be grown in cooler areas than other fruit. In marginal\nareas they can be grown against south facing walls to provide additional heat<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Citrus growing in tropical\nclimates (where day and night temperatures don\u2019t fluctuate very much) don\u2019t\ndevelop a colored skin and remain green even when ripe (coupled with year round\nbearing this makes it hard to tell when the fruit is fully ripe). The fruit is\nalso sweeter and not so acidic, which makes it good for juice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Soil<\/p>\n\n\n\n

pH\n5.5 – 8.0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generally citrus trees\nprefer well drained, fairly good soil with lots of organic matter. It should\nalso be water retentive, but not wet, which could encourage root rot. They can\nbe grown on very light or heavy soils if you add lots of organic matter to\nimprove their texture. They don\u2019t like saline soils at all. If your soil isn\u2019t\nvery well drained you might consider planting on a hillside (or on a mound if\nthe site is flat).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Site: Citrus really need heat to produce sweet fruit, so should be\nplanted in the hottest and sunniest part of the garden. This will usually have\na southern or western exposure, but should be protected from cold or drying\nwinds. In marginal areas they can be espaliered against walls for maximum\nwarmth (and winter protection). I hardly need add that you should avoid low\nlying frost pockets where cold air collects on cold nights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Careful use of microclimate\nis important when growing citrus, because it can mean the difference between\nhaving to go out every time frost threatens (to cover the trees), or being able\nto forget about them. It really pays to study your garden carefully and put\nthese tender plants in the warmest and most protected places you can find. I\nhave mine on the south side of my house and under the southern and western drip\nline of a large oak tree (this gives them a significant amount of protection\nfrom frost). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like most other fruit trees,\ncitrus don\u2019t like grass because it competes with the trees for water and\nnutrients (and is very competitive).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Site preparation: If the soil\nisn\u2019t very good you may want to dig the entire planting area and incorporate 3\u201d\nof compost or aged manure, as well as wood ashes and maybe a fertilizer mix.\nThis works much better than simply amending the planting hole, as it encourages\nthe trees roots to spread out. In areas with wet soil they might be grown on\nmounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to look for when buying a tree: Before buying a Citrus tree you should examine it\ncarefully for problems. The leaves should be large, dark green and have no\nsignificant signs of insect damage or infestation. It should not be flowering\nor bearing fruit and the roots shouldn\u2019t be circling around the root ball (look\ninside the pot). These are all signs that the plant has been in the container\nfor too long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When:\nCitrus are usually bought as container grown plants, though they are sometimes\navailable ball and burlapped, or even bare root. Container trees can be planted\nout at any time, but spring is best as it gives the plant a whole season to get\nestablished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How:\nDig a hole for the tree 2\u20113 times as wide as the root spread and the same depth\nas the root (this gives the roots plenty of space). A tree should always be set\nin the ground at the same depth it was growing in the nursery (this is most\neasily measured by laying a stick across the hole to get the right height). The\ngraft union should be at least 3\u201d above soil level. In poorly drained soils you\nmay have to plant on a mound, to keep the collar of the tree from too much\nmoisture, which could potentially cause it to rot. Throw a couple of shovels of\nsoil (and possibly organic matter) into a mound in the bottom of the hole, then\nspread out the trees roots evenly over the mound (trim off any damaged roots).\nThen refill the hole with the soil (you might want to add some rock phosphate,\nwood ash and lime to the soil). Pack the soil down into the hole firmly (shake\nthe tree slightly to help soil settle as you add it) and then water well (this\nnot only gives water to the plant, but also helps to establish contact between\nroots and soil). When you have finished planting the tree should be on a slight\nmound, so as the soil settles it becomes flat (if it starts out perfectly flat\nyou may end up with a slight depression where water can collect). A final step\nis a mulch to conserve water and keep down weed competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If gophers are a problem in\nyour area you will have to plant in a wire basket. This is an extra hassle and\nno one likes doing it, but it\u2019s a lot less painful than losing the tree 3 years\nlater, just as it starts to come into bearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Support: Newly planted trees were once routinely staked, but it is now thought\nthat the trunk gets stronger faster if left unstaked. However a tree in an\nexposed position may have to be staked to stop it being continuously rocked by\nthe wind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maintenance: Citrus are pretty low maintenance, the most\nsignificant task being to ensure the plants aren\u2019t seriously damaged or killed\nby frost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fertilizing: Citrus are quite hungry plants and need a steady\nsupply of nutrients to keep them producing well. This is best supplied in the\nform of a thick mulch of compost, though you can also give a top dressing of a\nfertilizer mix. You might give them a boost of nitrogen in late winter, so it\nis available when growth starts up. They also need plenty of iron, magnesium,\nmanganese and zinc. The trees feeder roots are mostly in the top two feet of\nsoil and extend out well past the drip line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watering:\nIt is important that young trees are watered regularly, so the soil doesn’t\ndry out.  Established\ntrees are fairly drought tolerant, but need a constant supply of water if they\nare to produce well. Give them an occasional deep watering (ideally down\nto 4 ft). Don\u2019t give them too much water however as constantly wet soil can\nlead to root rot. Drip irrigation is best as it doesn\u2019t wet the foliage or\nfruit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mulch: Citrus benefit from a deep\nmulch of compost or aged manure (though not one that contains much\nsalt). Use it to prevent the evaporation of moisture from the soil, to suppress\nwater robbing weeds and to add nutrients. Keep it at least 6\u201d away from the\ntrunk, as if this stays wet it can encourage disease. Mulch can harbor slugs\nand snails which like to eat the foliage, so be aware if these are a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pollination: The insect pollinated\nflowers generally appear in early spring, though this depends upon species and\nclimate. Most citrus are self-fertile and fruit prolifically, though very high\ntemperatures can result in poor fruit set. Indoor plants may be hand\npollinated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pruning: Mature trees don’t need much pruning, except to remove suckers and dead, diseased, damaged, broken or crossed branches. Younger trees may need to be pruned to control their shape and to remove unwanted suckers and overly vigorous growth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nevergreen leaves don\u2019t just produce food, they also store it (as do the\nbranches). This means that any time you prune and remove leaves and branches\nyou are removing food stores, so it\u2019s good to keep it to a minimum. Plants can\nbe pruned at any time of year, except from late winter to early spring, which\nis when they have most stored nutrients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Propagation: Citrus are usually propagated by budding or grafting\non to seedling rootstock (though improved rootstocks\nare being developed). Many Citrus produce seed which is polyembryonic\n(contains more than one embryo that can grow into a plant \u2013 cut a seed and look\nat how many are inside) and these commonly produce vigorous seedlings almost\nidentical to the parent. Citrus seed must be moist when planted, if it dries\nout germination will be severely reduced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frost: In most citrus growing\nareas of the United States there is a chance of a severe frost damaging your\ntrees every so often (you are lucky if you can go 10 years without significant\ndamage). Any time the temperature drops much\nbelow freezing there is a danger to the trees and you might have to think about\nprotecting them. The grapefruits and limes are the most tender, followed by the\noranges, while the mandarins and lemons are the most hardy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best way to protect the trees is to put them in the warmest\nprotected microclimates in the garden. If you are lucky this may be all you\nneed to do (while neighbors who planted their trees in less favorable\nsituations have to run out in the middle of the night to protect them). If you\ndon\u2019t have a warm enough microclimate to protect them you will also have to\ntake other steps. The commonest of these is to cover the plants with sheets\nwhen frost threatens and this can help them get through moderate frost without\nharm. If the frost seems likely to be severe you could put old fashioned\nChristmas lights or incandescent light bulbs under the trees as well. The small\namount of heat they give off will be trapped by the sheets and can help a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your winters are just too cold for growing citrus, you could\ntry growing them in large tubs and bringing them indoors for the winter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much damage the plants will suffer in a frost is determined by\nnumber of factors: How cold it gets, how long the cold lasts, whether the cold\nair can drain away, or whether it collects in a frost pocket and the location\nof the tree (is it out in open or near shelter of buildings or trees). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frost damage is also related to the stage of growth (young foliage\nand flowers are most vulnerable) and whether the trees are actively growing. Trees stop growing when temperatures go below 55\ndegrees and are less damaged by frost when they are dormant. A frost that comes\nwhen the trees are actively growing in spring will be much more damaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The degree of damage to the fruit depends upon where on tree it\nis. Fruit exposed on the top of the tree will suffer more than those at the\nbottom, protected by a dense cover of leaves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a plant is hard hit by frost and all the leaves are killed\ndon\u2019t be in too much of a hurry to remove damaged branches (or even the whole\ntree). Wait until late the following spring and see how much of it recovers. In\nmany cases it will grow new leaves and come back as good as new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pests:\nCitrus can be afflicted by a range of\npests and diseases, especially when growing in adverse conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aphids<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mites<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scale<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mealy\nbugs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slugs\nand snails<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gophers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disease:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Root\nrot<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oak root\nfungus (Armillaria mellea)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gummosis<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harvest:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When: This depends upon the type of fruit and the variety, some kinds fruit over a long period (sometimes for months), some hold ripe fruit on th3e tree until next years crop is ready and some bear a heavy crop all at once. Fruit will usually stay in good condition on the tree for quite a while, so doesn\u2019t have to be harvested immediately it is ripe. However fruit that is to be stored for any length of time should be picked soon after it is fully ripe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nfruit produced when trees are very young isn\u2019t usually very good and is often\nremoved while it is small, to prevent the tree wasting energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How: Fruit should be cut from the tree using pruning\nshears. Pulling it off is a bad idea as it can damage both the tree and the\nfruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Landscape uses: With their beautiful and strongly fragrant flowers, attractive fruit and dark evergreen foliage, the citrus are wonderful ornamentals for warm climates. It is a good idea to plant them close to the house where you can enjoy them. A warm sunny patio is a good place, as you can appreciate their scent and they are convenient placed if you have to protect them from frost. The lower growing types can be used as shrubs to create an evergreen hedge, while the bigger trees can be used as specimen trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Containers: In\ncooler areas dwarf Citrus are often grown in containers, so they can be brought\nindoors for the winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dwarf\ncitrus: There are standard and dwarf\nvarieties of citrus. The dwarfs may produce half as much as a standard tree,\nbut you can grow four dwarf trees in the same space as one standard. Trifoliate\norange is often used as a dwarfing rootstock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Food uses: Flowers, peel, fruit and juice are all used.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Varieties:\nThe Citrus species vary a lot in their\nhardiness and uses. The minimum temperatures are\nextremes and not guaranteed. They include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kumquat\n(C. fortunella) (Hardy to 20\u00b0 F) \u2013 The hardiest\ncitrus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tangerine\nor Mandarin (C. reticulata)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Owari Satsuma – This delicious seedless mandarin is one of\nthe hardiest species and has been known to survive to 20\u00b0. The fruit starts to\nripen in December, which is why they are sometimes associated with Christmas.\nThis has been the most trouble free and dependable Citrus in my garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meyer Lemon – This cross between a lemon and a mandarin is\none of the hardiest of all Citrus and has been known to survive temperatures in\nthe low 20\u2019s F. It flowers and fruits prolifically over a long period and is\nalmost everbearing, so you can get fruit almost year round (a wonderful asset\nin any fruit). It is also a natural dwarf and apparently can be grown from\ncuttings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sweet Orange (C. aurantiacum<\/em>?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Washington\nNavel – A fine flavored orange as well as one of the hardiest. It can survive\ndown to 24\u02da F.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moro Blood Orange – Has dark purple flesh with a unique\nflavor. Hardy to 27\u00b0 F.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grapefruit <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I haven\u2019t tried to grow one\nof these but apparently they are hardy to 25\u00b0 F. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lemon (Citrus limon<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lemons are a good choice\nfor areas with cooler summers because they don’t need heat to develop sweetness\nfor best flavor.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eureka – This is the classic\ncommercial lemon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lisbon – The fruit is quite\nsimilar to the Eureka, but the plant is more vigorous, hardier and generally\neasier to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lime <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bears Lime<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hardiest lime (to 28\u00b0 F)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mexican Limes (Hardy to 32\u00b0\nF)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Citron (Hardy to 32\u00b0 F)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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