What could be better than having fresh lemons
or oranges at your finger tips? Despite what you might think, citrus plants
are easy to grow on your own patio in containers.
Where Can You Grow Them? Citrus can be grown in a wider area than you might think, although they are particularly suited to the southeast, southwest and west. They need 8+ hours of direct sun and a relatively wind-free southern exposure. Most citrus will thrive in climates that have warm to hot summers and mild winters, as they cannot withstand freezing temperatures. In areas where winters are cold, shelter the plants in a garage or basement that gets good bright light or bring them indoors and place no farther than 6 feet from a sunny window. The prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures is more harmful than a brief dip in temperature. If you only get occasional freezes, you can just wrap them with a frost blanket. What Container To Choose? Any container will work for your citrus as long as it’s big enough and has enough drainage holes. A 15” x 15” pot is a good size to start with if you’re buying a young tree. Don’t start out with too large a pot as it will be difficult to control the moisture levels. Plastic or ceramic containers will not dry out as fast as terra cotta or wood. The size of the tree will be greatly influenced by the size of the container, so you will need to move your citrus to a larger container every few years as it grows. You’ll know it’s ready for a larger pot because the leaves may start to drop or turn brown. At this point you can either move the tree to a container than is about 25% larger or if you’re happy with its size, take it out of the existing container, cut off about ¼ of the roots, re-pot in new soil and prune 1/3 of the foliage. How To Grow Them Use a soil mix that is lightweight and drains well, as citrus need to be moist but not soggy. Being gentle with the root ball, set it in the bottom of the new container on about an inch of soil mix. Press more soil around the root ball and fill the container. Loosely stake the tree if necessary and water well. Do NOT let it sit in a saucer of water! Raise the container off the ground, either by putting it on a wheeled platform or on small, upturned saucers or pots, so air will be able to circulate. How To Maintain Them Water
Prune Pests Take the plunge. Plant a beautiful and fragrant citrus tree on your patio, because there is nothing quite like picking that sparkling fruit you’ve grown yourself! For additional information on growing citrus in containers or to purchase dwarf citrus trees online, see Four Winds Growers, http://www.fourwindsgrowers.com/growing/containers.html |
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