Planting citrus trees
Grow orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, tangerine, kumquat or other citrus trees in the ground or in a container.
Citrus trees are favorites to grow since they are evergreen, have wonderfully perfumed blossoms and develop tasty and healthy fruit. If you live where frosts are mild or don’t occur at all you can probably grow citrus trees outdoors. Planting citrus trees in pots will allow you to grow them in protected areas if frost could be a problem or if you want to use them on a patio or where there is limited space. There are dwarf citrus trees that do well planted in large pots or directly in the garden. Full sized-trees need to be planted in the ground where some of them can grow large enough to be used as small shade trees in the landscape.
If you can give your citrus really good light you may even be able to grow a dwarf citrus tree indoors as part of a container garden, but these plants will need plenty of sun and as much fresh air as you can give them. They will also need to be exposed to fresh air when in bloom for the blossoms to be pollinated if you want your citrus to set fruit.
The most cold tolerant citrus trees are kumquats, tangerines and lemons whereas the least frost resistant are limes and grapefruits. Plant your citrus tree where it will get full sun, rich soil and plenty of water with good drainage. Watch for whitefly, mealy bug and scale – common insect pests on citrus trees. If you see ants climbing on your citrus tree it is likely you will find one of these sucking insect pests infecting your plant. Ants are attracted to them since whitefly, mealy bug and scale all exude a sticky sweet substance the ants love.
Citrus trees can be an asset to your garden in so many ways. The fruit is high in vitamin C and trace elements as well as being valuable for eating raw or using in cooking. These trees are attractive in growth habit with pink-flushed white flowers and glossy green leaves. Planting citrus trees for their scent, decorative attributes and tasty fruit make them excellent choices for the garden or for container culture.
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Comments
Good citrus tree info. I once had orange and grapefruit trees that provided lots of fresh juice. They are such a luxury if you can successfully maintain them. Dwarf citrus trees in large pots is an excellent way to get started.
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