Citrus tree facts and info
Care and feeding
General growing information
Planting
Full sun is best. Trees should be 15 feet from any structure. Citrus trees should be pruned yearly around Christmas time.
Some people seem to be happy with a 20 to 30 foot tree. Trees this tall are a huge hassle to harvest. Ideal height is to reach the fruit you harvest off of a 6 foot ladder.
Trees should be free of limbs 2 to 3 feet off the ground. New trees have a tendency to make low shoots or branches. Cut these off, particularly any branches growing from the root stock.
Trees should have only one trunk.
Citrus can be pruned year around however try not to cut off any blossoms. I shape my tree in a ball every December.
Multiple trees
If you have a small back yard do not let this deter you from growing trees. You can plant up to 4 different trees in the same container. Plant the trees as close to each other as you can in a diamond pattern, they will grow just fine. The trees pictured in the container are Meyer Lemon, Key Lime, Satsuma and Navel Orange which create a nice fruit basket to harvest from during citrus season. The one's shown are about 2 1/2 years old.
If you never intend to plant your citrus tree in the ground use a container as a large as possible to achieve maximum harvest production. The size of the container will determine the size of the tree.
Fertizler
The right fertilizer to use for citrus is 15-8-11. It is very hard to find. It is a commercial product. For backyard production, 8-8-8 or 13-13-13 will work OK.
Citrus trees require one pound of fertilizer for every year the tree has been in the ground. Spread the fertilizer evenly under the drip line in a pattern that is 18 inches wide.
Insect control
Contact me and I will send you links with additional information on tree care and insect/disease prevention.
citrustrees@bellsouth.net
Sun and shade
Citrus trees should be planted in full sun. However, I have seen a lot of citrus planted on the shady side of a fence (North side) and they seem to do just fine. However, full sun is recommended.
Growing zones
Most all of the gulf coast is zone 9 and any variety of citrus tree will grow fine in this area. Citrus trees can be grown in other areas, they should be planted in 25 gallon containers or bigger. They need to be moved to a protected location during freezing weather. Having a cart available for ease of mobility is recommended.
11 year old Persian Lime Tree
