Citrus Tree Care

Citrus trees? In this climate? Here in Central Pennsylvania (and in like-climates), citrus trees can make very attractive container plants for the patio. They are ideal for homeowners who have enough space and natural light to house them indoors during winter. During summer, they can be placed outside. Due to their size, smaller members of the citrus family like limes, kumquats, and calamondins are the best choices for house plants but all citrus trees will adapt to containers until they reach a certain size. The following factors are the most important to consider when growing citrus in containers:

THE CONTAINER

The container must be large enough to give the citrus room to grow. Any material will do, from old wooden barrels to large planters. If you are going to be moving your plant occasionally, weight is a consideration. Whatever container you choose, make sure that it has holes in the bottom to allow for drainage.

LIGHT

All citrus require lots of sunlight to grow properly. Citrus can be grown in partial shade to slow the growth of your tree and will also help when it is moved indoors on occasion. Make sure to avoid subjecting your container citrus to lengthy periods of full shade as this will hamper it’s development.

PLANTING

Partially fill the container with potting soil. Place your tree in the center and continue adding soil until it is at the level the tree was originally planted, no higher. There should be a gap of a few inches between the surface of the soil and the lip of the container, allowing it to be watered without overflowing.

WATERING AND FERTILIZING

Avoid over-watering your citrus. A good rule of thumb is to allow the first inch of soil to dry between waterings. Water slowly until the soil is moist but not soggy. A good citrus-specific fertilizer should be used from time to time, but do not over fertilize and follow the instructions carefully. We recommend Mir-Acid.

PRUNING

Pruning is generally not necessary in the case of landscape citruses, but sometimes container citrus become ‘leggy’ from inadequate light and can benefit from pruning the top back by about a third. This pruning will stimulate branching. Be cautious though, for the health of your tree, pruning cannot take the place of adequate light.