HOW TO GROW CITRUS TREES

Home » Home and Family » Gardening Join Sign in EzineArticles - Expert Authors Sharing Their Best Original Articles Custom Search Search Christina Sinclair Platinum Quality Author Platinum Author | 25 Articles Joined: April 2, 2015 England How to Grow Citrus Trees Successfully By Christina Sinclair | Submitted On May 07, 2015 Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Citrus trees are handsome plants to grow, but they need careful care and the right growing conditions. You need to have exactly the right position in which to place a citrus tree in order to give it a suitable home before you buy one. Citrus trees produce sweet-smelling white flowers and are self-fertile so don't need a partner to produce fruits. They can be grown from pips if you are lucky and make attractive pot plants as they grow. It will take quite some time for them to be big enough to produce fruits. They are plants only for very patient gardeners. All varieties of citrus trees need consistent warmth. They can be moved outside during spells of good, summer weather but must be kept inside to be sheltered under glass during the colder seasons. This means you will need space in a cool conservatory or heated greenhouse for them in the autumn, winter and spring and a sheltered terrace in the summer. Harden them off gradually when you first put them outside and wrap them in horticultural fleece if the nights become too chilly. Feed your trees every two weeks with a special citrus fertilizer if they are confined to a pot. They will become stressed if they try to produce too many fruits so depending on its size don't allow more than four to six fruits to grow on a tree. These fruits will take six months or more to ripen. Citrus trees can only survive planted outside in a garden if summers are hot and frosts are not too severe or prolonged. In order to produce fruits they need several months of temperatures that don't dip below 15° Celsius so they are much more likely to thrive in a greenhouse if these conditions cannot be guaranteed. Citrus trees like high humidity so dislike the atmosphere of heated rooms. Humidity can be raised by standing a tree's pot on a tray of wet gravel. Don't place the pot near a radiator or in a place where there is any danger of the tree being hit by a cold draught. The tree should be watered very sparingly during the winter. Watch out for pests and deal with any infestation straight away. In early spring, re-pot the tree into a slightly larger container using a soil-based compost. Citrus trees need slightly acid, well-drained soil and a high-nitrogen feed in the summer. Prune away dead wood or any branch that is rubbing against another. Make sure the pot has good drainage because citrus trees can't cope with being waterlogged. They do like water on their leaves, so a light spray with a mister when they are inside or a fine spray from a hosepipe outside would be welcome. Citrus fruits need a lot of care. The best plant for a beginner might be a lemon tree which grows quite quickly, or a mandarin which is more resilient to the cold. Sweet oranges need constant warm temperatures in order to fruit. Limes are very tender and will need a high enough heat in order to fruit. Grapefruit trees are very difficult to grow because they need high temperatures to thrive and will only produce fruits on a large tree which you may not have room for. If fruits do appear, they take many months to ripen fully. Whether you buy a citrus tree or grow one from a pip, although a challenge to grow, they can be very beautiful and rewarding. Christina Sinclair is a lecturer and self-published children's author with qualifications in design. She is now writing 'The Salty Sam Fun Blog for Children' which is to be found on her website. The blog has articles about history, science, nature, gardening and environmental issues. It also has free craft downloads, knitting patterns, easy recipes and other projects for children. Visit it at http://www.christina-sinclair.com/blog/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Christina_Sinclair/2107289 0 Comments | Leave a Comment Did you find this article helpful? Happy Face0 Sad Face0 Viewed 29 times Word count: 579 Article Tools EzinePublisher Report this article Cite this article Stay Informed Subscribe to New Article Alerts: Home and Family: Gardening Christina Sinclair Email Address Subscribe We will never sell or rent your email address. Gardening Article Feed Gardening Article Feed Find More Articles Search Similar Articles Caring for Conservatory Plants Suggestions on Planting Lemon Trees The Myth About Composting Citrus Fruit Fast Growing Pine Tree and The Splendor of The Royal Empress Tree How to Plant Lemon Grass In Your Garden Grow Your Own Citrus Fruits Indoors How To Grow Organic Citrus Fruits - One Of The Top 10 Super-Foods Ball and Burlap Planting Instructions - Part Three - Placing the Trees Plant Varieties That Can Be Planted Near Or Under Black Walnut Trees Bonsai Gardening Tips - How to Care For Bonsai Trees and Plants Recent Articles Understanding How Common Types of Weeds Grow How to Grow Strawberries in a Pot Utricularia Plants: Learn About Managing And Growing Bladderworts Top 10 Water Primrose Facts You Need to Know Coontail - Mechanical and Chemical Control Options Moderate May Weather in Southern California Makes Gardening Easy The 5 Elements of Caring for a Bonsai Tree Winter Gardening - How to Grow Vegetables in Winter Things to Consider For Buying Plant Seeds Why You Should Plant a California Native Garden EzineArticles.com About Us FAQ Contact Us Member Benefits Privacy Policy Shop Site Map Blog Training Video Library Advertising Affiliates Cartoons Authors Submit Articles Members Login Premium Membership Expert Authors Endorsements Editorial Guidelines Terms of Service Publishers Terms Of Service Ezines / Email Alerts Manage Subscriptions EzineArticles RSS © 2017 EzineArticles All Rights Reserved Worldwide