Container growing can be your ticket to beautiful citrus plants throughout the year. It’s not difficult – but there’s more to it than just popping a plant in a pot and calling it a day. Get your citrus orchard started now with our expert advice.
Fruitful flavours
Firstly, make sure that you’re picking the right fruit for you. Usually the smaller the citrus fruit, the better suited it will be to container growing – so limes and lemons are better options than oranges and grapefruit. You can also see excellent results from slightly more unusual citrus varieties like kumquats.
Totally potty
Make sure you’ve got a pot that’s the right size for your needs. Generally speaking, a pot that’s about 50cm across should suit most young trees. There are all sorts of designs and styles, but do consider how mobile you need your container to be – ceramic and wooden tubs can be beautiful, but are less ideal if you’re planning to move your container around. Plastic is durable and much lighter. Drainage holes are also very important – but most materials can have additional holes drilled, so if the pot of your dreams is low in drainage holes, just add some more!
Specially designed lightweight pots continue to increase in popularity and are available in a variety of traditional and modern styles and finishes, as well as a range of sizes. Made from a unique combination of clay and fibreglass, they are strong and durable, meaning they are easier to manoeuvre than concrete pots, making them ideal for balconies, or when plants need to be moved on a regular basis.
We recommend using a top quality tub mix such as Palmers Tub Mix, as soil from the garden isn’t going to cut it. Citrus trees require a mix that is moist but never soggy, so be wary of this and remember that just because the top of the soil is dry doesn’t mean that the roots aren’t already watered enough.
Location, location, location
When you’re choosing an initial location for the pot, position the container so that it will see eight or more hours of direct sunlight a day. Pick a spot with low wind exposure if possible, and avoid placing citrus plants on a lawn that gets watered frequently. If you live in an area prone to winter frosts, make sure that you have a plan – whether it’s shifting the plant under cover, or to a more sheltered area, or draping a frost blanket around it.
Insects
Some insects are friends, some are foes. Ants, aphids and mites are the latter – so if you’re seeing them make themselves at home around your new tree, we have a simple organic solution! Apply a spray of BioGro Certified Organic Copper then, after eight weeks, apply a spray of BioGro Certified organic Oil, followed again by the Copper in another eight weeks. Keep this rotation going to ensure an insect and disease-free citrus tree all year round, with – more importantly – chemical free and totally organic fruit!