The Citrus Thread

[leafminer]

My grapefruit tree goes from strength to strength. I never expected it to get so big, it's over 6 metres tall now. I've been picking and picking - made 10 litres of juice today, it's all in the refri. And I still have at least another 50 large fruits to pick.

Meanwhile the orange tree looks ready too! I think I've got about 60 small-ish oranges on it. I'll juice a couple of litres I think and treat the family to a big jug of fresh OJ.

 

[ArtVandolay]

Congrats! You always know it's citrus season by the staggering birds that are too drunk to take off

 

[2Dog]

my oranges have been down since december and they are awesome!

 

[cubby]

You all are lucky with your citrus trees. I love fresh citrus of any kind, especialy lemons. The closest thing I can get to fresh citrus is the six foot lemon tree (potted) in my kitchen. It dose'nt fruit but it gets little white flowers and the leaves make the kitchen smell like I just cleaned it (so I don't have too..LOL). The only thing stopping me from growing citrus in my backyard is the snow.

 

[leafminer]

It's a "big lemon" tree, Cubby? You might try planting a key lime, type grown in Mexico, very tolerant to shade, produces all year round. I used to have one but it died so I replaced it with a fig tree. I've got a medlar as well.

 

[cubby]

My lemon tree came from seeds I spit into an annual flower plant that was on my deck. I eat alot of lemons, limes, and oranges. I'll have to look into that Mexican key lime. I've never grown figs but I have some really nice banana trees that I have to bring in the house every fall. But, like the lemon they don't get a long enough season to flower, but they look cool.
I'm gonna' have to look up "Medlar", I've never heard of it.

 

[leafminer]

Ah, that's why the lemon tree is no good. Citrus grown from pips is useless. How do I know? I tried it myself . . . then, disappointed, I checked on the Net.
You have to get a proper tree from a nursery.

 

[HippyInEngland]

If a lemon pip is no good to grow with.

Where do lemon trees come from?

Im very interested in growing my own citrus

eace:

 

[umbra]

I have dwarf citrus in potted planters. I put them outside during warm weather. I have a lemon, a lime, an orange, and a tangerine. They are about 2 ft right now. They should get to about 3 ft. They are 3 years old. Fruits are regular size. When I bought them from a nursery, I think they were $5/each.

 

[leafminer]

Citrus are grafts, on to a different root stock. It's really important to check how the fruit is, try to get a sweet orange or grapefruit, or of course you could opt for the bitter orange used to make the finest marlmalade. The key lime is very spiky but grows in almost anything and yields continuously, year round, also is the highest in vitamin C I believe.
I'd say that my grapefruit produces about 25 litres of juice per harvest and the orange tree more like 12 litres. I need to fertilise the orange tree. . .

 

[HippyInEngland]

Citrus are grafts, on to a different root stock.

So a Citrus is like a parasite growing on a different stock?

eace:

 

[cubby]

I've been looking in online catalogs at the drwarf citrus and will probably be getting a few this spring. It would be great to be able to just walk out on the deck and pick some fresh fruit.

 

[umbra]

I've been looking in online catalogs at the drwarf citrus and will probably be getting a few this spring. It would be great to be able to just walk out on the deck and pick some fresh fruit.

Thats why I got mine. They did not come as I had thought they would. It was dried root stock about 3 inches big, and absolutely no signs of life. They looked as if they had sat in plastic bag for months if not longer. It took weeks before the first leaf showed. One of them has really big thorns. So far I have not tried the fruits. I have been taking them off right after they blossom. It allows the fruit and plant to mature a bit more.

 

[leafminer]

Yes, HIE, the good fruit doesn't develop a good root system and the good root system doesn't grow good fruit. Quite a lot of fruit trees are grown on different root stock.
The only problem I have with the citrus trees is fruit fly. Some years it can be really a big problem. I dont like spraying so I pick up any early dropped fruit and bin it, not compost it.