Citrus: Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Lemons, Oranges, Limes, Mandarins, and Tangelos

Planting

Citrus trees should be planted in a sunny and wind-protected area.
In the citrus belt, trees can be planted at any time, however, spring is the best time for container grown plants.
Standard-size trees should be spaced 12 to 25 feet apart and dwarf trees should be set 6 to 10 feet apart. The exact distance depends on the variety. The bigger the fruit, the farther the distance.
If the soil is not well-drained, plant the trees on a slight mound to prevent waterlogging.
To plant citrus trees inside from seeds, remove the seeds from the desired fruit. Soak the seeds overnight in water and plant them 1/2 inch deep in moist potting soil. Cover the pot with a plastic bag or wrap and let it sit in a warm and sunny spot for a few weeks until the seeds start to grow. Then, remove the plastic but keep the pot near a warm and sunny window.

Care

For the first few years, feed the tree a balanced fertilizer high in nitrogen.
Spread about 2 pounds of fertilizer over 2 or 3 doses in regular intervals.
Double the quantity of fertilizer after 4 or 5 years of growth.
Apply mulch to retain moisture.
Fruit thinning is unnecessary.

Pests

Aphids
Spider Mites
Root and Crown Rots
Fungal Leaf Spots
Fruit Flies
Tristeza Virus spread by Aphids

Harvest/Storage

Depending on the climate, fruits may take 6 to 8 months to ripen.
The best indicator of ripeness is taste.
Harvest the fruit by cutting them off with pruning shears or by pulling the fruit stalk from the tree.
Undamaged fruit can be stored for several weeks at cool temperatures.

Recommended Varieties

Limes - 'Bearss' and 'Rangpur'
Sour Oranges - 'Bouquet de Fleurs' and 'Seville'
Lemons - 'Eureka' and 'Sun Gold'
Grapefruits - 'Red Blush' (pink flesh), 'Marsh Seedless' (white flesh) and 'Star Ruby' (red flesh)
Mandarins - 'Clementine' and 'Satsuma'
Tangelos - 'Minneola' and 'Orlando'
Sweet Oranges - 'Valencia' (Valencia), 'Ruby' (Blood) and 'Washington' (Navel)

Recipes

Wit & Wisdom

Make your own air freshener: Slice some lemons, cover with water, and let simmer in a pot for about an hour.

Comments

planted a valencia orange & a dancey tangerine

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By Anonymous

We planted these trees about 2yr. ago. They do not seem to be growing. Could the grass that is under they be absorbing the fertilizer?

citrus not growing

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By Anonymous

If the soil is heavy clay, the roots may not be able to grow.

We don't know much about the

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By Almanac Staff

We don't know much about the age of the tree you planted, but note that it can take up to five years to mature. In the meantime, enjoy the tree itself!

My husband and I moved into a house where there is a citrus tree. my son picked some were greenish and lime like when we cut them and some where pinkish and grapefruit like. has anyone heard of this from the same tree?

Maybe lemon

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By Anonymous

This sounds like a lemon tree that I have. It is a verigated pink lemon. The outside is lime color with stripes, the inside is pink lemonade color and tastes like a lemon. Hope you get some good fruit off of it, whatever it is!

It could be a lime tree or an

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By Almanac Staff

It could be a lime tree or an exotic type of tree. The best way to identify a tree is often by the shape of its leaves as well as fruit. For example, the leaves and fruit of a lime are oblong. We'd suggest you take a sample of both to the nearest Cooperative Extension office or a local nursery that has citrus to ID it. Here's another resource: http://www.treehelp.com/trees/citrus/citrus-types.asp

Oranges from Seed

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By rononPI

This article offered great advice with regard to caring for citrus, but it should have mentioned that most varieties of oranges do not run true to seed. If you plant the seeds from a navel orange for instance, you will get a thorny sour orange. It is best to buy grafted trees for best results.

One other thing, you didn’t mention my favorite variety of citrus as a recommended variety, which is the Poncan Tangerine. They produce a large, very sweet fruit that peels very easily.

Dwarf Meyer Lemon in Container

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By Crslyn

Tree is 4 yo and lost all of it's leaves and thorns, then bloomed and then zippo. Have fertilized with citrus fertilizer. Placed in full sun. I live in North Central Texas. Last year we got a bumper crop off of this tree. What else can I do?