Lemon Tree & Fruit
Lemons, limes, oranges and kumquats. We all love citrus.
Most citrus originate from tropical and subtropical climates. They are very cold sensitive. To ripen they require varying degrees of “heat units”. Oranges and grapefruit require a lot of heat units. They do best in southern California and Florida. Lemons, limes and kumquats require less heat and are therefore much easier to grow in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Here are seven must-do tips that will help ensure a vibrant tree and a productive citrus harvest:
1) PROVIDE FROST PROTECTION. Have some old sheets or blankets ready to drape over the trees when a night time freeze is predicted. Make sure they are big enough to cover the entire tree canopy. If you want you can stake or tie down all sides except the (sun) side of the plant. Do not tie off the coverings around the trunk. That can create even colder night-time conditions than if you had no covering at all. Remove the covering when danger of freezing is past. During extended freeze warnings you’ll also want to remove the covering during the warmer daytime hours so your citrus tree gets enough sunlight.
2) IRRIGATE REGULARLY – once a week or every 3-4 days during the dry season. Citrus require even soil moisture. Test the soil between watering cycles. You don’t want soggy soil either. Adjust as needed.
3) COMPOST ANNUALLY. Add 1″ of compost under the canopy of the tree each spring. Compost improves drainage, improves nutrient absorption and improves soil structure. Do not pile up compost (or anything) around the trunk of the tree though. Burying the root crown can lead to crown rot and gnarly, choking roots. It can also provide handy habitat for bark gnawing rodents.
4) FERTILIZE your citrus MONTHLY with organic fertilizer formulated specifically for citrus trees. Add chelated iron tablets under the drip line of the tree if your citrus leaves look small and yellowish with darker green veins.
5) REMOVE SUCKERS. Suckers are those vigorous, very straight, upright and often thorny branches that grow from below the graft union around the base of the tree. They won’t bear the fruit you want. They wreck the form of the tree. Prune them off – the sooner the better.
6) REMOVE UNNECESSARY STAKES. Your tree should not have the stake that was originally attached to it when you bought it. The stake’s ties restrict tree growth and the stake itself keeps the tree weak by not allowing it to sway in the wind. The only reason to stake a tree is if it can’t hold itself upright and then that stake should be installed properly (not against the trunk) and removed within one year.
7) CITRUS TREES REQUIRE FULL SUN. TRANSPLANT your tree to a sunny spot if it isn’t receiving at least 6 HOURS of direct sun per day. I generally don’t recommend transplanting December through February when the risk of a freeze is higher and the soil is saturated from winter rain.
*** To find out more about citrus care read this Dec 10, 2011 Marin Independent Journal article where Karen was interviewed about citrus care.
