Grow Citrus Anywhere: How to Protect Your Trees and Enjoy Fresh Fruit with Container Gardening
By Peggy d’Hemecourt, Advanced Master Gardener, Fort Bend County Master Gardeners: Earth-Kind Landscaping
If you’ve ever eaten citrus fruit freshly harvested from your own tree, you understand the almost irrepressible urge to grow these semi-tropical trees.
Many an avid gardener has planted citrus in the ground only to have the tree succumb to damaging or killing freezes. Citrus trees have a range of cold hardiness, depending on the type. For example, lemon and lime trees may be damaged when temperatures drop into the upper 20’s. Oranges and grapefruit trees may be damaged when temperatures drop to the mid 20’s. When temperatures drop into the low 20’s, damage may occur to tangerines, mandarins, satsuma and kumquat trees.
Sometimes, a few years of production during mild winters may be enjoyed before the next unpredictable extreme weather event takes its toll. Protective measures can be taken in advance of a winter storm, but sometimes they are just not enough to carry these sub-tropical plants through our coldest winter events. Some of us begin again with new trees planted in the ground and hope winter temperature extremes will be few and far between. But there is another way.
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Growing citrus in containers mitigates the risks associated with killing freezes because containers can be moved into a protected area such as a garage for short durations when temperatures drop below the tree’s cold-hardiness threshold. Smaller citrus types such as kumquats, lemons, and limes are best suited to container planting, but that doesn’t rule out trying other types.
Container size is important. It must be large enough to allow for growth and small enough to be able to be moved to a protected location when necessary. The container should have good drainage. Use a potting mix that drains well and a slow-release fertilizer beginning in the spring, applied in accordance with the label instructions. Locate the container-grown citrus tree where it gets at least six hours of direct sunlight. It may not produce as large a crop as those grown in-ground, but the harvest will surely delight.
As the tree grows, it will outgrow its container. Every few years, it will have to be transferred to a larger container, which may be practical at first if you started small. The alternative is to root-prune every few years. Root pruning involves removing the tree from its container while it is laying on its side and trimming off 2-3 inches of roots. Then repot in the same container with new potting mix and prune about a third of the foliage to balance the canopy with the roots. Canopy pruning is best done in early winter to minimize the effects on flowering and fruiting.
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There is a helpful publication on the Fort Bend County Master Gardener website titled “Growing Fruit in Fort Bend County” that includes advice on growing citrus trees in containers. Visit this website for details.
About Fort Bend County Master Gardeners
Master Gardeners are members of the local community who take an active interest in their lawns, trees, shrubs, flowers and gardens. They are willing to learn and to help others, and able to communicate with diverse groups of people. What sets Master Gardeners apart from other home gardeners is their special training in horticulture. In exchange for their training, persons who become Master Gardeners contribute time as volunteers, working through their cooperative Extension office to provide horticultural-related information to their communities.
For more information about Fort Bend County Master Gardeners, please visit fbmg.org.
