Citrus are some of the best fruit trees to grow in your garden. Evolving in Asia and being bred into a myriad of forms across the world over centuries, the choice for home growers can be overwhelming. Fortunately, by considering both the amount of space you have to work with and the climate you’re in, you can choose the perfect citrus for you.
General citrus care
Regardless of the citrus variety you settle on, there’s some general advice that will see your plant through a healthy and productive life.
Full sun is very important, with at least 5 hours of sun per day. Consistent moisture will result in juicy fruit-dry spells are often the culprit if your fruit are dry and fibrous. Consistent, deep watering that soaks into the soil is the key to large harvests.
Mulch well to keep moisture in the soil, but remember to keep mulch well clear of the trunk to prevent fungal rots.
Citrus are notoriously heavy feeders, to keep up with the heavy crop of fruit they produce. Feed 4 times a year with a specialty, balanced citrus fertiliser, according to the directions on the packet. A good rule to remember is to feed them on the first day of the new season.
A light prune once a year after fruiting will help to keep them compact, and encourage fresh new growth. Thinning developing fruit by hand by removing around half of the growing crop, will ensure the remaining fruit will ripen properly and be of a higher quality and size.
Lemon ‘Eureka’
Let’s start with a classic. The Eureka lemon is a backyard classic, bred in California from imported Italian seeds.
Eureka lemon trees are generous, reliable fruiters with little case, producing fruit with a thick skin, and a juicy fruit with the tangy, classic homegrown lemon flavour we all know and love. The acidic juice suitable for cooking, baking, and drinks. The tree can produce quite heavily with fruit mainly ripening in winter, though it can fruit during the spring and summer as well.
They can get to 6 metres tall, so you do need a decent space to. There are dwarf varieties available well suited to pot growing. However, the limiting factor is cold temperatures as they will not tolerate regular frosts. If you’re in cool to warm temperate areas like Melbourne or Sydney, this one’s a popular choice for a reason
Yuzu
If you’re in a colder climate Yuzu is a better choiceOriginating in Japan, the Yuzu’s popularity is increasing in Australia as interest in Korean and Japanese food grows, where the fragrant, unique flavour is treasured for the specific taste it emparts.
While it’s not traditionally eaten fresh, both the zest and juice can be used in drinks cooking. Yuzu adds a balanced citrus flavour without overpowering and Yuzu’s acidity level is lower than lemons or limes.
This is a slow-growing citrus with large thorns, suitable for growing in pots. A grafted specimen will fruit in its third year, and expect an eventual tree size of around 2 metres. Yuzu can hang on the trees for months and is ripe when the skin turns bright golden yellow. For gardeners in cold climates such as Tasmania, Blue Mountains, Southern highlands and alpine regions, Yuzu is the right choice; they can handle frosts down to -9°C.
Key lime
If you’re in a warmer climate European citrus varieties can struggle. However there’s a whole world of tropical and subtropical citrus that love the heat and humidity. West Indian or Key limes are a smaller, rounder version of the Tahitian Lime, but a stronger flavour. Though small, the Key Lime is incredibly juicy and invaluable in southeast Asian cooking.
It’s a smaller growing tree, reaching about 3m tall in its lifetime with an attractive, bushy growth habit that’s easy to manage. It will not tolerate frosts, so this is one to try in localities like Perth, Brisbane and Darwin.
Do you have a citrus tree? What motivated you to buy that particular tree? Why not share your experience in the comments section below?
Also read: Helping indoor plants through winter
