All About Growing Citrus in Containers – GWC Mag

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Citrus fruit is a mainstay in most of our lives, whether it’s a squeeze of lemon in tea or enjoying mandarins over the holidays. Some drink orange juice. Some just need a twist for those evening cocktails. We put lemon just in humus. Citrus shows up everywhere. We take it for granted.

For those of us hoping to grow our own food, a citrus tree—a couple or a few—would be an amazing orchard asset. Unfortunately, most citrus plants aren’t particularly cold-tolerant, so they won’t winter outside in much of the US. In other words, we can’t just plant them in the yard.

However, many citrus trees are amenable to growing in containers, and they can be pruned to sizes appropriate for greenhouses or even to work as houseplants. This opens up the opportunity for just about anyone to grow citrus trees at home, moving them inside during the winter and back out in the summertime.

What You Need to Grow Citrus in Containers

Smaller citrus trees are well suited for growing in containers if the materials are fitting. The trees are pretty easygoing, but there are a few essentials.

• Firstly, it’s important to get a pot that’s large enough. To begin with, a pot that’s about 12” across and 12” deep will suffice. After the tree gets a little larger, it’s a good idea to move that size up to 16”-24”. It’s a good idea to put the large pot on a rolling plant caddy before filling it.
• Citrus trees require good drainage. Most plant pots come with drainage holes in the bottom. One is not sufficient. Having a few drainage holes in the bottom of the citrus pot is advisable. Drill extra holes if necessary.
• There are easy-to-use citrus potting mixes available at nurseries. These are generally going to be designed to drain well and break down very slowly. They are a mix of perlite, cedar or redwood shavings, and potting soil. It’s an investment worth making.

Which Citrus Trees You Can Grow in Containers

While citrus trees are okay with heavy pruning, some trees are just too large to be grown in pots. Grapefruits and oranges might ultimately not be happy in such a confined space. When growing in pots, it’s imperative to choose smaller citrus trees, either trees on “dwarf” rootstock or naturally small trees.

The two most popular container-grown citrus trees are mandarins and dwarf lemons. Eureka, Lisbon, and Meyer lemons are all good options. Other possibilities are the Bearss lime, calamondin, and kumquat. Most of these trees can be kept to six feet tall or even shorter, so they are reasonable to keep (and move) inside during the winter.

How to Maintain Citrus Trees in Containers

Citrus trees aren’t particularly difficult to care for, but container-grown trees do have some specifics to attend to to keep the trees growing and producing well.

• Sun is crucial for citrus. Naturally, the trees grow in very sunny places like the tropics, the Mediterranean, and California. They should be placed somewhere where they get in the vicinity of eight hours of sun a day. If not, they may require a bit of grow light.
• Feeding and watering are much more involved with pot plants. The trees are completely dependent on the grower for everything. Citrus trees should be fertilized in the early spring. They should be deeply watered once a week, and the pots should be raised above the saucer so that it isn’t sitting in drained water. Add some river rocks to do this.
• Protection is the main reason for growing citrus in containers. They need to be moved into safe places when the weather gets nasty. When temperatures start to drop into the 40s, it’s time to find shelter and warmth.
• Pruning is a must for keeping container-grown plants an appropriate size for their pots and for their growers to move them around. Citrus should be pruned annually. Clean up branches that overlap, remove anything dead or diseased, and keep the height to something manageable.

Grow Your Own Citrus at Home

For less than $100, it’s possible to get a citrus tree and all the accouterments to grow it. They can live up to 50 years, so it’s potentially a companion that will be around for a long time, providing delicious produce all the while.

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