Citrus were my first gardening hobby. Started with store bought lemon seedlings. The one on the far right is the first one I ever had. 6 or 7 years old now.
The rest are grafted. Standard stuff meyer, bearrs, naval, a couple satsuma and a Dekopon. My key limes and kumquat are at my mom’s because my greenhouse was too full. I’m fixing that this summer by adding about 4 more feet to the end of it.
Wow, so there is hope. Has your seedling lemon started producing yet? I know it takes a long time with seedlings. What size pots are they in?
Sean. Citrus are quite easy if you give them the right amount of light and temperature in winter. Most people either give them too much light and not enough heat or the opposite. I know several people up north that are doing well with them. You are right about seedling lemon and mine is so far no different. It did have one bloom last year and I was hopeful that it had reached maturity but apparently not yet. Could be another 5 years or so. The smaller ones are in 10 gallons. The seedling is in a 15 I think. My goal is to get them all into 15-20’s if the can get that big. This year I have been really pushing the nitrogen. I think I have been underfeeding the last few years. I know if have underfed the meyer. With more N it had a big bloom in February that set about 2 dozen fruit and now it’s having another big bloom.
It was nice to see this thread come back to the top.
Sean, I do feed mine during the winter, but at maintenance levels - about half the strength of summer feedings. It sounds like you’re doing a really good job with yours.
I’ve never taken them outside in really cold weather. So, I don’t know how short exposure would affect them. I usually get more warm spells in winter than really cold ones here. So, I do have to opportunity to lug them outside instead of trying to use a bathtub to spray them down.
One thing that I’ve changed since I last posted in this thread has been the addition of a systemic. That was because I could no longer resist my urge to get more citrus. My fear of HLB and introducing psyllids was holding me back. So, I added an imidacloprid (sp?) soil drench. Bayer Advanced Fruit, Citrus, and Vegetable Insect Guard contains that. I’ve been treating every tropical I buy with that before bringing them to the house. It is effective against scale, but mites aren’t listed. Mites are arachnids and I think they are difficult to actually eradicate. I doubt if anything I do does anything more than reduce their numbers. Citrus in Florida nurseries is supposed to be treated with ISD (Imidacloprid Soil Drench) within 6 months of each previous treatment, in order to help control psyllids.
I’ve added more varieties since this thread started. When I have time, I’m looking forward to listing them.
MuddyMess,
Id love for you, or anybody actually, to list what citrus they have, and Pictures, Pictures, Pictures…
Also, Id love to see what an older potted citrus looks like, if anybody has a picture of that
I think I’m going to try that systemic that you mentioned. Is that safe to be around inside once its dry?
All my potted Meyer lemons in Phila.Pa.Im told is zone 7 don’t seem to live past yr.3 in winter.Ive got 5 potted trees now from 6 inches to 3foot tall now.Got a stronger cfl bulb now hoping all my trees will survive winter now I’ve got stronger light sorce now & watering right. Please any advise if appriciate ?
Beautiful trees! What zone are you in? Any advise for a potted grower in Phila.,Pa. grower with No Outdoor inclosed place to keep in winter? I’m in an old apt.bld.has no windows with good sun ,that’s why I invested in a larger CFL grow bulb for winter.Any ADVISE would appriciate with my potted citrus?
Not sure what you are needing to know, feeding? light? soil? I can tell you what I do and it works for me.
I keep my citrus in pots all year long. In summer they are outside and in winter moved to a room in my basement. I have them in a gritty mix that is very porous, feed with Dyna Grow when I think they need it, and in winter the lights, which are a 4 bulb florescent (T8’s ), are on mostly 24/7. I switched to the long light hours just this past winter. Before I did the long light hours I always lost most of the leaves thru the winter and this year nada, not one leaf dropped. The Meyer Lemon is small and I let it set 2 fruit, the Cocktail grapefruit 1, the Owari Satsuma, Persian lime, and Pink Variegated Lemon are to young to fruit yet.
I am definitely not a citrus expert and I have been mostly winging it for the last 2 years, I am sure some of my methods are not the norm but they work for me.
