I purchased a Meyer Lemon for my mother and she loves it. She told me she’d like another container citrus for Christmas, but I’m not sure what to get. The traditional choices are Key Lime and Owari satsuma but I’m wondering if they are the best choices. I know she wouldn’t want anything too esoteric–kumquats, citron,etc. But anything “traditional” citrus she is game for–grapefruit, oranges, mandarins, etc.
Any good suggestions for container growing?
I had a dawarf pummelo / grapefruit a few years ago that produced normal sized grape fruits. I had the normal winter problems with white flys etc. the fruit was delicious!
@VSOP, I have both of those varieties in containers and both have done well for me so I think you’ll be fine either way. I think I’d go for the owari personally to have a citrus for eating out of hand. Maybe some others can comment about other varieties. The key lime is pretty thorny, although I believe there is a thornless variety. The owari will be a little more cold hardy as well, if that matters in your mother’s climate.
There is more than one Satsuma variety. I had a regular one and this summer I picked up two new tiny plants called Arctic Frost PPAF from Whole Foods.
variegated calamondins seem to be the neatest of the citrus, bearing smallish leaves borne quite densely you’d hardly see the stems.
quite cold tolerant too.
but it might just be too esoteric an exotica
