Caring for your plants

Citrus trees are often thought of only growing in hot climates, but with a little care, they can very successfully be grown in the UK and produce lovely fruit.  They love light and really do not like being overly wet, too cold or kept in centrally-heated houses.  They love living outside in summer.  Here are some general guidelines for keeping your plants healthy, also with some plant specific guidelines.

Where to keep my citrus plant?

In the UK, most citrus plants (especially lemons and calamondins) are much happier outside from after the last frost in spring to before the first frost in late autumn/early winter.  Most will not survive outside in a cold winter, and some (see specific plants below) will also suffer when the temperature is regularly in single figures (centigrade).

For the winter months, bring the plant into a greenhouse, porch or conservatory, but avoid placing it near a radiator, in a centrally heated room or somewhere where it will sit in cold draughts.  It will benefit from being in a place with lots of natural light.

When will my plant flower and fruit?

As a general rule, citrus plants flower in the spring/summer and the fruits ripen in winter.  However some (for example Four-Seasons Lemons) are well-known for having flowers, young fruit and ripe fruit most of the year round if carefully looked after.  Unless used when green (limes for example), fruits are ready when they turn colour.  It is tempting to leave them on the tree for as long as possible because they look lovely, but left ripe on the plant for too long, the fruit can over-ripen, be open to pest attack and this will also slow the production of new flowers and fruit.

General watering

Your citrus tree will require watering, but don't overdo it, it is better to underwater than keep the roots wet.  The frequency of watering needed will vary depending on the time of year, but a good guide is to wait until the top inch of the soil has dried out and then water.  To water, take the plant, and put it into a container of water for a minute or two to thoroughly drench the soil (including any feed - see below).  Take it out once drenched and let it fully drain out, before putting it back.  Do not let the plant stand in water in its pot as this will cause serious problems.   Watering may need to be done once or twice a week in summer, or only once a month in winter.  If the leaves of the plant start to curl up slightly, this can be a sign it needs watering.  If your plant starts to drop leaves, under or over watering is one of the likely causes, but by getting back to a good watering regime, the plant will recover once in the growing season.

General feeding

Citrus plants are hungry feeders and there are specialist citrus feed readily available on the market - most produce a summer version and a winter version.  Feed according to the feed instructions, although including feed in every watering is a good way of ensure plenty of food available for your plant.

Pruning or shaping your plant

Don't be afraid of lightly pruning or shaping your plant.  Citrus plants respond well to being kept in check, but try to avoid heavy pruning.  The most difficult decision is often to go ahead with pruning a long stem which has flowers on it, but you need to think ahead for when that stem has a heavy fruit on it.

Do I need to repot my plant?

Citrus plants grow quite happily in pots (and in the UK will need to be grown in pots in order to move them into shelter during the winter) and do not need to be re-potted very often.  A restrictive pot can help both keep the size of your plant under control and help it generate flowers and fruit.  If you decide it needs repotting, it is best to do that in spring into a pot one size larger using free-draining compost (John Innes No 2 works well).

Specific care for specific plants

Temperature : 

Plants that will better tolerate cold include Lemons, Calamondins and oranges (down to 0°C, but not freezing).

Plants that need higher temperatures include Kaffir Limes, Tahiti Limes, Grapefruit and Red Lime, all of which will start to suffer under 8°C