Citrus Grow Guide

Citrus can be very satisfying to grow and a great source for your very own supply of vitamin C for you and the family.

The citrus family covers a variety of orange, lemon, lime and tangerine types of plant which originate from Southeast Asia, but are now grown in many areas across the world. Citrus plants are generally shrubs or small bushes that have evergreen leaves and produce fruit with high levels of citric acid creating that distinctive sharp taste.

Growing conditions
Citrus trees are not typically frost hardy. Some varieties can withstand a few short cold snaps but generally temperatures should not fall below −2°C.
They do best in a consistently sunny, humid environment with adequate rainfall. An area sheltered from cold winds is also beneficial for protecting your plants. The soil should be free draining so it doesn’t become waterlogged and the more organic matter in your soil the better.

Planting

Dig a suitably sized hole, approximately twice the depth and width of the rootball of the tree. Half fill the hole with Tui Garden Mix. Tui Garden Mix is an organic based planting mix that contains a combination of high analysis fertilisers that reduce transplant shock and encourage quick establishment of plants and root growth.

Plant your tree no deeper then it is already set in the bag. Make sure you treat the roots carefully as citrus do not like their roots to be disturbed. Fill in with Tui Garden Mix, pat gently and water well. You can also add some Tui Citrus Food at this stage.

It is best to grow in the garden, but citrus can also be grown effectively in containers with the smaller varieties more likely to succeed. Make sure you use a quality potting mix like Debco Pot Power. This will ensure good water retention and contain nutrients to keep feeding your citrus.

Maintenance
Citrus require a bit of care and attention but if you remember a few simple things they are generally not difficult to grow productively.
Citrus require watering in summer but generally not so much in the wetter winter months.
Pruning is recommended annually to encourage strong growth.

Fertilising
As citrus are gross feeders and require higher levels of potassium and magnesium, a general fertiliser will not provide sufficient nutrients for citrus to thrive and reach their potential.

Tui Citrus Food has been specially formulated to provide adequate potassium to assist in healthy fruit and flower production. Tui Citrus food also contains plenty of magnesium to help activate plant enzymes needed for healthy growth and prevent the yellowing of leaves you often find in citrus.

Citrus food is best applied in autumn then again in spring. If you notice that your plant has magnesium deficiency, you can apply some Epsom Salts, part of our Tui garden remedies range. Epsom salts can also be applied as a liquid feed, and should be applied to the drip line of the tree and not too close to the bark.

Harvesting
It’s recommended that you do not harvest the fruit in the first year or so of a newly established plant. Remove the smaller fruitlets to allow for stronger healthier growth of fruit the next season, and to keep providing delicious fruit year after year.