Getting started
Citrus trees are not generally frost hardy. They do best in a sunny, humid environment with some rain.
For the home garden a 2-year-old plant is best, it’s sturdy and will have established roots.

Planting
Dig a 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 you buy it in. Make sure you treat the roots carefully as citrus do not like their roots to be disturbed. It is good to stake at this point so you can avoid damaging the roots later on. Fill in with Tui Garden Mix, pat gently and water well.

If you’re looking at growing citrus in pots, make sure you look at smaller dwarf varieties. Use Tui All Purpose Potting Mix for pots and containers. This free draining mixture includes Saturaid wetting agent which spreads water evenly to the root-zone and encourages rapid root development.

Maintenance
Make sure in the first year or so to remove fruit that sets to allow your tree to establish itself and encourage better fruiting in the second season.
Only prune if you need to for either a desired shape or to remove any diseased stems. If you are pruning avoid September/October as you run the risk of lemon tree borer laying eggs in the fresh cuts.
A well pruned citrus tree allows good air circulation in the interior of the tree. Remember leaves are the life of the tree so don’t cut unnecessarily, particularly before the tree has matured.

Fertilising
Citrus plants enjoy lots of food. Tui Citrus Food provides potassium to plants (this assists in healthy fruit and flower production). Tui Citrus Food also contains plenty of magnesium to prevent the yellowing of leaves you often find in citrus.
Feed twice a year, once in August or September and then again in Autumn.
Citrus require watering in summer but not so much in the wetter winter months.

Harvesting
It is 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.