Citrus

Small growing – good for containers

lemon Meyer

Limes – Tahitian, Bearrs

Mandarin – Clementine

Satsuma Mandarins – seedless, easy to peel Miho (likes a warm spot), Mayagawa, Silverhill, Okitsu

 

Large varieties – 4-5 metres tall

Grapefruit – Golden Special, Star Ruby

Lemons – Lisbon, Yen Ben

Oranges – Carters Navel, Best Seedless, Washington Navel,

Tangelos – Seminole, Ugli

 

Citrus to grow for things other than fruit

Kaffir Lime – Citrus hystrix – also known as Makrut Lime or Combavas – Leaves are used in Asian cooking

Kumquat – Very sour, but fantastic in marmalade

Chinotto – Citrus myrifolia – great in marmelade or cooking

 

Growing Citrus

Likes a sunny sheltered spot.  Limes and Satsuma are not as cold tolerant as other varieties

Free draining soil – mulch in summer to protect roots, conserve moisture

For the first year pick all young fruit when they are marble sized to encourage growth

Water well in summer – the main period for fruit and shoot growth

Fertilise – spring and summer and mulch

Prune/Thin – can get away with not pruning but will benefit from opening tree up

Smaller varieties can be made into topiary shapes.  They espalier well

Watch for citrus borer.  Scale and citrus whitefly (the main pests)

Most citrus is grafted on trifoliata which suits out soil.  For larger varieties try for Flying Dragon rootstock.

How to tell if your citrus is ripe

L:imes are actually yellow when ripe but are picked before they fully ripen

Once picked the ripening process does not continue

Citrus keeps longer on the tree than it does picked

However storing a lemon will reduce the pith and increase hte juice

When picking citus cut, so not pull the fruit.

Easiest way to determin ripeness is to taste for oranges, mandarins, grapefruit etc

Over mature fruit will wrinkle and contain less juice.

 

 

 

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