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.