Seven Tips for Growing Citrus Trees

Citrus fruits are some of the most versatile crops for use in the kitchen. They can be juiced for drinks or salad dressings, added to fruit salads, segmented over breakfast cereals, cooked with meat (duck a l’orange, anyone?) and used in any number of cakes, sorbets ice creams, cakes and other sweet desserts. They are also very nutritious fruits, being high in a range of vitamins. Sometimes, however, gardeners can be put off planting citrus fruits on their plot, feeling perhaps that they can only thrive in tropical climates or in greenhouses.

In fact, growing most varieties of citrus is relatively simple, as long as you are able to give them plenty of sunshine. Indeed, that primary consideration aside, permaculture gardeners should be able to cultivate a citrus tree, even if they have limited space. There are lots of varieties available, but some are more suited to small-scale cultivation than others. The Emperor mandarin is easy to cultivate and produces sweet fruit; Valencia is probably the best orange variety as it is hardier than many other species and produces a crop over a longer period; Meyer lemons can be grown in small spaces, and do well in pots; while Tahiti limes are ideal as they produce a lot of juice.

Whichever type of citrus you choose to cultivate, here are some guidelines to help get you started.

Position
Exposure to sunshine is the key to successful cultivation of all citrus varieties. A minimum of five hours full sun is necessary, but the more you can give them the better, so a north-facing position is best. In more temperate climates, it is a good idea to locate the trees next to a wall so that they can benefit from the radiated heat. This will also help to protect the trees from strong winds. A sheltered spot prevents damage to the tree from winds, but be advised that you want to ensure some airflow around the trees, which helps them transpire.

Soil
Citrus trees prefer a soil that has a neutral pH or is slightly acidic. If your soil is alkaline, that best method of lowering the pH is composting well with organic compost. It is even better if your compost contains animals manure, so if you keep chickens as livestock on your permaculture plot, citrus trees should thrive with regular doses of their composted droppings. This will also provide the trees with plenty of nitrogen, essential for their growth and development of a healthy crop, and keep grass away from the tree (which would compete for nutrients and water). It will also assist in keeping the soil well drained, which is essential for successful cultivation of citrus trees.

Planting
When you plant a citrus tree, dig a hole that is twice as wide as the pot the tree is in, and around one and half times as deep. Mix some of the soil removed from the hole with compost (preferably one with animal manure in it) and add to the base of the hole (if you are in an area with heavy clay soil, it is also a good idea to mix in some sand at this stage to help improve moisture drainage). Place the tree in and fill the hole with soil. Water well. Plant your trees in spring after any risk of frost has passed. They need a full growing season to help them establish themselves in the permaculture plot before the winter comes.

Mulch
The roots of citrus trees are comparatively shallow, so they benefit from an organic mulch to provide a slow release of nutrients into the soil (as they do not have the root depth to bring nutrients up from lower down in the soil profile). As with other trees, avoid mulching directly against the trunk of the citrus tree. Adding compost regularly around the drip line of the tree will also help provide it with the nutrients it needs.

Water
Young trees need a lot of watering, and should be irrigated once or twice a week for the first six weeks after planting to help them get established. The ground should be well drained to prevent root rot. Water early in the morning or late in the evening to give the plants the most chance to access and utilize the moisture.

Pots
Even if you have limited space, perhaps just a courtyard or sheltered balcony, you can still grow a citrus tree; it will just have to be in a pot and typically be a dwarf species. The benefit of potted citrus trees is that you can move them around to take advantage of all available sunshine as the sun moves across the sky. You can also bring the trees indoors when cold weather approaches. As you can imagine, potted trees require more constant attention than those in the garden, but the same considerations apply – they need at least five hours of sunshine a day, protection from winds (it is not recommended to have a citrus tree on a balcony high in an apartment block), a decent potting mix that drains well and regular watering. In the warmer months you should be watering once or twice a week as required. Citrus trees grown in pots will need to have their roots trimmed every three years or so. This requires you to take the tree out of the pot and trim approximately five centimeters from around the root ball. Replant with new, well-composted potting mix.

Care
Once established, most citrus trees can survive a winter, unless it involves extremely low temperatures. When the trees are young and an unexpected frost is due, wrap the tree in fleece to protect it (if growing in pots, bring the pots indoors for the night). Citrus trees do not need pruning to help them fruit, but you should take out some leaves and branches if the center becomes too dense, as airflow helps keep the tree healthy. You can prune to keep the tree at a desired size for your available space.

How to Plan an Orchard

There are few things finer in life than going out of your house on a summer’s morning – perhaps holding your child by their hand – to pick the fruit you will eat with your breakfast. Plucking a ripe pear or a crisp apple from the branch, savoring its aroma and looking forward to the fresh, deep taste that comes from cultivating crops in harmony with nature is a wondrous thing.

Most permaculture gardeners with sufficient space will include at least one fruit tree in their garden design. It can provide a focal point in a small suburban plot, or even, if a dwarf variety, add variety to a courtyard garden. Fruit trees are typically the centerpieces of the common permaculture planting technique of guilds, and they bring a lot of benefits to any site, from shade to protect plants and deep roots to improve the soil structure, to attracting birds to the garden and, of course, providing a crop for eating.

For those with more space, an orchard can be a very attractive option. Indeed, orchards are arguably the most likely legacy of your permaculture garden, as with a little care and attention, they will provide fruit for years to come. While the specific attributes of your site and local climate will ultimately influence your choice of fruit trees and the location of your orchard, there are some general guidelines to consider when planning an orchard on your permaculture plot.

Site
Orchards are typically a design feature for Zone 2 of your permaculture plot. Requiring less attention than the vegetables, herbs and fruits in Zone 1, they will still benefit from attention every few days – to check for any potential pest problems or to see if wildlife has been able to access the orchard, for example. You will visit more often when the crop is ready for harvest, and if you allow livestock such as pigs to forage in the orchard, you will want to check on them every day to ensure their needs are being met. However, once established, orchards need very little actual maintenance; with the correct planting when instituting your orchard, it should pretty much take care of itself.

Orchards need a lot of direct sunlight for the trees to grow robustly and to provide abundant, healthy crops – ideally six to eight hours a day. Be aware of any larger trees – or trees that will potentially grow large in the future – that are adjacent to your orchard, either on your plot or your neighbor’s land. These trees may shade out your fruit trees, and compete with them for soil nutrients. However, fruit trees are also susceptible to damage from string winds, so you might want to consider planting trees to act as a windbreak, as long as they won’t shade out the fruit trees.

They also need well-drained soil. A slight slope can be particularly apt as it allows water to drain slowly and avoids the risk of soil erosion. If planting on flat land, make sure the soil is humus-rich by adding lots of organic material, and not too high in clay.

Choose Trees
The two primary things to consider when choosing fruit trees for your orchard are which are suited to your location, and what fruit you like to eat. However, most fruit trees will flourish in most situations given enough sunlight and a well-drained soil. It is worth bearing in mind that some fruit trees – such as Golden Delicious apples, Bartlett pears and most varieties of peach – self-pollinate, meaning you can have just a single specimen in the orchard and it will still set fruit. Others require at least two individual trees in order to cross-pollinate and set fruit. If neighbors have trees of the fruit you want to grow on their property, you may well get pollination that way, but having at least two on your plot is the best guarantee. For these species, plant the specimens next to each other to assist with pollination (and to make harvesting easier).

Soil
Preparing the soil before you plant your orchard is a very good investment to make. It is much harder to adjust the soil once the trees are in the ground. Add lost of organic material to the soil and water it in well. Not only will this help with drainage and nutrient supply, it should get the soil pH to around the desired level. Most fruit species prefer a soil pH of between 6.5 and 7. If your soil is still too alkaline, add some composted animal manure or compost with coffee ground in it, while if the soil is too acidic, consider adding some organic agricultural lime.

Spacing
Consider the space that your fruit trees will need when fully grown. You want them to be close to each other but not so close that their canopies intermingle, as this can affect growth and crop productivity. Individual species will requires distinct spacing, but as a general rule you want to allow a 10-foot circle around a dwarf fruit tree, and a 25-foot circle around a standard-sized tree. If possible orientate your trees north to south so they get maximum exposure to the sun.

Companions
Allowing sufficient space for your fruit trees also gives you room to plant companion plants around each tree in a guild that will benefit both the fruit tree and the companion plants. For instance, the tree can give shade to lower-lying legumes that fix nitrogen in the soil that the tree accesses. Different fruit species favor different companions, but an apple tree guild, for example, could contain dill and fennel that attract pollinating insects, as well artichokes, whose roots help keep the soil in good condition, and nasturtiums to repel pest insects. It is worth considering that most fruit tree species do not do well if surrounded by grass, as the grass competes with the tree roots for soil nutrients and moisture. Plant companions that suppress grass growth, such as leeks, garlic or daffodils. You can also mulch around the tree – although always leave a space around the trunk.

Eight Fruits – A Harvesting Guide

There are few more satisfying activities on the permaculture plot than eating ripe fruit directly from the plant. Plucking a apple from the bough of a tree and crunching into it, standing there in the open air; or easing a pear from its stalk to take back to the kitchen and slice over your breakfast cereal; or getting your fingers stained with the juice of ripe strawberries or raspberries as you harvest the sweet bombs of flavour – these are some of the intensely pleasurable experiences that come with cultivating fruit on your site.

To fully appreciate them – and to ensure they are at their tastiest and most nutritious – it is important to know when fruit is ready to harvest. This avoids picking unripe fruit that is harder to use in the kitchen, or allowing fruit to go overripe and so end up in the compost pile. Here is a guide about the visual and textural clues to look for so you know when various fruits are ripe for the picking.

Cantaloupe
The first sign that a cantaloupe is becoming ready for harvest is that the ‘netting’ that covers the surface will become more pronounced and turn beige from its previous green colour. Also, the blossom end of the fruit should give a little under pressure, and should smell sweet. If you think a fruit is ready to go, give it a little pull; if it is ripe it will come easily away from the stem.

Watermelon
Watermelons have a curly tendril that protrudes from the stem of each fruit-bearing branch. This tendril drying up and turning brown is a signal the fruit is ready for harvest. The other signs that you should harvest the fruit are that the underside that is in contact with the ground will turn yellow or cream in colour, the skin loses its shine and becomes difficult to penetrate with your fingernail, and if you give the melon a tap it will have a resonant sound. Store for a couple of days at room temperature to ripen to optimum taste.

Pear
Pears are actually one of the fruits that it is preferable to harvest a few days before optimum ripeness, allowing them to reach perfection in a bowl indoors and giving you a longer timeframe in which to eat them (if the pear ripens fully on the tree, it will start to spoil within just a day or two of picking). Pears are ready for harvest when the green colour starts to lighten and go yellow. The flesh should still be hard, but if you twist the fruit it should come easily away from the stem. Keep in a bowl in a location between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit and test for ripeness each day. When you press the neck of the pear with your thumb and it gives a little, they are ready to eat. If you want to keep the pears for longer before eating, store in the refrigerator.

Apple
With so many different varieties of apple, it can be tricky to know when your particular variety is ready to harvest. Juvenile apples tend to be green, so if you are cultivating a yellow or red variety, you will see the green change to these mature colours. But, of course, some apples remain green even when mature. So for all apples, the best test is to text how easily the fruit comes off the tree. A ripe fruit will come away easily, with the stem still attached. If a few mature fruits have fallen from the tree, chances are the others are about ready to go. Another check is to open up an apple at the base and check the colour of the flesh – a mature fruit will have paler green colour to its flesh; juveniles are brighter green.

Blueberries
A blueberry is ripe when the fruit is uniformly blue-purple in colour; if you can still see a ring of red around the point where the stem meets the fruit, leave on the plant. If the berry is ripe it should come away in you hand with almost no pressure. A ripe blueberry does not need any pulling to be harvested. In fact, the best way to gather the fruit is to gently roll each one away from the cluster into the palm of your hand.

Peach
Peaches should be left on the tree until they are fully ripe. This will ensure the best flavour and texture, as once picked the fruit starts to deteriorate rather than continuing to ripen in a bowl. When growing peaches have green skin; when these change colour completely, the fruit is mature. The skin will turn a different colour depending on the variety you are cultivating. Yellow-fleshed species will go orange, while those with white flesh will see the skin go yellow-white. Eat soon after picking for the best taste, although peaches can be stored for a day or two in places with high humidity.

Cherries
Cherries keep growing until they are fully mature, so they are ready to be picked when they are plump and almost straining at the skin. You want to ensure that the cherries are at peak ripeness before harvesting, as they do not continue ripening once picked. Sweet cherries will be quite firm to the touch, while sour varieties have a bit more give. Both however should come away from the tree easily when ripe, with the sour varieties detaching from their stems when gently tugged. However, with all varieties, if you wish to keep the fruit for longer than a day, pick with the stems intact. This will extend their prime for two or three more days, especially if stored in the refrigerator.

Strawberries
Pick strawberries that have turned at least three-quarters red. The rest of the fruit will develop this colour after picking if kept in a cool place over the next day or two. Do not harvest fruit that is half, or less, red, as these will not be able to ripen after picking. Harvest early in the morning as the fruit is firmer then and less likely to be damaged during the harvesting process. Keep the stems and ‘caps’ in when you pick.