Top tips for growing citrus fruit trees at home

A citrus fruit tree weighted with jewel-like fruits is a thing of beauty, each sunny globe heavy with the promise of summer-bright flavours. And with any luck, your trees will bear more fruit than your family can eat at once, so you can get preserving! It’s a great way to turn a glut into a gift and enjoy these vitamin-packed edibles all year round.

Tip: Always wear the appropriate safety equipment (safety glasses, gloves, ear muffs and a mask, for example) and always follow the instructions for the product or equipment.

1. Choose where to plant or pot your citrus fruit trees

The first step for a successful citrus harvest is choosing fruit trees to suit your space and tastes. If your citrus is going in a pot or a courtyard, dwarf varieties are the ones to go for, recommends landscape designer Charlie Albone of Richgro. Climate will impact your choice, too; Eureka lemons are the most popular variety in Australia, but Meyer lemons are the hardier choice in frost zones.

Personal taste is obviously a big one to think about,” says Charlie. “I love cumquats – they preserve well and are easy, as you eat the skin and all.”

Your preferred preserving method might also dictate your choice – for example, Meyer lemons have thinner skins, which are ideal for salt preserving, while flavoursome and pectin-packed Seville oranges are considered the go-to for marmalade.

2. How and when to plant fruit trees and how often should I water them?

Australia’s mild climate means you can safely plant citrus trees at almost any time of year – just avoid planting in the depths of winter in cold areas, and never in the full heat of summer.

Depth of the hole is important, too. “When planting, ensure the graft point – the knobby area where the rootstock meets the fruiting stem – remains above the soil line,” he says.

Water deeply and frequently when trees are getting established, then during dry periods or while fruiting. Potted citrus will need more frequent watering. And mulch well to keep the moisture in. Feed your trees every six to eight weeks with a product that’s formulated for fruit and citrus to give them all the nutrients they need, advises Charlie.

“Citrus are heavy feeders as they do so much growing, flowering and fruiting,” he says. “Supplement with a liquid feed every 10 days when it starts to flower and set fruit.”

For a robust tree, remove flowers and fruit during the first couple of years. “This directs the tree’s energy towards establishing roots and overall growth,” explains Charlie.  A healthy tree is the best pest prevention but, if your tree is hit by citrus leafminer, aphids or scale, treat with a horticultural oil spray.

3. How do I know when my citrus fruit is ready for picking?

Colour is the biggest clue to ripeness, though it varies according to fruit type. Cumquats should be completely orange before picking; mandarins can have a flush of green and still be ripe, while lemons should be yellow, firm and smooth skinned. Look for a strong citrus scent and give them a gentle squeeze – ripe fruit will have a little bit of give and its stem should easily break free from the branch when the fruit is twisted. If in doubt, try one. If it’s not juicy or sweet enough, wait a week or so and try again. After your citrus tree has finished fruiting, give it a haircut.

Remove any crossing or rubbing branches to reduce wounds,” says Charlie. Also remove all shoots from the rootstock – these are a different variety and there’s no benefit to leaving them as they don’t produce fruit and can sap energy from the tree. A light annual prune is usually enough but, if your tree is wild and woolly, give it a harder prune to allow light and airflow.

4. What are the best ways to preserve citrus fruit?

Preserving fruit is a little gift to your future self and there are several ways to enjoy the zesty, sweet and sour flavours of citrus fruit long beyond the harvest season. The easiest and most obvious solution is to freeze the juice – ice-cube trays hold perfect portions for dressing fish or a winter salad.

Chef and farmer Hugh Wennerbom of The Argyle Inn in Taralga, NSW, preserves homegrown Meyer lemons in salt each year.

We usually serve them with cumin-roasted butternut pumpkin, and as part of an antipasti,” says Hugh. Lemon juice is a common ingredient in jam recipes to help it set, but citrus can also be the main character in your condiments. A sweet-tart lemon curd is an incomparable breakfast treat or instant dessert. Farmer, chef and food writer Matthew Evans loves the Parks’ lemon chutney in his recipe book Not Just Jam. “It’s perfect for sandwiches,” he says. “And you need lots of cumquat marmalade in the house at all times!”

5. Can you freeze citrus fruit after picking?

No matter what you’re growing, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the other fruits of your labour year-round. Berries can be frozen to use in smoothies or to snack on straight from the freezer. Of course, they can also be made into jam or a sauce. Stone fruit can also be made into jam. Dried fruit is a fabulous winter treat to eat as-is, mixed into muesli or even rehydrated in porridge. Matthew says he regularly dries apricots and plums. “Flavour-wise, ‘Prune d’Agen’ are the best plums to dry,” he says. Many fruits, from pears to peaches, can also be bottled in a light syrup, so you can eliminate canned fruit from your winter shopping list!

Keep in mind...

• Wear gloves and a mask when handling mulch, compost and potting mix and also when pruning, along with long sleeves, as the leaves and sap of some plants can be a skin irritant and/or cause allergic reactions.
• Store all garden chemicals and products out of reach of children and pets.

Short on space to grow fruit trees?

Check out these dwarf citrus varieties.

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Photo credit: Gap Photos/Heather Edwards - Design: Tom Massey, Getty Images, Alamy Stock Photo.