Success with little protection!
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Imagine having immediate access to fresh, sun-ripened citrus right from your own yard. While citrus can be a bit finicky to get established in our harsh climate, they are incredibly rewarding and can be grown successfully in the ground, espaliered on a trellis against a protected wall, or grown in containers. Dwarf citrus varieties make excellent container plants for your yard or patio; they can easily be rolled into the garage to protect them from both extreme summer sun and sudden winter temperature drops. Regardless of which method you choose, always select a sunny spot that is protected from intense reflected heat from walls or harsh reflections from western-facing windows, as these can easily scorch your trees.
Pruning and Identifying Unwanted Growth Proper pruning ensures your tree directs its energy toward fruit production rather than useless foliage.
Timing and Technique
- The Best Time: Major pruning should happen in late spring, specifically after the last possible freeze (typically late March to April). Pruning too early stimulates tender growth that a late frost will kill..
- Avoid Over-Pruning: Citrus trees are susceptible to sunburn on their bark. Never remove more than 20-25% of the canopy at once. Over-pruning stresses the tree, reduces fruit yield, and exposes the sensitive trunk to damaging UV rays.
- Maintenance: While major shaping happens in spring, you should remove suckers and water sprouts the moment you see them during the growing season.
- Suckers (From below the rootstock)
- Identify: Most citrus trees are grafted. Your desired fruit variety is grown onto a tougher, disease-resistant root system. The graft union is a bulge or diagonal scar on the lower trunk, usually a few inches above the soil. Suckers grow from below this union. They often have different leaves (sometimes in sets of three) and significantly more thorns.
- Why Remove: Suckers belong to the rootstock. They will outcompete your grafted tree, eventually taking over and producing bitter or seedy fruit.
- How to Remove: Snap young, tender suckers off by hand. For woody suckers, use clean bypass pruners to cut them flush with the trunk.
- Water Sprouts (From above the graft union)
- Identify: Fast-growing, vertical shoots, often larger in diameter than the branch they grow from, appearing on the main trunk or limbs above the graft union.
- Why Remove: While they are the “right” variety, they are generally unproductive and shade out the tree’s interior, reducing light to fruiting wood.
- How to Remove: Cut them back flush with the branch they originate from.
Irrigation & Watering Logic
Proper watering is the most critical factor for desert citrus success.
Deep, Infrequent Irrigation: Citrus trees prefer a “deep soak and dry out” cycle. Water deeply to reach the entire root zone, then allow the top few inches of soil to dry before watering again.
- The Danger of Overwatering: Keeping the soil constantly saturated is a leading cause of failure. Overwatering causes not only the leaves to fall off, but small fruit to turn black and drop off. It also leads to Gummosis (bark rot) and iron chlorosis.
- Container Care: Ensure your pots have excellent drainage. Never let the plant sit in standing water—always empty your drainage saucer!
Fertilizing for Success
We are proud to provide both Dr. Q’s® Citrus Food and Dr. Q’s® Organic Citrus Food, a great choice for container citrus to ensure healthy, delicious fruit.
- For Trees in the Ground: Use Dr. Q’s® Citrus Food (14-7-7) in February, *May, and September. This organic-based formula provides the essential micronutrients necessary for vigorous growth and heavy production.
- Protect the Fruit Set: Discourage fertilizing when the tree has flowers or very small fruit. Applying fertilizer during this sensitive stage can trigger fruit drop. Wait until the fruit is at least the size of a marble.
- Addressing Iron Chlorosis: If leaves turn yellow with dark green veins, the plant is struggling to take up iron.
- Ensure you aren’t overwatering first!
- Use Dr. Q’s Iron Worker® or KeRex® as a supplement.
- For immediate results, use Ferti-lome® Soil Acidifier Plus Iron. This helps address the high pH common in our desert soils and provides iron in a liquid form, making it available to the plant immediately.
Common Problems, Pests & Solutions
| Problem | Symptoms & Causes | Solution |
| Flowers Don’t Set | Tree blooms but no fruit forms. Often caused by temperature swings, water stress, over-pruning, or high winds blowing flowers off. | Maintain uniform watering. Protect from high winds by using a temporary windbreak or shelter during the bloom period. |
| Fruit Drop | Small fruit falls off. | Avoid fertilizing during bloom; maintain uniform watering. |
| Black Fruit | Small fruit turns black and drops. | Result of overwatering. Switch to deep, infrequent irrigation. |
| Sunburn | Scalded bark or fruit. | Whitewash exposed trunks with tree paint. Protect fruit with 50% UV shade cloth or burlap. |
| Aphids & Mites | Stippled leaves or sticky residue on new growth. | Wash foliage with a strong stream of water. Use Safer® Insecticidal Soap or Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew. |
| Scale Insects | White, cottony masses or hard bumpy shells on stems. | Scrub off by hand. Use BioAdvanced® Fruit, Vegetable & Citrus Insect Control as a soil drench. |
| Ants & Snails | Ants “farm” pests; snails damage fruit. | Control ants at the base with Amdro® Ant bait to allow beneficial insects to work. Use snail and slug bait around the perimeter. |
Popular Varieties & Cold Hardiness
Temperatures are for mature trees. Young trees or those stressed by wind/drought are more tender.
- Kumquat: Most cold-tolerant (hardy to 22°F). Eat the peel and all!
- Meyer Lemon: Best for containers; sweeter and hardier than standard lemons (25°F).
- Grapefruit: Surprisingly hardy (25°F). Rio Red and Oro Blanco are top desert choices.
- Oranges: Best in containers. Protect at 30°F. Washington Navel and Valencia are favorites.
- Limes: The most tender. Hardiness stops at 30°F. Must be moved or heavily protected.
Important Note on Cold: While hardiness ratings are a guide, conditions may warrant covering regardless of the temperature. Individual factors such as biting cold winds, soil type, and the specific micro-climate of your yard can increase risk. If exposed to temperatures in the mid-to-low 20s for more than a few hours, significant damage is likely. When in doubt, cover your trees.