We’ve just been up to visit Phil’s parents and lucky me – their Meyer lemon tree was chocka block full of fruit.   However it was also really thick with branchlets – so much so the light wasn’t getting in and there was the beginning of sooty mould.  There is a saying that “a bird should be able to fly through a citrus tree”.  Whilst I don’t actually hold specifically to that – it is important that there is light.  Check out my “before and after pictures” to give you a basic idea of how to trim.  You can prune more heavily than this but what I’ve done is sufficient.

Any pruning tips you’d like to pass on, or pic’s of your own.

SWEET & TART

 All Citrus love warm weather and prefer to be planted during the late spring through to late summer.  The warm weather promotes quick root establishment and with healthy dollops of water and fertiliser they grow quickly during this period.

Of all edible plants Citrus must be the most widely planted – there is hardly an established garden without the ubiquitous lemon.  And for good reason.  Whether you use your lemons in gin and tonic, lemon desserts or simply a good hot toddy – they are part of our everyday lives.   I have two Lemons in containers – a Meyer lemon which produces sweet juicy fruit ideal for drinks and crops nearly year round.  “Lisbon”  with its medium sized seedless fruit is marvellous for cooking as it has that sharper flavour which is very necessary for superb pies etc.

What fantastic fruit they are! – so useful and versatile, full of vitamin C.  Almost every chef on every cooking programme I watch uses lemons or limes in their recipes.  No garden is complete without a citrus tree of one sort or another.

Citrus love a well dug, free draining soil in a warm sunny position, protected from strong winds.  Follow this up with plenty of water during the hot summer months and feed with a good citrus fertiliser such as Acticote for Trees and Citrus or Tui’s Citrus fertiliser.  Feed them every two months throughout the growing season – Sept – March and that’s all they require.

You can also grow citrus in large containers – I grow my 8 citrus trees in wine barrels and have had the same plants in them for over ten years.  Last year we took them all out, gave their roots a really good trim, pruned them quite heavily and popped them back in their barrels.  Within a month they had recovered and put on beautiful dark green new foliage.  Use a good quality potting mix which includes Saturaid and feed regularly (Sept, Nov., Jan., March) with a slow release fertiliser such as Novatec and you will be assured of really deep green foliage year round.    Keep the potting mix well watered over the summer months.

Citrus in pots add a decorative, as well as functional feature to the garden.  Use on terraces and patios to brighten up the late winter days and give a Mediterranean or sub-tropical feel to your garden.

Limes are de rigueur these days, especially with gin drinkers.  “Tahitian” or “Bearrs Tahitian” are heavy croppers, excellent in containers.  “Mexican” is known as “The Bartender’s Lime” with small green fruit and a fresh clean taste.  Use the foliage of Kaffir Limes for Asian cooking – nothing can replace the flavour.

Everyone loves Mandarins – the delicious, sweet fruit of the easy peel “Satsuma” varieties are the way to go.  There are several varieties of “Satsuma”, all fruiting at slightly different times over the winter months.

For marmalade, or healthy low fat breakfasts, grapefruit “Golden Special” is the pick.  It has large, pale yellow fruit, a sharp flavour and is a heavy cropper.

My absolute favourite is the Lemonade.  Lemonades taste just like Granny’s old-fashioned lemonade but without the need to add any sugar – they are simply gorgeous and brilliant in a fresh citrus salad.  They make wonderful marmalade too.

We made some marmalade last year from our Lemonades and Kumquats – it was a microwave recipe and so easy – 30 minutes and you have your few pots of marmalade and the house is filled with the sweet, tangy aroma of citrus.