Re: was Xmas, now citrus

Here's the sum total of everything I know about growing citrus indoors and out, but first my experience with it indoors. Had a meyer lemon at the condo in Bethesda. It was a magnet for scale and red spider. I was experimenting with it--trying to grow it hydroponically--which didn't work; it died.

Now here's what I've since learned about growing citrus. First, they don't like their feet wet, but they do like a very porous soil [lots of sand] that stays moist. Second, they do not want to be mulched with anything except sand, nor do they want anything [like grass, weeds. or annuals] growing under them. I killed a nice tangelo once by putting weed mat under it because I didn't want to use RoundUp; better I shoulda used RoundUp. Third, they are one of the few plants that require a by-the-calendar feeding schedule. Every 4 months, beginning the day all the fruit is picked, it will need 1 pound of 10-10-10 per foot of height spread all around from the trunk to the drip line. As you probably know, citrus is unlike almost all other fruits; a single tree can have, at any given time, fruit that is ripening, next year's fruit in juvenile stage, and flowers for yet a more future crop. This is particularly true for Meyer lemons; somewhat mature trees like mine, bloom and fruit all year around.


On Wednesday, November 17, 2004, at 08:12 AM, Cathy Carpenter wrote:

Do you have any good references on how to grow citrus (Meyer lemon) as a houseplant? Mine is very(!) unhappy.
Cathy 

Island Jim
Southwest Florida
27.0 N, 82.4 W
Zone 10a
Minimum 30 F [-1 C]

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