How Do I Grow Citrus The Right Way

trueman

I planted three citrus seeds about two months ago. Since then they have grown about 1 1/2 to two inches in height, they are very vigorous in development. One of the seeds has even made three sprouts should i let all of them grow?

I have never grown a fruit tree before. When should i start training them? And what special care do they require. The seeds are Grapefruit.

Trueman

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TreeBay

Hi there Trueman,

Do you want to train these as bonsai?

Usually small-leaved cultivars with tiny fruits are used, like kumquat, in particular the "Golden Bean Kumquat" known as Kinzai in Japanese. Sometimes you also see Calmondin (Buddha's hand). Grapefruit would have huge fruits that would make an impractical bonsai. The size of fruit and flowers does not reduce much in a bonsai. It's genetically programmed. The fruit might be half as big at maturity, but that's still massive.

If you want to grow them as trees or shrubs, they need a lot of sun, no frost during the winter and well draining soil. A lot of citrus is on lemon or sour orange rootstocks for hardiness

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/...ivars/L2304.htm

Regards,

Matt

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trueman

Do you mean Grapefruit cant handle any frost at all?

Making them into Bonsai was my first idea but maybe i can plant them in my yard. Is there anyway i can halt there growth temporarally? Because the area i live in right now gets minus 35 temperatures, which is very cold so i cant plant them right away until i move to a warmer climate.


Trueman

Attila

You don't need to halt their growth. Just grow them in the pot as indoor plants as many people do in the northern temperate regions. During summertime you can keep them outdoors.

When you move south, you can plant them into the ground and make them into garden-size bonsai, lets say over 4ft tall (it would take about 15 - 20 years).

Regards,
Attila