Table of Contents
When to Plant Citrus Trees
- Early spring is the best time to plant citrus trees outdoors in the parts of North America where they can be grown outside (Zones 8-11), since they’ll have the entire summer to settle in before cooler weather arrives. If frosts occur in your area, wait to plant until a spring frost is no longer a threat.
- In the citrus belt (a loosely defined area including southern California, parts of Arizona and Texas, and Florida), trees can be planted at any time of the year.
- Citrus can be planted indoors in containers at any time of the year.
Choosing and Preparing a Planting Site
- Warmth helps citrus fruit mature and sweeten, so citrus trees should be planted in a warm, sunny, and wind-protected area—planting along the southern side of a house or other structure will provide all three features. In cases where sweetness isn’t a concern (with lemons and limes, for example), extra warmth is less important.
- Citrus trees need well-draining soil. If they sit in too much water, the roots can rot. If the soil is not well-drained, plant the trees on a slight mound to prevent waterlogging.
- Citrus trees prefer slightly acidic soil, so consider testing the pH of your planting site and amending accordingly.
- Standard-size citrus trees should be spaced 12 to 25 feet apart and dwarf citrus trees should be set 6 to 10 feet apart. The exact distance depends on the variety. The bigger the fruit, the farther the distance.
How to Plant Citrus Trees
- After unwrapping or removing the tree from its container, first inspect the root ball. If the roots seem tangled or like they’re growing in circles, gently score up and down the sides of the root ball several times with a knife. This breaks up the bound roots and encourages them to grow outward.
- Dig a hole that’s about 1.5 times the width of the root ball and about as deep as the root ball is tall. Like most trees, citrus trees should be planted slightly above the depth that they were at in the container; planting too deeply can cause water to pool around the trunk, leading to rot and disease. Planting slightly higher than the surrounding soil ensures that water will run away from the trunk.
- Note: If planting a grafted variety of citrus, make sure that the graft union is 4 to 6 inches above the soil level. If planted too close to the ground, roots may form from the graft union, defeating the whole purpose of grafting!
- Place the tree in the hole and backfill with soil. When the hole is half filled, spray with water to settle it and flush out air pockets, then continue filling with soil. Water again to settle the soil after the hole is filled.
- Tip: Do NOT add special soil or fertilizer to the planting hole. It’s best to let the tree get used to the soil nutrient levels and consistency that are already present in the planting site.
Starting Citrus Trees from Seed
Reading: How to grow a lime tree from seed
Also Read: How to know if brussel sprouts are bad
Citrus trees can be started from seeds, but they usually don’t breed true, which means that you may not get the same quality fruit! It’s also possible that citrus trees grown from seed won’t flower or fruit at all. Nonetheless, growing a citrus tree from seed is a fun experiment.
- To start citrus trees inside from seeds, remove the seeds from the desired fruit. Soak the seeds overnight in water and plant them 1/2 inch deep in moist potting soil.
- Cover the pot with a plastic bag or wrap and let it sit in a warm and sunny spot for a few weeks until the seeds start to grow. Then, remove the plastic but keep the pot near a warm and sunny window as the seedlings grow.
