How to Grow Citrus Fruits

Co-authored by Matt Bowman and Caroline Heiderscheit

Last Updated: December 20, 2022 References Approved

Looking to add some tangy, fresh citrus fruit to your life? Plant yourself a citrus tree! We're going to walk you through absolutely everything you need to know: where to buy your tree, what to do, and how long you'll need to wait before harvesting. Read on, because this is your complete guide to how to grow citrus fruit.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Planting Citrus Trees Outdoors

1
Grow citrus outdoors, year-round if you live in the “citrus belt.” Florida, Texas, California, and Arizona make up a majority of the “citrus belt”—or, a region of the US where citrus fruits can grow effectively outdoors all year. In these areas, temperatures will typically stay between 55–90 °F (13–32 °C). Check the USDA’s hardiness zone map to figure out if you live in the citrus belt (Zones 8-11). If you don't live in the USA and want to grow citrus ask your citrus supplier how likely you are to be successful at grown your chosen citrus fruit. ^{[1]
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- Look at Home Depot for orange trees, clementine trees, grapefruit trees, lemon trees, or lime trees.
- If you’re interested in a tree with various citrus types (you read that right!) try a fruit salad tree.
2
Choose a location that gets 8 hours of sunshine a day. Citrus need a bare minimum of 6 hours of sun every day, so before choosing your location, make sure that your spot will be able to provide that. In most situations, the southern side of your home makes a great choice since it gets a lot of light.^{[2]
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3
Make sure the planting area has well-draining soil. Citrus don't do well in wet soil, so well-draining soil will prevent the area from getting too saturated after it rains. If possible, choose a location with slightly acidic soil, too, since a citrus tree will thrive in those conditions. You can always amend the soil to be more acidic) if you need to.^{[3]
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- If you’re planting multiple trees, be sure to allow for 12–15 feet (3.7–4.6 m) of space in between each tree.
4
Inspect the tree's rootball and, if necessary, score the sides. Unwrap your tree from its packaging or container, and then inspect the rootball for tangled or bunched up roots. Matted roots will stifle the plant’s growth. In this case, take a knife and gently cut roots up and down the side of the rootball in vertical slits.^{[4]
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5
Dig a hole as deep as the rootball and 1.5-2 times as wide. After digging a hole of the correct size, position your tree in the center of your hole. Double-check that your citrus isn’t being planted too deep—for best results, the start of the trunk should sit a couple of inches above the surrounding soil.^{[5]
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- If you’re planting a grafted citrus, the tree should be elevated a bit higher, about 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) above the surrounding soil.
- Before moving on, check that your tree isn’t standing on a tilt.
6
Nestle the rootball into the hole and backfill it with soil. You don't need to add fertilizer or use any special soil—use the original soil. Halfway through filling the hole, spray water over the surrounding soil to clear our air pockets. Then, finish filling the hole with soil.^{[6]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Growing Citrus Trees in Containers

1
Plant citrus in containers if temperatures dip below 55 °F (13 °C). Typically, this would mean in Zone 7 and below. You can always move your container outside in a sunny location when temperatures get above 55 °F (13 °C)—probably in the spring or summer.^{[7]
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- Since you’re planting indoors, feel free to start your citrus tree any time of the year.
2
Choose a small citrus that can thrive in a container long-term. Usually, this means avoiding large citrus plants, like oranges and grapefruit. In general, small lemon varieties, kumquats, mandarins, kafirs, and limes are excellent choices to plant indoors.^{[8]
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- Consider a dwarf variety, like the “Improved Meyer” lemon or “Calamondin” orange.
3
Use a container that's slightly larger than the container your tree came in. Oftentimes, this means using an 8 inches (20 cm)-diameter pot for new plants. At the start, you’ll want to have the best chance of properly maintaining your soil moisture—choosing too large a pot can make this much more difficult. Increase your pot’s size as the plant grows (after a couple years, a 10 inches (25 cm)-diameter pot would be best), but at the beginning, small containers will be a big help.^{[9]
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- Consider using plastic, terra cotta, or wooden containers—and be sure to pick one that looks great in your home (maybe one with a fun decoration!). If you plan to move your plant outdoors in warmer months, plastic will be the lightest.
- Be sure to choose a container with drainage holes in the bottom.
4
Fill the pot with lightweight soil that drains well. Specifically, look for peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, or compost. If, down the line, you notice that your soil is too heavy, add hardwood bark chips. This will create more air pockets in your soil and in turn, create better drainage.^{[10]
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5
Score your rootball and plant your citrus tree in its container. If, as you do this, you notice any circling or tangled roots, gently score the sides of the rootball. Pack in your soil mix tightly around the tree. The roots should be just below the surface of the soil mix, but the location where the stem meets the roots should be just above the surface of the soil mix.^{[11]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Germinating Citrus Seeds

1
Soak the citrus seeds of your choice overnight in water. First things first, pluck your seed from the fruit you plan to grow. Then, drop them in a glass of water to soak for 12-24 hours. When you initially place your seeds in the water, look out for seeds that sink versus float. If your seed sinks, it’s more likely to germinate down the line.^{[12]
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Extension program of the University of California system devoted to educating and improving local communities
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2
Remove the seed's shell and plant it ¹⁄₂ in (1.3 cm) deep in moist potting soil. First, gently remove the seed’s outer shell. It may help to use nail clippers to create an opening at the loose tail of the shell—from there, you can peel the rest of the seed’s outer casing away. Then, place the seed inside of moist (but not soggy) potting soil.^{[13]
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University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Extension program of the University of California system devoted to educating and improving local communities
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- Place the seed in a small container with a diameter of just a few inches (a plastic cup would work fine).
- Double-check that your container has a hole for drainage in the bottom.
3
Cover the pot with plastic until the seeds start to grow. To keep your plant super moist during its early growth stages, use a plastic bag or plastic cover. Place the plant in a sunny spot and then, you wait! When you first notice the seeds sprouting, remove the cover but keep the plant in the same sunny location.^{[14]
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Caring for, Pruning, & Harvesting Citrus

1
Keep the soil consistently moist but never soggy. Letting a citrus plant dry out excessively will cause issue for the tree—but overwatering can be equally damaging. Do your best to keep the soil around your tree moist, but never soggy. To achieve this, give your plant a deep watering (about 8 inches deep), but only water every once in a while.^{[15]
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- To determine whether you're watering enough, look at the leaves. If they're cupped or yellowed, it’s likely that you’re overwatering.
2
Feed the tree a balanced fertilizer 3 times per year. Balanced fertilizers mean equal amounts of key macro-nutrients, and you can identify them from the bag’s 3 identical numbers (for instance, 10-10-10). Use these balanced fertilizers with your citrus. The amount you give your tree totally depends on its age and you should feed your plant 3 times a year. Follow these helpful guidelines:^{[16]
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- 1 year old trees need 1–1.5 pounds (0.45–0.68 kg), so ~.5 pounds (0.23 kg) pounds three times during the year.
- 2 year old trees need 2–3 pounds (0.91–1.36 kg), so ~1 pound (0.45 kg) three times during the year.
- 3 year old trees need 3–4 pounds (1.4–1.8 kg) pounds, so ~1.5 pounds (0.68 kg) pounds three times during the year.
3
Keep the area clear of mulch, weeds, and groundcover. Citrus trees have shallow roots, which means that nearby groundcover will take up nutrients that your tree needs to live. Mulch can cause rot in shallow-rooted citrus trees, so avoid using it. If you must use mulch, keep at least 12 inches (30 cm) of ground clear between the tree’s trunk and the mulch.^{[17]
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- If you planted outdoors but worry about frost, try a frost blanket. Or, Christmas lights have been proven to keep citrus warm through winter. Just make sure to leave them on all night!
- If your plant is suffering from weeds, go with hand removal. With mature citrus trees, pre-emergent herbicides are an option as well (but never post-emergent!), though they should be used only rarely.
4
Prune the citrus’ leaves if the plant is struggling. Though citrus don’t need to be pruned regularly, cut off dead and diseased branches to help promote leaf growth and produce better fruit on the tree. Sprouts or “suckers” steal key nutrients from the citrus tree—remove these as well. Make sure to prune your citrus trees in spring months.^{[18]
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- You can easily hand prune younger trees. As the tree grows into maturity, use pruning shears to make clean cuts on the tree.
5
Protect your plant from pests like mites, aphids, and weevils. Keep your plant strong and healthy, because a plant that's receiving enough nutrients will be better at fighting off pests. Then, stay vigilant and look out for signs that your tree is battling pests: leaf drop, webs, and etchings on the leaves are all signs of an infestation. Keep pests at bay with these tips:^{[19]
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- Products like Tanglefoot can create a barrier around the tree trunk and prevent bugs from climbing up.
- For a DIY solution, wrap sticky tape on the outside of your tree. The key is to have the sticky side facing out, so bugs get stuck on their way up.
- You can also dislodge critters naturally by pointing your water hose up at the underside of your citrus' leaves to knock the bugs off.
6
After 2-4 years, harvest ripe fruit directly from the tree. Though the exact timeline for citrus plants depends on the specific tree type and its growing conditions, most start producing fruit after about 3-4 years. Note that your fruit won’t continue to ripen once it’s plucked from the tree, so be careful not to pick your fruits too early. The best signs of ripeness are:^{[20]
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- Color change—for all citrus fruits besides lime, a noticeable color change will let you know that it’s ready for eating.
- Taste—if you try a fruit on the tree and it’s just right, then there’s a good chance that the rest of your fruit is about ready as well. If it’s still bitter, then you’ll want to give the fruit more time to mature.

Community Q&A

Question

How long does it take a lime bush to produce fruit?

Community Answer

Trees growing in tropical climates grow blossoms and yield fruit off and on all year. The yield timing is different for trees growing in Mediterranean climates. More than 300 hours of accumulated temperature below 68 degrees Fahrenheit induces flowering and fruit production. This is called the chill factor. Large numbers of citrus flowers drop from the tree after they open, and an equally large number of young fruits drop from the tree.
Question

My miniature lemon tree dropped all of its leaves this winter. Is this normal?

Community Answer

Yes, in winter it is normal for trees to shed their leaves. They will grow back when it is warmer.
Question

How much fertilizer should I use for citrus?

Paradise Nursery

Community Answer

It depends on the size of the plant. Purchase citrus specific fertilizer, then read and follow the directions on the label.