Growing citrus: 'It's hard not to agonise over an infant sapling'
The inclination with gardeners who grow citrus is to become like the parents of newborns. Fretting about this and that – leaf curl, the ants carrying sooty mould, chlorosis etc.
In the early days of Boon Luck Farm, we invested in a large quantity of citrus, makrut lime leaves in particular. At the time, citruses from Queensland were starting to have restrictions placed upon them due to blight and canker, thus the prices shot up radically.
They went from $45 to $120 per kg within a year. It was kind of devastating. We use makrut lime leaves in many of our dishes at Chat Thai and cutting them out would mean excluding one of the main aromats that make up the essential essence of the cuisine. Being a Thai restaurant, sadly price rises are not taken on with understanding by the dining public, regardless of market fluctuations. So, I sought to solve the problem by growing them.
Citrus were some of the first trees I grew in my home garden in the city, so I already understood this “new parent” sentiment. Still, I would spend an insubordinate amount of time agonising over the health of those first infant saplings. They really looked like they would cark it at any given time, if I took my eyes off them.
On reflection, I think they only survived my over pruning and devout attention through sheer determination and hardwood mulching. I mulched the shit out of them.
I also listened to advice from a gardening talk back radio show. One episode, a caller noted that the most prolific lemon tree he’d ever seen was planted next to a cricket oval. When cricketers lingered near it – perhaps picking up the cherry after a lusty hook – it was frequently sprinkled on. So, I made my kids pee on the trees.
But the thing about citrus is, though they take quite a few years to establish, once they pass that do-or-die period, they’re off.
Now, peeing on over a thousand trees takes a while, so these days we rely on mulching and time. We let the roots establish before we do any pruning and feed them minimally at intermittent periods with fish, kelp and compost tea. That is the extent of our management. We provide the optimum environment for them to do well, and then we stand back.
Time is everything, it sorts most things out. Five years on we grow over forty varieties of citrus, native and non-native and they are all doing just fine.
First time grower’s tips
Whether you will be growing citrus in a pot or into soil, there are a few things in common to instigate for a higher success rate. Now is a good time to get trees planted, because soil temperature below 14°C is too cold for new plantings. Depending on where in Australia you are, between now and mid to late Autumn is ideal.
Start off with a grafted tree: depending on which citrus you are growing, one that is grafted on wood stock – like trifoliata or troyer – are sturdy and will be more disease and climate resistant. There are many exceptions to the rule of which stock, for which plant and which climate, so I would recommend you talk to your local nursery to suss out what suits your growing needs best. The reason that grafted trees are more desirable is simply that they will yield fruit faster than growing from a seedling, and the quality of the fruit tends to be more consistent with what you think you are actually going to get. Growing from commercial citrus seeds like lemons, limes, oranges and mandarins is not advisable as they are often hybrids and will revert back, however some species like the makrut lime, cumquats and native citrus can be propagated from seeds as theirs are polyembryonic and will grow true to type. With our grafted trees I’ve spent many an afternoon pruning off the shoots from the rootstock, which are prolific, hardy and more often than not have massive spikes that will pierce through many a gardening glove if not attended to with absolute concentration and attention – it must be done though, as if left to grow the root stock can very well take over, and the grafted tree won’t have a chance. I have rarely seen the two be amicable in the same space.
Related: The sweeter the juice: an entirely ripened mulberry is the flavour of self-control
Prepare your soil! If growing into a pot a good quality potting media with organic compost, chicken/bird manure or blood and bone, vermicasts and a tablespoon of zeolite. For growing straight into the ground, prepare your soil with lots of organic compost, chicken manure or blood and bone and a table spoon of zeolite around the hole where you’ll be planting. Citrus loves good drainage and it won’t do well being stood in a water-logged spot.
Give it a friend: In both a pot or soil situation, I would also stick a comfrey into the pot, a wonderful companion for the citrus, as it has deep taproots that draw nutrients up into the leaves, which you can then chop and drop to mulch the citrus. While you are waiting for the comfrey to get large enough to chop, make sure you have a harder wood mulch to cover any bare soil. Broken down hardwood chips are my preference as soft mulches break down too fast and are better for vegetable crops. Lastly when transplanting, be careful to plant the tree below the graft line (at least 5-10cm) while being mindful to plant above the root system, as many trees sitting in the nursery too long may have had the top layer of soil taken off through watering or via transit, and some of their roots could be exposed.
Pruning: Don’t do it until there is an established root system – at least a year or two, and a bushy canopy. And when you do, think of an empty bowl, as that is the shape which will open up the tree to expose the centre canopy. You want as much sun reaching through the entire tree as possible so you get it flowering and fruiting evenly.
Planting citrus can be as hard or as easy as you make it. They love having companion as most plants do. Talking to them lovingly and occasionally peeing around their base is highly advisable.
This is an edited extract from Boon Luck Farm: On Growing, available for pre-order now from Somekind Press.
