Just the other day, I was feeding my citrus because mid-end February is the perfect time to begin feeding your houseplants. Days are getting longer and plants are waking up, so they’re looking for food to fuel spring and summer growth. I love feeding my citrus, especially because they give me something back—delicious fruit!
Interesting Facts About Citrus
- Citrus are native to Southeast China.
- Citrus were brought to Haiti in 1493 by Columbus. A few years later, the Spanish brought citrus to Florida.
- Botanically, citrus are considered berries with a tough outer skin called hesperidium.
- Citrus grown in tropical climates, where they don’t come in contact with temperatures in the 40’s or 50’s, stay green. Only citrus grown in areas that have little chilly spells will turn yellow or orange!
- A single citrus plant may produce over 50,000 flowers, but only about 1% to 2% of those will actually pollinate and set fruit.
- According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest lemon ever grown was grown in 2003 by a farmer in Israel. It weighed 11 lbs., 9.7 oz. (that weighs more than a human head).
- The largest orange was grown in Fresno, California in 2006. It measured 25 inches in circumference.
Citrus Are Easy to Grow When You Remember This
Citrus are not that difficult to grow if you remember the environment they are native to—tropical with boatloads of sun. I do well with them however, because I’m blessed to have the whole back of my house facing south, which means they get full all day sun during the winter, after their summer outside. Even then, I find I get best results when I augment with a grow light on cloudy winter days.
How to Water and Feed Your Citrus
When you water them, do water well, but do not water again until the soil is dry about 1/2 way down, just not so dry the leaves droop or curl. They need to be fed with a citrus fertilizer (available at garden centers). Feed them late winter (mid-end February) when the days are getting longer, the beginning of summer (around Memorial Day), and once more at summer’s end (Labor Day).
Citrus Self-Pollinate, But They Appreciate a Little Help
Their flowers are self-pollinating, but when they bloom indoors (and they often will), it’s best to help by going from flower to flower with a small brush. We don’t have nice summer breezes to help move the pollen around inside.
Be Patient – It’s Worth It!
One more thing. Citrus are for the patient. A citrus grown from seed can take 6 or more years to bloom. When a flower does pollinate, it can take 6 to 9 months to ripen. But when you sit with a glass of iced tea with your own lemon in there, it’s worth it!