Planting and caring for citrus trees

Lemons, mandarins, limes, grapefruit - there are a myriad of citrus that are found in Kiwi backyards.

Citrus trees are evergreen trees that can be grown in pots or in the ground but will need need year-round care.

Luckily, citrus trees are dead-easy to grow and produce an abundant harvest in only a couple of years from planting. To reap the rewards year after year, follow this simple citrus care regime.

Watering
Fertilising
Pest and disease prevention
Pruning

Using a fruit and citrus fertiliser is an important step in ensuring your citrus trees produce year in and year out. The Scotts Performance Naturals Citrus and Fruit fertiliser is available as a liquid concentrate or as pellets and has been boosted with magnesium to grow healthy fruit and keep leaves green all year round.

Caring for your citrus trees

Whether you’re growing a lemon, lime, mandarin, orange, grapefruit or tangelo, caring for your citrus tree has never been easier. Follow these four simple tips to keep your trees healthy and happy.

Water citrus trees deeply twice a week during establishment.

The frequency of watering can be cut back when citrus trees are established, so you're only watering during dry periods and when fruits are developing.

It’s important to maintain soil moisture from fruit set to harvest to prevent citrus trees becoming stressed, which could result in a significant part of the crop dropping before it's ripe.

Fertilise citrus trees at the start of every season. Apply a generous amount of Scotts Performance Naturals Citrus and Fruit fertiliser to the soil around your tree.

Here’s how:

Clear any mulch from the area immediately beneath the tree canopy.
Apply the fertiliser over the soil surface, in a band around the dripline (immediately below the external perimeter of the foliage).
Water well.
Replenish the mulch.

TIP: Alternate between different natural fertilisers each time you apply them, to provide a range of nutrients throughout the year. For example Scotts Performance Naturals™ Citrus & Fruit Fertiliser in spring, and blood and bone in autumn.

NOTE: The application of controlled release fertilisers in addition to the organics will help to ensure a range of nutrients is available to your citrus trees when they need it most.

Problems with pests and diseases can be largely avoided by ensuring your citrus trees are healthy.

To give your citrus trees the best possible start:

Prepare the soil prior to planting by enriching with compost.
Dig a hole at least twice as large as the pot your citrus trees comes in so roots are not damaged.
Plant citrus trees in full sun - at least 5-6 hours of sunlight per day.
Apply Scotts Performance Naturals™ Citrus & Fruit Fertiliser throughout the year.

Of course, no matter what you do, pests and diseases can attack your citrus trees. Look out for:

Scale, leaf miners and aphids. These are common citrus pests but rarely cause major damage. Treat with an environment-friendly oil spray.
Yellow leaves are a common complaint with citrus trees but if you have prepared the soil well and replenish it each season, your citrus will survive. Performance Naturals Citrus and Fruit is with boosted magnesium to help prevent yellowing.

When it comes to pruning, citrus trees are quite different to the majority of fruit trees because they are evergreen. Forget all those fancy pruning techniques and simply: