How to grow citrus trees in your garden

Every garden deserves a citrus tree. In all but the coldest districts, citrus trees feature in backyards. They’re incredible survivors, but will perform better and bear wonderful crops if they’re well cared for.

Citrus trees need to be in full sun. If you’re short of sunny spots in the garden, grow citrus in pots that can be moved to take advantage of changing patterns of sunlight. Although citrus are traditionally grown in terracotta, these pots can be heavy (and expensive!). Yates have the perfect solution: their Tuscan pots are lightweight, surprisingly inexpensive and have that wonderful Mediterranean look that goes so well with citrus. Tuscan pots come in a range of sizes. The large 50 cm size is big enough to grow almost any type of citrus tree happily for many years.

n the garden citrus must have good drainage. This is particularly important for the popular, long-bearing lemon variety called ‘Eureka’ because it’s more susceptible to the problems caused by water-retaining soils. In heavy clay soils it’s best to put some extra effort into preparation. Before planting, raise the level of the bed as much as possible, dig in some gypsum and plenty of old organic matter (compost, aged manure or commercial soil improver).

For more information, or to get started planting citrus trees in your own garden, watch this horticultural how-to.