🍊 Citrus (General)

Citrus spp.
Sunshine you can peel.
Sun
Full sun, 8+ hrs
Days to harvest
2–4 years for grafted trees
Spacing
12–20 ft depending on type
Soil pH
6.0–7.0

How to grow

Always buy grafted trees on appropriate rootstock — trifoliate orange for cold hardiness, sour orange where it thrives. Plant in the warmest, sunniest, best-drained spot you've got, with the graft union above soil. In Florida, citrus greening (HLB) is the defining challenge — buy certified disease-free stock and scout for psyllids. Container growing works great for marginal zones; wheel the tree inside for freezes.

Water & feeding

Deep watering when the top few inches dry out; citrus likes consistent moisture but hates soggy roots. Young trees need more frequent water than established ones.

Common problems

  • Citrus greening/HLB (incurable bacterial disease spread by psyllids — the Florida citrus crisis)
  • Citrus leafminer (squiggly trails on new growth — mostly cosmetic on mature trees)
  • Frost damage (cover young trees; mature trees vary by type)
  • Root rot in poorly drained soil

Harvest

Fruit ripens on the tree — taste is the only reliable test, since color can mislead. Most citrus holds on the tree for weeks once ripe, so harvest as needed. In Florida, season runs roughly fall through spring depending on variety.

Nerdy fact: Nearly all citrus — oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits — descend from just three wild ancestors: citron, mandarin, and pomelo. Every citrus you've ever eaten is a hybrid remix of those three, which makes the entire citrus aisle one big family reunion.

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