Trunks of citrus trees suffer damage from two common culprits, one natural and one man-made: sunburn and garden tools. Learn how to protect your lemon trees from both sunburn and garden tools. Sunburn: Citrus trees are especially prone to sunburn, particularly in areas with hot, Mediterranean summers. Citrus bark and cambium are sensitive to sunburn, and sun […]

With proper pruning and management, any variety of orange tree can be grown in a container, although trees may stay small and yields may be minimal unless trees are grown in very large pots. Use a soil mix of at least 30% sand, combined with soil and compost or well-rotted organic matter, in pots or […]

Enthusiastic gardeners can easily become enthusiastic “mulchers,” placing copious amounts of high quality mulch close to and around every plant the gardens. While GardenZeus applauds the effort, we also recommend some caution. Orange trees can be over-mulched or mulched to close to the trunk and major roots. GardenZeus recommends bare soil only with no plantings […]

Watering lemon trees correctly is important for many reasons: proper development of healthy trees, limiting pests and diseases, increasing yields and maximizing flavor. Citrus require regular watering and sufficient soil moisture, especially early to midway through the fruiting cycle. Consistent irrigation is also critical for the first few years while citrus trees are establishing, to […]

Blood oranges have become the foodie’s citrus tree, loved for their rich orange flavor with raspberry overtones and deep color. Blood oranges grow best in areas with warm to hot summers and mild winters. Those who live in citrus growing county will be rewarded by growing this attractive plant with tasty fruit. As with citrus […]

Pruning Citrus Trees is important to encourage fruiting, to maintain tree health and to control size and accessibility for harvest. GardenZeus recommends pruning young citrus trees somewhat differently than pruning mature citrus trees. To Improve and Maintain Structure and Form of Young Trees. Prune young trees for structure and form over the first 1 to […]

Evergreen and elegant, lemon trees make beautiful landscape plants. But what should be planted in the large areas under and around your lemon trees? Choose plants that are good companions for lemon trees, that is, plants that have similar cultural requirements. The GardenZeus recommendation: no plantings and no use of mulch, with bare soil only, […]

GardenZeus receives commissions for purchases made through links in this post. There is no additional cost to you. Gardeners with lemon trees in their yards are often faced with the question: what is wrong with my lemon tree? Here are causes and cures for seven of the most common problems with lemon trees in the […]

Are limes ripe when green? When yellow? The answer is: it depends. Start by being familiar with your particular microclimate and the variety of your lime tree. Knowing exactly when to harvest limes at peak ripeness can be a bit of an art. Here are our pointers. Harvest carefully to avoid damage. If possible, avoid […]