Top tips for sensational citrus

• Give them plenty of sunshine: citrus like a spot that gets at least 6 hours of full sun per day.
• Protect them from wind: citrus is best grown in a sheltered spot, because wind will stress the trees by drying them out and damaging fruit and foliage, and this can lead to reduced crops.
• Provide good drainage: soggy soils can kill citrus trees, so plant them in a well-drained spot. Incorporate plenty of organic matter in the soil before planting and create a mound to further improve drainage.
• Keep moist: dry soils can cause fruit to split or fall prematurely, so water deeply and regularly in dry times and maintain a cover of mulch on the soil surface to hold the moisture in the soil for longer.
• Feed regularly: citrus are hard-working plants that need to be well nourished in order to produce good crops year after year. Fertilise with an organic citrus food every 2 to 3 months from late winter through to autumn.
• Manage pests: scale and aphids are the most common pests of citrus. These sap suckers deplete the plants of energy, but both can be controlled relatively easily with a safe-to-use, oil-based spray. Bronze orange bugs (stink bugs) attack the stems of young fruit, causing them to drop off. Control these with a direct spray of natural pyrethrum spray, but be sure to protect your skin and eyes from their caustic squirts.

Want more care tips? Read our Citrus tree care guide — it has everything you need to know to grow healthy, juicy citrus!

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