Maintaining and Storing My Citrus
Our annual project of storing all the citrus and tropical plants for the winter is underway.
As many of you know, I have quite a large collection of warm-weather plants at my Bedford, New York farm, including citrus trees and a vast array of other tropical specimens. Because I live in a four-season region, during colder months, it’s vital these plants move indoors, where the temperature and humidity levels can be controlled. Fortunately, I am able to keep them in high-grade greenhouses, where they can continue to thrive. This week, my outdoor grounds crew and gardeners moved the citrus plants, repotted any that needed it, top-dressed the containers with a well-draining mix, and fed every single specimen.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- Here is one of two large hoop houses at my farm, and one of five total greenhouses. I store all my citrus plants here. The weather in the Northeast is starting to get chilly, especially at night – temperatures are now in the 50s, so it is important to get started on this process. In general, there is more room at my Bedford, New York farm to store my warm-weather specimens, so many from Maine are also returned here after the summer. This greenhouse works by heating and circulating air to create an artificial tropical environment. The entire structure is built using heavy gauge American made, triple-galvanized steel tubing covered with heavy-duty, woven polyethylene.
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- My citrus collection has grown quite a bit over the years. This summer, I kept my potted citrus specimens just across the carriage road from this hoop house outside my vegetable garden. They’re slowly moved to the hoop house entrance by tractor – some of these pots are extremely heavy.
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- And then Pasang, Domi, and Phurba move the potted citrus trees inside. They move them very carefully, so the branches aren’t damaged, and the fruits don’t fall. If storing for the winter, remember that all citrus plants dislike abrupt temperature shifts and need to be protected from chilly drafts and blazing heaters. Consider the needs of the plants when deciding where to store them.
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- Here’s Chhiring wheeling one in on a hand truck. Avoid prolonged exposure to heat or cold, with temperatures below 35 degrees Fahrenheit or higher than 95-100 degrees Fahrenheit. Fortunately, on this day, temperatures were in the 60s.
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- As the plants are brought inside, Brian assess them and starts to repot any that need it. A shard is placed over the drainage hole of this planter to help the plant drain more effectively. We always save shards from broken pots – it’s a great way to repurpose those pieces.
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- Citrus plants need well drained soil, so it is important to have the right potting mix that includes peat moss, perlite, vermiculite and nutrient-rich compost.
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- Brian mixes some organic Fort Vee mix from the Vermont Compost Company with Pro-Mix HP, a well-draining, high air porosity and lower water retention medium.
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- Then, Brian uses a long knife to cut around the inside of the pot to loosen the plant. Always do this first, so the plant comes out intact and the roots undisturbed.
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- Here is the root ball after it is removed from its former pot – it is in good condition.
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- Brian uses his hands to rough up the bottom and scarify the root ball. This stimulates root growth.
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- He also cuts some of the old, outer roots with a hori hori knife to stimulate more growth and promote good aeration.
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- Then he fills the planter with more soil – just until the bottom of the pot’s rim – adding too much soil will cause a mess when watering.
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- Meanwhile, Phurba weeds and top-dresses the other plants.
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- Next, Phurba waters all the plants thoroughly. The tall citrus trees are placed on the gravel floor while smaller specimens fit on a long wooden shelf.
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- Here, Phurba gives every specimen a sprinkling of food. The plants are getting Osmocote fertilizer – small, round coated prills filled with nutrients. All citrus fruits are members of the genus Citrus. Citrus fruits come in various colors, flavors, shapes, and sizes. Among the most recognizable are oranges and lemons. Less known, the smallest member of the citrus family, is the kumquat.
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- These plants grow a little more each year, so the placement of these specimens changes every time they are stored. Dwarf citrus trees require at least eight to 12 hours of full sunshine.
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- Some of the citrus bearing fruit now include Citrus australasica, the Australian finger lime or caviar lime. Australian limes are a species of the plant genus Citrus that are native to Australia and Papua New Guinea. They have a minty, citrus-forward aroma with a tangy, sweet, and slightly sour, floral, lemon-lime flavor.
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- Citrus sinensis ‘Trovita’ is thin skinned and develops without the excessive heat most oranges need to produce good fruit. The fruit is smaller, juicier, and milder in flavor.
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- These are young green Nagami kumquats, Fortunella margarita – the most commonly grown type of kumquat. The tree is small to medium in size with a dense and somewhat fine texture. These trees are quite cold-hardy because of their tendency to go semi-dormant from late fall to early spring.
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- Here is another citrus tree – Calamondin, Citrus mitis, an acid citrus fruit originating in China.
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- And here is a Meyer lemon tree – I have enough to provide all the lemons I need. I can’t recall the last time I bought a lemon. Citrus × meyeri, the Meyer lemon, is a hybrid citrus fruit native to China. It is a cross between a citron and a mandarin/pomelo hybrid distinct from the common or bitter lemon.
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- The ‘Ponderosa’ citrus tree is always the last pot to be stored in this hoop house. I always keep it in the front just behind the doors. This plant produces huge lemons, often up to five-pounds each!
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- There is just enough room in between the pots to allow for good circulation, someone to get around with a hose for watering, and of course, so they don’t touch. These plants actually spend about seven months of the year in their heated shelters – but they definitely thrive. To simulate the best subtropical environment, we try to keep the temperature in this greenhouse between 60 and 80-degrees Fahrenheit with some humidity. These citrus plants are now safely stored for the cold season ahead, but there are so many more plants to put away. Stay tuned, and I will show you in upcoming blogs.
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