Citrus Chat
28 Jul 2012
Fragrant, colorful and delicious, citrus trees are a joy to grow if you give them a little attention.
Here are plant and care recommendations.
By Sue Price
One of Marcela Ot’alora G.’s favorite memories is drinking lime water made with the fresh limes that grew so readily in her native Colombia. But when Marcela exchanged the Andes for the Rockies, she thought perhaps she could never grow a lime again.
She isn't alone in that belief. Many local gardeners think they can’t grow citrus in our climate. While a year-round citrus grove isn’t feasible, local home gardeners are experiencing sweet success in growing their own lemons, limes and oranges, both in and out of their homes.
A Boulder resident for the past 12 years, Marcela says her love of citrus trees starts with the blossoms’ wonderful fragrances. “I have a little lime tree that gives me tasty limes all year-round. When it flowers, the aroma is like French perfume,” she says.
Four years ago, Marcela bought a small lime plant from a local grocery store. “I just really wanted some fresh fruit, so I thought I’d try it,” she says. She potted her tree in the fall and then didn't pay much attention to it. By December, it was covered in blooms and emitting an “amazing fragrance.” B
y March, about 10 limes sprang from the limbs. Her tree continues with this pattern twice a year, but citrus can actually bud all year.
To keep her tree small and portable, Marcela carefully clipped the roots—a practice she learned in her native Colombia—before potting it into a 12-inch pot. She has since repotted it into a 14-inch container and prunes back the branches by at least a third twice a year.
She keeps it inside in winter, and takes it outdoors in summer. “I do it slowly,” Marcela explains. “I take it out in the day, then bring it in at night for the first few weeks.” In fall, she lets the tree stay outside in the daytime, but always brings it in at night..
Nick Snakenberg, curator of the tropical collection at Denver Botanic Gardens, agrees that cautious treatment is needed when growing citrus out of its natural element. “You can definitely grow citrus here,” he says, “but you can’t grow them out in the yard. You need to grow them in a container, similar to a ficus tree.”
Snakenberg suggests buying dwarf varieties—trees that naturally stay smaller. “The bigger the pot, the bigger the tree is going to grow. You should err on the side of under potting a tree, because logistically it gets harder to move it inside and outside with the seasons,” he says. When the tree is inside, place it near a south-facing window. The tree will likely drop a lot of leaves, but don’t be alarmed. Just keep it alive until you can place it outside again.
