Sunburst Oranges: Craving Fresh Citrus – Consider Growing Your Own

We do know a way to insure you have the freshest citrus around… grow your own. First you need to make sure your climate will support citrus trees. Your local nurseries can quickly answer that question. Before you just go out and buy any citrus tree to plant/grow at home, you might want to ask yourself the following questions:


What citrus fruits do I use and enjoy?
Will my local climate allow citrus growth?
Do I have enough space a citrus tree(s)?

What time of the year do I have a hard time finding the quality of citrus I like in my local market?

Citrus trees grow into three basic “wing-span” sizes:

Potted citrus trees – grow to 6 to 7 feet tall with a 4 to 6 foot limb diameter and can produce 80 to 160 pieces of fruit per year when mature.

Dwarf citrus trees – grow to 8 to 9 feet tall with a 7 to 8 foot limb diameter and can produce 500 to 600 pieces of fruit.

Full size citrus trees – grow to 20 to 30 feet tall with a limb diameter of in the sam range and can produce 800 pieces of fruit yearly.

Be careful in selecting a large enough back-yard setting based on the tree(s) sizes above. Plan for the future and take into consideration neighbors, fences, power lines, and other plants and trees. Select a spot that will allow the maximum sunlight to reach all parts of the tree.

What needs to be done next and when?

Planting during spring is best, between March to May before the weather is to hot but starting to warm. Water immediately after planting and water frequently, but be careful NOT to over-water as the tree matures, water less frequently, but increase the amount.

Here in the Central Valley of California a mature “full-size” citrus tree will need about 75-100 gallons per day during the hottest days of summer. Fertilizer is important but be careful not to over-fertilize. Young trees only require some compost while mature regular size trees will use about one pound of nitrogen per-tree, per-year.

Of course, we recommend organic fertilizer that you can make yourself by composting your own trimmings and vegetable plus fruit “leftovers”. For pest control, if needed, usually a spray of hand dish soap, diluted in water (one ounce/gallon) will take care of any bad pest whilst preserving good insects.

Harvest when the flavor suits your taste buds and enjoy.

Don’t want to grow your own citrus.  Consider Sunburst Oranges for the perfect gift for business associates, family or friends? A quick visit to http://sunburstoranges.com can solve all of your fresh gift giving adventures. We sell only the finest selections and the freshest citrus you can buy.

Presented By:
Sunburst Oranges
180 South “E” Street
Porterville, CA  93257
559-561-3391