I was accused of not wanting citrus
in our area. That isn’t true. Nothing wrong with growing citrus here. But I
want you to be aware of its problems when citrus is grown here and adjust your
expectations accordingly. This is the Mojave Desert. Las Vegas and the high or
middle deserts can have cold winters, unexpected early spring frosts and winds.
It can survive cold temperatures ranging from the mid to low 20’s all the way
to no freeze at all depending on the type of citrus.
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| Sour orange rootstock grows from the base of this orange tree because the top died when it froze leaving the rootstock to grow and produce fruit that has dropped on the ground. |
Early spring light frosts can be a
problem for all fruit trees including citrus. All it takes is a few minutes of freezing
temperatures just before sunrise. If flowers are open or close to opening, part
or all your fruit is dead. The fruit or flowers drop from the trees a week or
two later even though bees were plentiful.
Many citrus are subtropical
Citrus originates
from different parts of Asia. This means they prefer growing in soils that have
some organics in them. Desert soils don’t have any or very little. When soils
are covered in rock, the soil organics are fine right after planting and these organics can last last
several years. After several years, the soil “organics” used at planting time are
depleted and must be replenished. This can be done by raking the rocks back,
applying fine wood chips to the soil, and raking the rock back or applying
these same amendments over large rock and watering it in.
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| Citrus can yellow and eventually dieback if the soil is not improved when it grows in rock. |
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| Citrus can also yellow when grown with woodchips if the woodchips are not thick enough or if planted and watered incorrectly. Most yellow leaves can be turned green again if an iron chelate (I would recommend iron eddha for the chelated iron) is applied to the soil in early spring. |
When purchasing citrus be aware that
these are fruit trees that are “iffy” when grown here. Sometimes they work and
sometimes they don’t. Adjust your expectations accordingly.