Citrus fruits cannot be grown in the ground anywhere other than in what is called the “orange tree zone”, namely where the temperatures are sufficiently mild in winter so that these plants do not die but that in addition they can bear fruit. In France, this zone is reduced to the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. Everywhere else, it is better to plant your citrus fruits in pots or trays to be able to shelter them as soon as possible. But in either case, it is better to know the tricks that can promote the fruiting of citrus fruits. Let’s do a check in.
Light essential for a citrus fruit to bear fruit
These shrubs need to be well exposed to light and this must be important for them to remain in good health and produce fruits capable of maturing. It is therefore necessary to be careful when growing citrus fruits in pots and inside the house to choose a place for them which benefits from a exceptional clarity. But the light must also penetrate to the heart of the crown, which may require in specimens that are a little too bushy a small size between February and Aprilwhich also has the effect of promoting the fruiting of citrus fruits.
The light must also be sufficient during the wintering period, because as everyone knows, outside the orange tree zone, it is better to bring in your citrus fruits so that they spend the off-season well sheltered from the extreme cold. We do not place them in a dark place, even without any opening on the outside of course because that would only have the effect of making them wither.
Fertilize for citrus fruit to bear fruit
Citrus fruits are very greedy, so they need regular fertilizer. The more you feed them, the more they grow, provided they have enough water. Be careful not to make the mistake of giving them a good dose of fertilizer and then forgetting about them because the expected results will not be there. On the contrary, the distribution of a fertilizer must be regular so that the shrubs benefit continuously from this fertilization absolutely necessary.
Trace elements, potash, phosphorus and nitrogen are essential for citrus fruits to develop properly, have abundant foliage and bear fruit. Note also that if they have few leaves, they will not produce much fruit, if at all. The ideal is therefore to feed them once every two weeks with a liquid citrus fertilizer, both mineral and organicor with a strawberry fertilizer, the fertilizer must always be diluted in the irrigation water. Be careful, we do not distribute fertilizer if the soil is very dry. First of all, you have to wet it to the core.
Repot citrus fruits in a container so that they produce fruit
The repotting makes it possible to replant a citrus fruit grown in a pot in a new container but also, and above all, in a new nutritious substrate. After a few years, the shrub can be left in the same pot if it is large enough and when the plant becomes difficult to handle, a simple resurfaçage. All you have to do is scrape the surface of the substrate for 5 to 7 cm in order to remove it and replace it with brand new citrus soil.
Watering so that the citrus fruits bear fruit
Contrary to what one might think, orange trees, lemon trees, mandarin trees and other citrus fruits hardly appreciate drought which lasts beyond 15 to 18 days. These shrubs need water to produce fruit and for it to grow.
The best advice to follow is therefore to put a citrus fruit on a dry diet for two weeks, three at the most, in order to force it to bloom in abundance, a solution widely proven in Italy on lemon trees. Then, beyond this period, or at the latest when the new fruits measure 8 mm at the most, we resume watering with care taking care to renew them afterwards as soon as the surface of the soil or substrate is dry, but above all do not wait until the soil has dried out in depth. Lack of water causes citrus leaves to drop very quickly and can jeopardize fruiting.
L’citrus watering is therefore crucial. It must of course be carried out differently depending on the season and especially the climatic conditions. In summer, when the temperatures are very high and there is no rain, you may have to water every other day, or even every day. This does not mean that this type of shrubs should be drowned because they would not support it, any more than they tolerate saucers full of water. These must imperatively be emptied after watering or heavy rain. The right compromise is therefore to ensure that their land is always wet but never soggy to enjoy good juicy fruits when the time comes.