Choosing Citrus Trees

Choosing a citrus tree for the yard differs greatly from choosing other trees. Most tree selection criteria include trunk girth and straightness, nicely arranged main branches and an even, balanced canopy.

Using that benchmark when choosing a citrus tree would lead to almost no citrus being bought. Citrus is really a giant shrub we try to wrangle into some tree-like form. In the nursery the trees usally look lopsided, scrawny and short when compared to other trees.

When choosing a citrus tree first realized that they will slowly but eventually get to 25 feet high with an equal spread. Most of the plants in nurseries spent some time in the containers wrapped to a nursery stake resulting in an even top.

Overlook those minor drawbacks and look for plants with: Evenly dark colored leaves; Unmarred trunks; The graft union (a dog-legged bend in the trunk) is well above the ground; Few major pruning cuts; and not overgrown in the container.

A primere tree would be field-grown, dug and the rootball wrapped in burlap. Only one local wholesale grower supplies this kind of tree. They are not as common in retail outlets as the container delivered trees. If your nursery has them they will cost more.

Another important consideration is size. Citrus are a quirky lot when it comes to transplaning. The smaller the tree the less time it takes to get established in the new home. Most citrus will delay setting fruit for three to five years after transplaning no matter the size of the tree planted.

There exists good value for most other plants to start bigger but with citrus the value is not as great. A fifteen gallon citrus planted at the same time as a five gallon will look about the same and fruit about the same time.

When planting citrus remove any stakes andmake sure the graft union is out of the soil. Protect the sensitive bark by wrapping the trunk with cardboard or sheaves of newspaper. This may look a bit odd but the benefits are worth it.

Wrapping the trunk offers advantages over painting the trunk. Besides the sunburn protection comes protection from mechanical wounds (lawnmowers, string weed cutters, chewing rodents etc.) and gives some frost protection in the winter.

Don't worry too much about the sight of a qrapped trunk. After a couple years the caonpy will hang down and shade the trunk and you can remove it, if, it has not already rotted away.

If you buy a citrus this weekend use this section of the paper to wrap the trunk. This section has been specifically designed to be the perfect size and thickness for a citrus trunk wrap. Because I will be close to your tree I will talk to it each day.

Written by Terry Mikel, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 602-470-8086.
Material originally appeared in Arizona Republic
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