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Index : Citrus and Other Fruits
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- 19. October Ideal For Planting Citrus Trees - Top
- Now that the weather is finally becoming more seasonable, conditions are just right for planting all types of citrus trees. Cool nights and warm days provide ideal growing conditions. Most importantly, new roots, the foundation of healthy citrus trees, are encouraged to spread out into the warm October soil.
When selecting a citrus tree, first take into account it's cold hardiness. Some types of citrus will not grow in the colder parts of town. The most cold hardy of citrus are the mandarins, which include tangelos and tangerines. Next in cold hardiness are the grapefruits and oranges. Lemons and limes are the least cold hardy. Consider limes only if you live in a location that rarely experiences freezing temperatures. You can also grow a lime tree in a large container and move it to a protected spot during winter cold snaps.
Mandarin type citrus include tangerines and are noted for their distinctive flavor and ease of pealing. Clementine, Fairchild and Kinnow are the best tangerines for Tucson. Mandarins also include citrus called tangelos. Tangelos are hybrids resulting form the cross of tangerine and grapefruit. They are very sweet and have the flavor of both tangerine and orange. Mineolla is an excellent tangelo and one I highly recommend! The juicy sweetness of the fruit and distinctive bell-shape give Mineolla the well-deserved common name "Honey Bell". If you have room for only one citrus tree, this should be the one!
Grapefruit are divided into two categories: white and pigmented. People prefer the pigmented types because of their red-blushed skin and pink to red internal fruit. Both Redblush (also called Ruby Red), and Reo Red are excellent pigmented grapefruit varieties. Rio Red has the deepest red internal color. Marsh is the preferred variety of white grapefruit. Although whites are not as popular, Marsh is just as sweet as the red varieties. All grapefruit will be their sweetest if left on the tree till March or April.
Oranges are by far the most popular of all citrus. The type you choose to grow depends on when you want it to ripen and what you want to use it for. Early-season oranges for Tucson include the group called "Arizona Sweets". These are the varieties Hamlin, Diller and Trovita. They have sweet fruit good for eating fresh or juicing and ripen in January and February.
Navel is a mid-season orange, ripening from November through March. It is best for eating fresh. For juicing the best is Valencia. The fruit of Valencia mature in late-season, from February through May. Blood oranges, such as Moro and Ruby, are also excellent for juicing. As the name implies, their juice is a beautiful burgundy color.
Everyone enjoys lemons, but if you grow one, plan on supplying fruit for your whole neighborhood. Lemons are very prolific producers! Eureka and Lisbon are good varieties for Tucson. Lisbon, however is probably the better choice because of it's greater frost tolerance. Myer and "Improved" Myer lemons are actually a cross between a sweet orange and lemon. Their sweeter character is desirable, but they're illegal to purchase here in Arizona because they harbor a deadly virus of citrus called "Tristeza".
Limes are more challenging to grow here in Tucson than other citrus because of their extreme frost sensitivity. The kind we grow are the Mexican limes. If your from Florida or the Carribean they're referred to as Key limes. Great for making pies and flavoring drinks, they are almost always harvested green, but mature yellow limes are just as good.
Regardless of the type of citrus you choose, all require good drainage. You can preform a drainage test in your yard prior to planting to determine the best location for your tree.
Dig a hole 12 inches wide and 2 feet deep. Fill the hole with water. After the water drains out, fill it again. If the water drains out in less than 24 hours, the drainage is excellent. If it drains in less than 48 hours, it is acceptable. If it takes longer than 48 hours, forget planting citrus!
Finally, when planting your tree it's very important that the top of the root-ball be level with or slightly higher than the surrounding soil. Dig a shallow, wide hole and backfill with existing soil. Do not try improving the soil by adding compost, manure or top soil. Improved "pot in the ground" soil will constrict root growth.
Written by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161. - Updated: October 7, 2001
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