You can grow citrus in any part of Australia; but what you grow and how you grow it will vary from place to place.
CLIMATIC NEEDS
*Heat is a prerequisite for ripening most citrus fruits. In Australia, there is sufficient heat in most places at some time of the year to ripen at least some types of citrus.
*Wind reduces growth, particularly when the soil is dry.
*All citrus are sensitive to frost; but some more than others.
Most prefer a mild temperate climate with little or no frost.
*Drainage must be good. They don’t like to be waterlogged at all. Plant on a mound if necessary to increase drainage.
*Light is important. A little shade is OK, but health and cropping are affected by medium to heavy shade.
What Citrus to Grow Where
Colder Sites (eg. Southern Vic & Tas)
Cumquat is the hardiest. Others for these areas include Mandarin, Meyer Lemon and Seville Orange. Other lemons are grown in Melbourne but can be damaged by frost if you are not careful.
These varieties are the most cold-hardy.
Milder Sites (eg. Protected positions in Melbourne, otherwise warmer climates)
Grapefruit, Sweet Orange and Pumelo. These are moderately frost sensitive.
Warmer Sites (eg. Coastal Queensland)
Limes, citrons and some lemons. These are very susceptible to frost.
Problems to Avoid
*Citrus don’t like their roots being disturbed, so don’t dig around them
*Many grow well as a tub plant or topiary. You can prune the top growth freely into any desired shape or size. (Pruning is not essential though.)
*They develop collar rot easily if the base of the trunk is damaged or covered by mulch or soil.
*They commonly suffer iron deficiency. Iron deficiency shows in the tip growths becoming yellow rather than pale green. Spread some rusty nails around the base, or feed with Iron Chelates to avoid this.
DO I REALLY NEED A GRAFTED TREE?
Grafted trees are more expensive than cutting grown one: but they have many advantages, generally being more vigorous and resistant to a variety of problems.
You are advised to pay the extra and reap the benefits.
WASHINGTON NAVEL ORANGE
Very popular variety. Ripens in winter, slightly rough skin, easy to peel; seedless flesh.
VALENCIA ORANGE
Produces fruit in summer through autumn, as late as April. Normally smooth skin, sweet flesh but contains seeds. Tends to bear heavy one year, and light the next.
SEVILLE ORANGE
Flesh is not so sweet, more commonly used for making marmalade.
CUMQUAT
A small fruit, bitter to eat, but useful in preserves or candied. It flowers later than other citrus and grows better in colder climates than many other citrus.
LISBON LEMON
Better adapted to cooler localities than Eureka, but only has a small summer crop. Has a smoother skin than Eureka, but trees are very thorny when mature.
EUREKA
Does not have thorns and fruit are almost seedless. Bears fruit most of the year but skin is rough. Fruit tastes almost identical to Eureka. Needs a mild climate; grows better in coastal areas or the sub tropics.
MEYER LEMON
Can taste like a cross between a lemon and orange; less acidic than other lemons. Has one crop a year which ripens early, but will hold on the tree for months until you want to pick it.
MANDARINS
There are several varieties, ripening late autumn through to early spring. Fruit tastes best when grown in areas with warm days over winter – without sufficient warmth over winter, taste is simply not as good. Mandarins tolerate heat well and are ideal in northern or inland Australia.
TANGELOS
While they will grow in most mild climates, they tend to be more suited to inland than coastal areas. Depending on the variety, fruit matures winter or spring.
MARSH SEEDLESS GRAPEFRUIT
Almost seedless fruit maturing mid to late autumn.
WHEENEY GRAPEFRUIT
A seedling that originated at Kurrajong in NSW. It is a tall, vigorous tree, fruits extremely heavy one year and light the next.(Heavy crops should be thinned while fruit are small.)
LIME
Grow best in tropics and sub tropics. May grow in frost-free areas of temperate zones. Light frosts of -2 degrees C will cause extensive damage.
West Indian Lime can be thorny, grown mostly in the tropics. Let the fruit fall (it is only mature when it falls) and harvest from the ground.
Tahitian Limes are a little more cold tolerant than West Indian Limes. They can even been grown successfully in Victoria in a frost-free position (but the lifespan is shorter).
