Citrus

Citrus are evergreen subtropical trees that fruit for months and hold ripe fruit on the branch for weeks, which is why even one tree is worth the trouble. They want sun, warmth, free-draining slightly acidic soil and steady moisture without waterlogging — the combination that makes them straightforward in India, the Mediterranean and warm parts of the US, and a container job everywhere colder.The guides here cover growing lemons, limes, oranges, mandarins and kumquats in ground and in pots, including the winter routine for cold climates: bright, cool and barely watered rather than warm and dark. Feeding gets its own attention because citrus are heavy feeders with a specific need for nitrogen plus trace elements, and the classic yellow leaves usually mean either a nutrient locked out by alkaline water or roots sitting wet. Pruning, fruit drop, flowering and pests such as leaf miner and scale are covered too.