• Cultivating lemons, oranges, limes and other citrus fruit, has become popular in the UK in recent years.
• They need to be overwintered in a greenhouse or conservatory, so container growing is the best method.
• Make sure that your new plant has a good structure and that the joint between the scion and rootstock is good and firm.

Sowing and Growing

• Your citrus plant will die if its not given the correct conditions through the winter. Some varieties will tolerate temperatures down to 5ºC, but 10ºC is a better minimum temperature to see your plants through the cold weather.
• Move your citrus plant outside during the summer, but only once the night temperatures are consistently above 10ºC and there is no risk of frost.
• Plant citrus into a similar compost to figs. They are quite hungry plants and require a good feed with a high nitrogen fertilizer in summer and a balanced fertilizer in spring and autumn.
• Keep well watered during the summer, but keep a little on the dry side during the winter (do not let them dry out completely or the fruits may drop).
• During the winter you will need to provide high humidity – stand the plant in a saucer of gravel and fill with water to just below the surface of the gravel. Hand mist regularly.
• The plants will flower for most of the year and it can take up to 12 months for the fruit to ripen, so you will see flowers and fruit on the plant at the same time.
• Prune during the short dormant period in late winter.

Harvesting

• Fruits will be ready to harvest once that have a deep, rich skin colour. They will sit on the tree until you're ready to use them.

Pests and Problems

• Mealybud and red spidermite are two common problems.

Varieties

• All the citrus are self-fertile.
• Some varieties are more cold tolerant than others.

Eating

• Eating citrus fruits has lots of health benefits including, according to recent studies, possibly lowering women's risk of strokes.
• They contain significant amounts of vitamins, including vitamin C, fibre, minerals, and flavonoids which improve blood vessel function and have an anti-inflammatory effect.