Monthly Tips and general advice
Please remember our wildife at this time and put out birdseed, apples, pears or breadcrumbs. For some birds, like our endangered Thrush, Dried Mealworms are especially nutritious.
CITRUS IN WINTER
Trees Direct-Totterton Farmhouse-Lydbury North-Shropshire. Tel 01588 680280
Guidance for best results
Citrus trees are evergreen and should not lose their leaves during the Winter. They need to be given enough water, light and the right heating conditions to see them through.
Water: As ever, Citrus trees should be watered whenever the top of the compost is drying out, before the leaves start to droop; and they should be watered right through the pot each time so that the lower part of the rootball does not stay dry. In Summer this may be every day; in Winter it may not be for 3 weeks in cool cloudy weather where the temperatures are around 4°C; but in Garden Centres conditions it will probably be every 3-5 days, maybe more often if the air is dry or the weather very sunny. They should be checked daily.
Light: Try to find the lightest position on the shelves during the Winter. There is no danger of scorching by sunlight at this time of year, so you can put them right next to windows, but the plants will need to be moved before they get damaged by strong midsummer sun. Artificial growlights and striplights can be helpful in increasing light levels. Avoid putting plants under shelves or in the shade of larger plants.
Ventilation: Flowers and ripening fruit can give off ethylene gas which can build up, particularly in enclosed spaces like Houseplant Departments. This can lead to leaf and flower drop, and may be responsible for the leaf drop which some garden centres find occurs during the Winter. To keep all plants in best condition, try to open the vents/windows enough to allow for an exchange of air either continuously or 2 or 3 times a day.
Heaters: Citrus prefer to have a cool period in Winter, below 10°C, when they can rest. In houses, they do not do well in areas of high central heating like Living Rooms where the temperatures with a fire or radiator can rise very high and the air become very dry. They do better in a cool bedroom or other area where the temperatures do not fluctuate drastically. In garden centres, avoid positioning the plants in the path of a heater or near a radiator.
Losing leaves: If plants do lose many of their leaves, they will most likely re-grow them in the Spring. The stems should be cut back but about half to encourage the new growth to come from the middle of the plant, and the plant should be kept only slightly damp until temperatures warm up and new growth starts. Then again follow the rule of watering only when the top of the compost is starting to dry out and watering right through the pot every time.
Rejuvenate your containers by digging out soil and mixing it with some moisture-retaining granules like milled seaweed, a handful or two of bonemeal, fresh compost or a little organic enriched fertilizer
Planting Advice
Much advice over complicates, so our simple guide line is to dig a hole a little larger than the roots or pot just before you want to plant, loosen the soil around, add a little bone meal, place the plant in the centre (You don't need to dig much deeper than the plant itself), fill in and firm the soil and then give it a good soak of water
