How to Plant a Citrus Tree

Here's how to plant a citrus tree so you can grow your own fresh fruit.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Citrus Trees
• Compost Makers
• Garden Hoses
• Garden Shears
• Organic Matter
• Shovels
• Organic Matter
• Large Bucket
• Large Bucket
• Shovels

1. Select a sunny spot with well-drained soil.

2. Dig a hole slightly less deep (about an inch) than the depth of the root ball and twice as wide. Make the bottom flat and the sides rough, not smooth.

3. Remove the tree from the container by setting it on its side and gently pulling on the lower trunk. If the root ball doesn't slide out easily, cut the pot off with shears.

4. Set the tree in the bottom of the hole, making sure the top of the root ball sits slightly above the surrounding soil level.

5. Fill in around the root ball with the original soil, tamping gently as you fill in. If your soil is mostly sand or clay, amend it by blending in organic matter such as compost (add about a third by volume) before filling the hole.

6. Build a 4- to 6-inch-high soil berm around the tree. This is your watering basin, and it should be just a bit wider than the hole.

7. Fill the basin with water and let it drain. Repeat the process at least twice.

Tips & Warnings

• Citrus grows best in areas where winter temperatures don't drop much below freezing.
• To check the site's drainage, fill the hole with water, let it drain, then fill it again. If it doesn't drain overnight, drainage is poor. Plant elsewhere or in raised beds.