Cultivating Home Grown Citrus in Florida

The beauty of living in a naturally warm place such as Florida, is the appreciation of being able to grow and cultivate citrus fruits. There are more professional orange groves in central Florida than anywhere else stateside. Citrus groves can be spotted from the highways, to the groves off the old country back roads of Clermont, Orlando and everywhere central and in-between. In central Florida, the wide expanses of land and suitable soil for farming, not to mention the massive acreage, yields an abundance of crops. Florida citrus is a booming business, Florida fruit a hot commodity. Dreaded frost affects the crops negatively, which has happened on occasion during past harsh winters, causing the farmers to lose not only income, but whole trees as well.

It can be very hard growing oranges by yourself, though Florida is indeed the orange capitol of the United States. One needs an established tree to yield results, anywhere from ten years old and up, depending on the richness of the soil. The older the tree, the bigger and better the orange. I had a tree for three years, one that I planted in sandy-type soil, and the oranges never got bigger than the size of a golf ball. They weren't any good either, me pretending they were tangerines!

Lime trees are an easier fruit to cultivate, more hearty to the inexperienced grower, but again, the tree must be older to yield productive citrus. My lime tree is ten years old, and the limes are succulent and big. It is something special to be able to make your own lime-aid with fresh, natural, pesticide free citrus. The lime tree also gives off a heavenly natural perfumed scent, something similar to a magnolia flower. So when the limes are not ready, there is still a beautiful heady scent that permeates the air.

Foul, namely wild ducks, are especially attracted to lime trees, so if you live near a lake in Florida, it is a good idea to section off your tree with chicken wire or a gate of some sort to protect your fruit.

Depending on what part of Florida you live in, and the soil content, citrus has a good seven months out of the year to grow and yield succulent fruit, usually at the end of winter, growth and ripening to the beginning of spring, mid spring and summer sublime for picking. In the New Smyrna Beach/Edgewater area, the soil content is uniquely rich, and citrus trees thrive.

I know my fruits are ripe for the picking when the size is consistent with regular store bought grapefruits and limes, and the taste is a perfect mix of natural sweetness and acidic taste, not too tart, not too sweet. The skin must be intact, for the fruit will rot if any skin is damaged, and you do not want to eat a rotted grapefruit or lime. An animal or bird might have eaten from the fruit as well, that goes for fallen fruits that ground insects might invade. The best ripe grapefruits have a thick enough skin to deter the bugs and animals, firm, yet pliable to the center areas, not rock hard, but soft enough to squeeze without splitting it in half.

A really great grapefruit may even have some dark outside colorings, this is natural on home grown citrus, as long as the appropriate firmness is intact, and the taste is fresh, not bland. On the lime, slight yellow discoloration is acceptable as well, but the lime should not be soft, firmness is the key. Some people grow their trees apart from others, the roots separate, but I find my trees grow best next to others, even different types of tree. The roots seem to feed off one another, doubling the energy, to an extent. You can treat the soil, but it is best to grow as natural as possible. Direct sunlight is good for limes. Grapefruits and oranges seem to thrive either way, full sun or partially shaded, only by another tree.