http://www.insidebayarea.com/homeandgarden/ci_11591094
Plant citrus now in the Bay Area
By Erle Nickel
Oakland Tribune correspondent
Contra Costa Times
Posted:01/30/2009 04:00:00 PM PST
VISITING OUR local market and picking out our favorite oranges and grapefruits often reminds us that these fruits come to us from the subtropical climates of Southern California or Florida. But we can grow a surprising number of citrus fruits in our cooler Bay Area climate.
At the Oakland Ace nursery where I work, we probably sell more citrus trees than any other. Seems that gardeners like harvesting their own lemons, mandarin oranges and even, yes, kumquats.
There are many reasons to buy a citrus tree the fruit, its handsome evergreen form but certainly one bonus to this addition to your yard is the flowers, among the sweetest smelling in all the plant kingdom. Their heady fragrance greets you on a winter afternoon before you're even close enough to see them. Certain citrus, like the Meyer lemon, will bloom for nearly eight months a year. The fruit is almost a bonus.
So, if you're one of those people tempted by the idea of adding some citrus to your yard, here are some thoughts on what trees are "in play" in our climate and what ones you should, with a sigh, strike off your list.
Sprightly picks
All varieties of tangy lemon and limes do very well in our cooler climate. And you have choices. For a good all-purpose lemon, choose the Improved Meyer variety. Like most other dwarf citrus, it will reach a height of 8 to 12 feet. It is an abundant producer, even at an early stage of its growth. It may seem odd to the uninitiated, but many dwarf citrus can produce at heights of only 2 to 3 feet. Introduced to the United States from China in the early 20th century, it was discovered by Frank Meyer, on assignment for the U.S. Department of Agriculture as an agricultural explorer.
For a tangier variety, try Eureka lemons. They're larger than Meyers, mostly seedless and the tree grows quickly. Cooks use them in prepared dishes and as garnishes. For a unique addition, try the variegated Eureka, with its cream and green foliage and pink fruit.
Perhaps limes are more your thing. A bestseller is the seedless Bearss lime, excellent for cooking and use in drinks. Originating in Tahiti, it bears an abundance of lemon-sized fruit in late winter and offers a surprising sweetness. It's the most cold-hardy of the limes. As with many other fruits we grow in our own yards, picking a fully ripe lemon or lime yields the maximum amount of sweetness, a taste sensation that is often a revelation.
Are you a fan of cocktails? You might want to choose a Mexican lime. Also known as Key Lime, due to its Florida origins, and Bartender's lime did I mention the part about the cocktails? it produces smaller, rounder, tangier fruit that's ideal for mixed drinks. The zesty rind and aromatic leaves are also frequently used in cooking. This variety is a little more frost-tender, though, so locations that get a hard frost would need to bring it indoors.
If you like Thai food, then you've almost certainly eaten a dish prepared with Indonesian lime leaves. This odd looking fruit, with its richly pebbled skin and hourglass-shaped leaves, is highly prized in Southeast Asian cuisine. The fruit is sometimes referred to in Indonesia as jeruk obat, literally "medicine citrus," because the juice and rinds are used in traditional Indonesian medicine.
Gung hay fat choy
One of the most popular citrus trees in our Bay Area is the satsuma mandarin. This cold hardy shrub/tree can produce fruit as early as Christmas. The pumpkin-shaped fruit is easily peeled with the fingers and can be split into even segments without spilling juice. Mandarin oranges are much in demand this time of year by Chinese families. The colors symbolize good luck and joy while the blossoms symbolize longevity and courage. Some believe that if it blossoms on Chinese New Year, good fortune will be theirs for the year. The most popular variety is Owari mandarin.
Feeling adventurous? Try a calamondin. It's smallish, flattish fruit is used like a lime; the tree is prized in the Philippines as an ornamental.
For a singular taste sensation, plant a kumquat tree. The tiny, pungent fruit from this popular Chinese New Year's tree is eaten rind and all.
Like marmalade? The fruit from certain species of sour orange, such as chinotto, is used to make orange marmalade. Sour oranges can be caramelized whole and eaten as a dessert and the plant's oil is used in certain fine teas.
A need for heat
We often think that we can grow anything in our marvelous climate, but simply put, it's not warm enough in our coastal areas to successfully grow the breadth of orange varieties. That doesn't mean you should take a pass on all of them, though.
For a great all-purpose eating orange, try a Trovita. It can handle colder climates, matures fairly quickly and has a full, sweet taste. You can also grow Valencia (juicing) and navel (eating) oranges here if you find a spot that collects heat.
For something a bit different, try Blood oranges, called the "connoisseur's citrus" because they are sweet and highly flavored with a hint of strawberry and raspberry aftertaste. The name derives from its red-blotched skin and reddish flesh. The Moro blood orange, most popular of the pigmented oranges, is a hybrid of ancient origin, possibly between the pomelo and the tangerine. It is believed to have originated at the beginning of the 19th century in the Province of Siracusa in Sicily.
What about grapefruits, some of you say? They are a more serious challenge. Local gardeners have reported getting fruit but adding that it has yet to get sweet. That's a telling sign that the tree is not getting the sustained heat it needs to fully ripen.
Growing great citrus
Simply put, the secret to healthy citrus trees is location and drainage. Plant your lemon, lime or orange in the warmest spot in your garden. At a minimum, these plants will want full afternoon sun. Locating them against a wall or on a slope will provide more reflected heat.
Secondly, excellent drainage and an appropriate watering schedule are key. Newly planted trees will need regular water for the first year, but after that you should only need to water when necessary during the winter, and about every two weeks during the summer. Over-watering will cause root rot and show itself most immediately in the yellowing of leaves.
As with other trees and shrubs, especially fruit-bearing ones, your citrus tree will need regular fertilizing, especially during its flowering and fruiting season when the demands on the plant's resources are the greatest. Look for a good citrus blend. Consider giving it a feeding of iron several times a year. Yellow leaves also can indicate a lack of iron.
If happy, citrus trees are quite pest and disease resistant. Scale can be a problem. If you have ants going up into your citrus trees, they are likely infected with scale or aphids. Spinosad can be used to deal with this problem.
Lemon in a box
Most common citrus trees sold in nurseries are dwarf varieties, meaning they will reach a height of 8 to 12 feet. Because of this modest size, it's not hard to grow the citrus you select in a large container. For some gardeners, that is the only option. For others, growing their citrus in a container allows them to put in a more ideal location, warmth wise.
You will need to water any citrus put in a container more often than if it were planted in the ground. Half wine barrels make excellent containers for growing citrus.
Few gardeners have buying plants at the top of their list in the winter, but now is the ideal time to follow your nose to that heavenly fragrance in the corner of your local nursery.
Erle Nickel is a nurseryman, gardening writer and photographer. He takes care of a sprawling Oakland garden. 
