http://www.thewesterlysun.com/mysticriverpress/news/a-bit-of-sunshine-in-winter-grow-your-own-citrus/article_754930f6-5267-11e1-b1f9-0019bb2963f4.html
A bit of sunshine in winter: Grow your own citrus
Posted: Sunday, February 12, 2012 8:00 am | Updated: 6:19 am, Sun Feb 12, 2012.
By Diane Wright Hirsch, Special to the Press
A bit of sunshine in winter: Grow your own citrus
This orange tree is growing in the Orangerie at Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, Mass.
For those of us trying to eat more locally and seasonally produced food, winter in Connecticut can be a tough time.
But, it is easy for me to justify the addition of citrus fruits in December and January. As a nutritionist, I know that we need to have good sources of vitamin C year round. And vitamin C is also known to boost the immune system.
So, eating oranges, grapefruit and even using lemons and limes in cooking or beverages makes perfect sense, especially during the winter cold season when other sources of vitamin C may be less available, such as peppers, strawberries and cantaloupe. (Broccoli,brussels sprouts and kale are also good sources if not cooked in too much water.)
Citrus fruits are seasonal, remember. The best citrus comes to us in the winter from Florida and other tropical climes.
Suppose, however, that you want to try to grow your own "local source" of citrus. Is that possible in Connecticut where the winters can be less than hospitable to plants that might prefer a more tropical climate? The answer is a resounding, yes!
Though the outdoors would not support the growth of non-winter hardy citrus plants, the cozy indoors could be just the place, with a little attention to the source of sunlight and the humidity level.
Citrus plants make valuable additions to your houseplant collection, simply because of their beautiful foliage. They have glossy dark green leaves and the scent of their flowers (and to a lesser degree) their foliage is wonderful. There are several varieties of lemons, limes and grapefruits that make great indoor plants. You can also grow kumquats, tangerines and oranges.
Not all varieties will bear fruits like you buy in the grocery store, some varieties will provide you with the beautiful, scented foliage only. Some will produce perfectly edible fruits. And some will bear smaller, intensely flavored fruits that can be made into marmalades or candied peel.
Some of the citrus varieties that best adapt to indoor culture include the Meyer lemon, Persian lime, kumquats (cousins to the citrus family) and Calamondin orange.
The Meyer Lemon was introduced from China in 1908. While not a true lemon, its fruit is used as a lemon substitute despite being much less acid than true lemons. Its fruit resembles a large orange. Meyer lemons are more cold tolerant than true lemons.
The Otaheite orange was introduced into France from Tahiti by way of England. Its fruit is orange in color, but its flavor is slightly lime-like and not very acidic. The tree is a dwarf and often sold as a potted "miniature orange."
A Persian Lime is a citrus fruit grown commercially in the U.S. and sold simply as a "lime." The fruit yellows as it reaches full ripeness. It is larger, thicker-skinned, and less aromatic than the key lime.
The Calamondin orange is a fruit tree that was developed in and is very popular throughout Southeast Asia. The fruit resembles a small, round lime, a little bigger than the size of a quarter. It smells like a tangerine and has a very thin green or orange colored peel. It is very sour.
I remember eating kumquats as a special treat at Christmas time as a young child, like Clementines that are so popular now. Kumquats are small, oval, yellow-orange citrus fruits. The fruit, which can be eaten whole, has a sweet outer skin and a tart flesh.
Growing citrus indoors, while very doable, can be a bit challenging, especially if your goal is a small supply of edible fruits.
There are several conditions that you will need to strive for if you want to produce flowers and fruit. First, let there be light, and lots of it.
While the foliage can adapt to the relatively low light levels, for fruit to develop, you will need to give the plants as much light as possible. A south facing sunny window will help, but if natural light is inadequate, you can supplement with artificial lights.
Relative humidity is likely to be too low for citrus houseplants in most Connecticut homes during the winter heating season. Try running a humidifier in the room or, at least set the plant on trays of pebbles filled with water. Soil, water and fertilizer needs of citrus are similar to other houseplants. Citrus plants also like cooler temperatures - about 65° during the day and 5-10 degrees cooler at night.
You may have flowers, but still have difficulty getting fruit to form on your citrus plant. This may be due to lack of pollination. In the wild and in the grove, insects pollinate citrus. Since these are not usually present in the home situation, shaking the flowers gently or flicking them with your fingers ought to get the job done. Or, you can pollinate them with a cotton swab or small paintbrush, transferring the pollen from one flower to another. If you are persistent and have some good luck, you will be rewarded with Meyer lemons, kumquats or tiny oranges. They are going to be different from commercially cultivated fruits. They are likely to be smaller and the taste may be more acidic or bitter.
Add slices to sparkling water or tea. Peel the skins and slice into a winter salad of greens and red onions. Top with balsamic vinaigrette.
These fruits are great for use in marmalades or to make candied fruit peel. Meyer lemons are also the perfect for making preserved lemons, often used as an ingredient in Mediterranean or Middle Eastern cooking. You can find recipes easily by plugging in the words, "preserved lemons" into your favorite search engine. Enjoy!
Sources for this article included: Purdue University Consumer Horticulture and Minnesota Extension Service.
If you have questions about lawn or garden care, call the UConn Home & Garden Education Center (toll-free) at (877) 486-6271, visit its web site, or get in touch with your local Cooperative Extension Center.
