Citrus trees make a wonderful addition to any Sacramento area home. Growing citrus in a container makes perfect sense not only for people with smaller spaces, but also for people who never thought about growing citrus because of the weather in Sacramento.

The many benefits of citrus trees from fresh orange juice and lemonade to simply owning a diverse garden can easily be your with a few simple tips and advice for growing citrus trees in your yard, on your porch or patio and even indoors.

The steps to successful citrus tree gardening begins with selecting the correct sized container. Somewhere close to a 10 or 15″ diameter pot is the perfect size. Use a smaller pot for one year dwarf citrus trees and larger for the two and three year dwarf trees. Green Valley Nursery has a wonderful selection of fashionable and practical pottery to choose.

As the citrus tree grows, you’ll need to increase the size of the container to a larger size container around 15 to 20″. Don’t start with a large container right away. The soil moisture can get to be difficult to maintain and may cause root rot in the tree. Citrus trees need plenty of good drainage. If using a Redwood, Cedar or wine barrel container, drilling a few extra holes in the bottom of the container will help control moisture levels.

Soil mixture is critical to a citrus tree grown in a container. The soil must not contain any peat moss or any other dense materials. A good airy, loamy soil is the correct consistency required for optimal citrus production. Adding a small amount of crushed lime stone and cedar or redwood shavings makes a good mix for newly planted citrus trees.

Prepare your new citrus tree container by placing about 1″ of soil in the pot. Place the new citrus tree into the container and fill it with soil. The top level of the soil should just cover the top of the roots. Use a stake if the citrus tree is a bit wobbly or needs some extra support.