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Why not send a lemon tree as a gift, instead of a bunch of flowers? Citrus trees make ideal gifts. Some citrus trees are prized for their decorative fruit and perfumed blossom. Others, like the Kaffir Lime tree, with its pungent leaves, or the kumquat with its sweet fruit, are the ideal present for the cook. picture of Lemon Fruit on one of our dwarf lemon bushes
Being greeted by the smell of citrus blossom from your own lemon tree is a wonderful treat. Even better is reaching out and picking your own lemon or orange later on that year.

Citrus Plants available for delivery throughout the UK by Post or Courier

Dwarf Citrus Trees in Stock Now

Calamondin Although the fruit of this tree is a little bitter to be eaten alone it makes a delicious addition in the place of orange or lemon in baking, goes fantastically with duck and can be sliced as unique and tasty garnish for cool drinks and cocktails.
A hybrid of Citrus reticulata and Fortunella species
Small white flowers
Small orange edible fruit.		 This is ideal for citrus beginners as it is a very undemanding citrus plant producing fruit and flowers all year round.
Originally from South East Asia. This species is known to us only as an ornamental citrus plant, while in Japan it is cultivated for it's fruit.
Citrus mitis
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Kaffir Lime Kaffir lime leaves are precious to many Thai dishes, from soups and salads to curries and stir-fried dishes. In soupy dishes, add the leaves whole or torn into smaller pieces, using them as one would bay leaves to flavor broth or stew. In salads, stir-fri
The Kaffir lime also known as Kieffer lime, Makrut, or Magrood is a Southeast Asian citrus plant with very pungent leaves.
Small fragrant white flowers
The green lime fruits are small (4cm) and have a bumpy exterior		 The glossy evergreen leaves are easily recognised by their hourglass shape and pungent smell. These plants are easy to care for and vigourous growers. Regular pruning will maintain a compact bush but it is not necessary for plant health.
Widely used across Asia, Kaffir Lime Leaves and fruits have been prized for centuries for their fragrant and unique flavour as well as their antiseptic and cleansing properties.
Citrus hystrix
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Lemon 'Four Seasons' The fruit are perfect for slicing in cold drinks or for use in cooking and make a fabulous lemon souffle - recipe coming soon!
Called 'four seasons' because it can flower and fruit all year
Fragrant whitish flowers
Small delicious fruit slightly sweeter than your average lemon.		 Like all citrus, make sure your lemon tree gets plenty of light and keep cool in the winter. Will produce fruit and flowers all year round in a light room or conservatory.
Lemon trees have been cultivated in Asia for thousands of years and in europe for hundreds. This hybrid lemon is a less common variety bred to produce all round interest indoors.
Citrus lemon
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Lemon 'Meyer' Lemon Meyer is the chefs choice, sweeter than commercial lemon varieties, this juicy fruit can be used in cooking, drinks, marmalade or even for traditional lemonade.
Meyer lemons are named after the explorer Frank N Meyer who introduced them to the USA in 1908
Fragrant whitish flowers
Juicy, mild tasting fruit is smaller than that of the lemon and has a thin peel with a golden colour		 More robust than the lemon, the lemon 'meyer' will cope well with cool conditions but will react quite quickly to a lack of light. It will often flower and fruit more than once a year producing ripe fruit in a variety of conditions not just a greenhouse!
Citrus limon x sinensis
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Tahiti Lime Tahiti Limes can be used just like the Mexican limes and are great in drinks and cocktails as well as salsa, fish and mexican dishes.
An alternate common name is Persian lime.
Scented white flowers
Sharp, good sized limes with few pips, are ripe when they start to turn yellow-greem		 Tahiti Limes are hardier plants than the small mexican limes that we generally buy from the supermarket. They are moderate growers and can eventually reach heights of 15ft with long sweeping, mostly thornless branches.
It is believed that the Tahiti was introduced into the Mediterranean region by way of Iran (formerly called Persia) and from there portugese traders took it to South America. In the 1800s it was then spread to Europe, America and Australia where it has been in commercial production in the States ever since.
Citrus latifolia Tan.
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Dwarf citrus trees are the ideal present for the plant-lover or the cook. They will thrive in a cool conservatory or light porch, or even a sunny window sill. In the summer months, citrus will love it outside in the garden - and if you are lucky enough to live in a part of the UK with mild winters then you can leave them in the garden all year round.

Dwarf Citrus Trees - choosing the right location

  • Citrus has been grown successfully as a houseplant in colder climates such as Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, Holland. The ideal situation is with plenty of natural light, but temperatures not varying more than 10ºC from night to day, and where the minimum temperature does not fall below 2-5ºC (depending upon variety).
  • The citrus plants in smaller pot sizes can be placed on a window sill, or table near well lit window, where it can receive plenty of natural light.
  • Keep the plant away from very draughty or windy situations (like near an outside door or passageway)
  • Do not place your citrus plant in a very hot situation, where it will dry out very quickly.
  • Larger plants can be placed in a conservatory.
  • When outside temperatures do not fall below 8 ºC, your citrus plant can be moved outside to a warm situation (South facing, with not much wind) When you move your plant outside you should be careful that you do not burn the leaves. A big difference in light intensity from inside to outside your house, can cause the leaves to burn. This will blanch them (turn them white or pale) and they will then fall off. To prevent this either cover your plant with a 15% shade netting, or move the plant outside gradually for longer periods each day.

Advice on Watering

Watering depends on: Air temperature, wind, location (light/dark situation), size of plant in relation to its pot & type of soil.
Underwatering causes stress and damage to the roots, overwatering causes root disease.
When the surface of the soil starts to dry, water the plant from the top of the pot until the water drains out of the bottom of the pot, and do not sit the pot in a pool of water. Water at least 10% of the volume of the pot each time.
Water gradually from the top, and allow the excess water to drain out of the bottom of the pot. Never let the pot sit in a pool of water.
  • For a 12cm diameter pot 80ml
  • For a 15cm diameter pot 150ml
  • For a 19cm diameter pot 300ml
  • For a 24cm diameter pot 650ml
Things that will affect how much water your citrus tree needs...
  • The higher the air temperature the more often your citrus plant should be watered, because it will be evapotranspiring more. (see glossary of terms)
  • The more wind or draft around your citrus plant the more water it will be using, so it will need to be watered more often.
  • If your citrus plant is very big in relation to the size of the pot, then the amount of water the pot will hold will not be enough to last it very long, so it will have to be watered very frequently, and thus it is more likely to dry out. In general the plant should be 2 times the height of the pot. If it is any bigger, the watering becomes more difficult, and you should pot your plant into a bigger pot (see Repotting)
  • Citrus plants in general need a well-drained soil, to allow oxygen to reach the roots. Your citrus plant has been grown in a soil containing a high percentage of bark, and some peat, and sand. As it drains well, it does not hold a lot of water, so it needs to be watered more frequently compared with a peat soil or garden soil.
There are a number of ways of telling if the plant needs water:
  • If the top few centimetres of the soil becomes dry to the touch, then your citrus plant is probably needing water.
  • By observing the leaves, you can also tell if the plant needs water. If the leaves start to droop, and wilt or loose their normal shade of green, then your citrus plant will probably be suffering from lack of water
  • After watering you plant, it is a good idea to lift it up and feel the weight of it in your hand. You can then use that as a reference to judge whether the plant needs watering in the future. After a while you will begin to be able to judge quite accurately using this method.

SYMPTOMS OF OVERWATERING If you consistently overwater your plant, you will starve the roots of oxygen, and prevent them from functioning properly. The leaves will begin to turn paler, and start to show chlorosis, and the roots will be more susceptible to root diseases.

HUMIDITY

  • Your citrus plant will survive happily indoors in centrally heated houses where the humidity of the air is normally low.
  • Do not spray the leaves of your citrus plant with a mist sprayer, this will only wet the leaves and increase the changes of developing fungal diseases.
  • Do prevent the leaves from remaining damp or wet for more than a few hours a day. If your plant is in a conservatory during the winter, it is important that each day the windows are opened to reduce the humidity to allow the leaves to dry.

Advice on Feeding

  • It is recomended to use liquid or powder fertilizers when watering your citrus plant, since you will be able to regulate when you use fertilizer. With slow release fertilizer granules, you are not able to control the release of the fertilizer.
  • Citrus plants require ample amounts of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. These nutrients are contained in most fertilizers. But citrus trees also require other nutrients like Magnesium, Boron, Copper and Zinc. These "micronutrients" are generally not available in standard fertilizers, but are contained in specially formulated, high-quality citrus fertilizers.
  • You can buy citrus feed (winter and summer feed) directly from our web site ...click here and we will send your citrus feed to you by post
WHEN TO FEED
  • Use fertilizer every time you water your plants, in the growing period (when the new shoots appear). This is normally from March till September.
  • Outside the growing period, you can reduce the amount of fertilizer, especially the % of Nitrogen in the fertilizer, because you do not want to promote new growth. Fertilizing once every 3 waterings is sufficient at this time of year. The fruits will develop using the energy that has been stored up in the leaves and stems of the plants throughout the growing period.
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS
  • Excess Fertilizer Using more than the recommended rate of fertilizer will “burn” the roots, and cause irreversible damage, which can then lead to root disease.
  • Lack of Fertilizer Not enough fertilizer and the leaves become yellow, and can show chlorosis (view photo)
Healthy leaf Iron chlorosis

Advice on Repotting



When should you repot the plant?

Citrus plants need to be periodically repotted to maintain a healthy plant. In general if your citrus plant is more than 2 times the height of the pot, it should be repotted, If your plant is in a pot smaller than 18cm diameter and has been in the same pot for more than a year it may benefit from repotting Potting should take place in the Spring or early summer when the plant begins to show signs that it is growing. Do not pot the plant up in the late Autumn or winter, since it will not be growing and the roots will not move into the new soil.

What kind of soil?

The size of the new pot should be a large enough to allow a few centimetres of new soil around the edge of the old rootball. The plant has been grown in the nursery on a pine bark and peat mixture (50:50). It can be repotted in any well drained mixture that is slightly acid. Probably the easiest solution is to buy a citrus compost in a garden centre. Coarse peat with 10% sharp sand can also be used. The ideal pH is 5 to 5.5.

Guidance on Repotting

Remove the old pot (Turn the plant upside down and hold it soil in with one hand and pull the pot off with the other) If the roots are extensive, gently pull them away from each other so that they will then be able to move out into the new soil. Put a small amount of soil into the bottom of the new pot, lower the plant into the pot and fill up around the edges, compacting the soil gently with your fingers to make sure that there are no air gaps around the edge. Water the plant thoroughly a few times, to make sure the soil is wet. Older citrus plants can be repotted into the same pot if needed. In this case you should cut away some of the root with a knife or secateurs (approximately a few centimetres), so that when you place it back in the same pot you can fill up around the edges with new soil