There are many types of citrus suitable for growing in containers on a sunny patio. Lemons, limes, limequats, kumquats, mandarins, oranges and even grapefruit can be fun to grow. Citrus likes to be potted in a well-drained potting mix. (There are commercially available brands for palm and citrus.) Citrus prefers to be grown in a terracotta pot because it is porous. This allows the roots to breath, but any container will do as long as it has good drainage. Fertilizing your citrus is very important because they need a number of trace elements to grow well. A fertilizer especially formulated for citrus should be used once a week during the growing season. Give your citrus a good soaking every day during hot weather and only once a week or even less often in the winter. Place the plant on the patio where it will get good sun for at least six hours or more. The minimum outside temperature for citrus is around 50 degrees, but many varieties will survive much lower temperatures for a short period of time, as long as they do not actually freeze. Limes are the most cold sensitive. Citrus can be overwintered indoors in a very sunny window. Enjoy!
-Provided by Oakland Dublin
