Cultivating Home Grown Citrus in Florida

The beauty of living in a naturally warm place such as Florida, is the appreciation of being able to grow and cultivate citrus fruits. There are more professional orange groves in central Florida than anywhere else stateside. Citrus groves can be spotted from the highways, to the groves off the old country back roads of Clermont, Orlando and everywhere central and in-between. In central Florida, the wide expanses of land and suitable soil for farming, not to mention the massive acreage, yields an abundance of crops. Florida citrus is a booming business, Florida fruit a hot commodity. Dreaded frost affects the crops negatively, which has happened on occasion during past harsh winters, causing the farmers to lose not only income, but whole trees as well.

It can be very hard growing oranges by yourself, though Florida is indeed the orange capitol of the United States. One needs an established tree to yield results, anywhere from ten years old and up, depending on the richness of the soil. The older the tree, the bigger and better the orange. I had a tree for three years, one that I planted in sandy-type soil, and the oranges never got bigger than the size of a golf ball. They weren't any good either, me pretending they were tangerines!

Lime trees are an easier fruit to cultivate, more hearty to the inexperienced grower, but again, the tree must be older to yield productive citrus. My lime tree is ten years old, and the limes are succulent and big. It is something special to be able to make your own lime-aid with fresh, natural, pesticide free citrus. The lime tree also gives off a heavenly natural perfumed scent, something similar to a magnolia flower. So when the limes are not ready, there is still a beautiful heady scent that permeates the air.

Foul, namely wild ducks, are especially attracted to lime trees, so if you live near a lake in Florida, it is a good idea to section off your tree with chicken wire or a gate of some sort to protect your fruit.