Anyone growing drawf citrus trees?

wordwiz · October 30, 2010

I'm getting into this area, simply because I haven't in the past. I have a lemon, orange and tangerine plant, and will be getting a cherry, lime, peach, pineapple and apple tree, as well as a couple of grape plants.

The goal is to grow these hydroponically, in a DWC system, at least at first. Anyone have experience in this area?

Mike

garnetmoth · October 30, 2010

Hiyas,
I struggled with citrus for a few years. They are do-able, but I just dont have the knack for them. I still have a grafted kumquat and lemon tree, inside in pots over the winter.

cherry, peach, and apple are outdoor/perennial plants and there are varieties of them that should do well in your area. Pineapple are like a tropical bromeliad, and although I have gotten seed to sprout, havent raised one to fruit.

Citrus like dry roots, I dont know about growing them in hydroponics. I had the most success growing them in Coconut Husk Chips- I ordered a bale of them through the mail. this is a great citrus site http://citrus.forumup.org/

wordwiz · October 30, 2010

garnetmoth,

Thanks. Looks like a great forum to participate in, once a mod adds me. I finished moving my light and making my DWC buckets. I don't know if they will grow in this type of hydro system or not, but I have a banana plant (Dwarf Cavendish) that is doing tremendously better than expected. Adding one leaf every week. It's under a 125 watt LED panel and there is next to no internodal distance.

I'll let you know how these do (or don't do!).

Mike

Pouletic · November 24, 2010

Hi Mike.

I bought a few different dwarf citrus trees about five years back. They picked up some scale during the winter (i think it came in one one of them) that weakened them to the point that they didn't make it through. I found out (too late to save them) that a leaf shine (i have one called Pokon) helps a lot. I would recommend using something similar for extra resistance during winter months.

I have a pineapple i grew from a fruit. Twist off the top and pull off the bottom few leaves, and then cure it a few days. A google search will give you more details on this method, but the key trick is to twist the top off rather than cut it.

My pineapple has had a bit of a rough life. I have it in what looks like about a 3 gallon plastic wastebasket with holes drilled in the bottom, and it goes outside in the summers. The medium is a red aragonite (IIRC) kitty litter that was used as an aquarium substrate for awhile before being decommisioned. It isn't consistently warm enough in Boston to be to the plant's liking, and it hasn't set fruit. I haven't been diligent about bringing it in when the temperatures drop below 50F (stunts growth), so it gets stunted a few times a year and is a bit small (imo) at about 4 feet diameter, but i will try to "force" it this coming spring using the apple method (ethylene gas). It is now 4 or 5 years old, which is greater than the typical lifespan of a pineapple.

wordwiz · November 24, 2010

Pouletic,

Four feet in diameter is small? That would be huge, at least to me. I couldn't begin to move something that big!

I'm finally starting to see white roots growing on the orange tree. The lemon tree looks poor but is starting to show new roots and the tangerine looks green but no new roots yet. They are in DWC hydro systems and under a 400 watt MH bulb.

Mike

October 30, 2010	#1
wordwiz Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: OH Posts: 29	Anyone growing drawf citrus trees? I'm getting into this area, simply because I haven't in the past. I have a lemon, orange and tangerine plant, and will be getting a cherry, lime, peach, pineapple and apple tree, as well as a couple of grape plants. The goal is to grow these hydroponically, in a DWC system, at least at first. Anyone have experience in this area? Mike

October 30, 2010	#2
garnetmoth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: cincinnati, oh Posts: 492	Hiyas, I struggled with citrus for a few years. They are do-able, but I just dont have the knack for them. I still have a grafted kumquat and lemon tree, inside in pots over the winter. cherry, peach, and apple are outdoor/perennial plants and there are varieties of them that should do well in your area. Pineapple are like a tropical bromeliad, and although I have gotten seed to sprout, havent raised one to fruit. Citrus like dry roots, I dont know about growing them in hydroponics. I had the most success growing them in Coconut Husk Chips- I ordered a bale of them through the mail. this is a great citrus site http://citrus.forumup.org/

November 24, 2010	#4
Pouletic Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Boston Posts: 13	Hi Mike. I bought a few different dwarf citrus trees about five years back. They picked up some scale during the winter (i think it came in one one of them) that weakened them to the point that they didn't make it through. I found out (too late to save them) that a leaf shine (i have one called Pokon) helps a lot. I would recommend using something similar for extra resistance during winter months. I have a pineapple i grew from a fruit. Twist off the top and pull off the bottom few leaves, and then cure it a few days. A google search will give you more details on this method, but the key trick is to twist the top off rather than cut it. My pineapple has had a bit of a rough life. I have it in what looks like about a 3 gallon plastic wastebasket with holes drilled in the bottom, and it goes outside in the summers. The medium is a red aragonite (IIRC) kitty litter that was used as an aquarium substrate for awhile before being decommisioned. It isn't consistently warm enough in Boston to be to the plant's liking, and it hasn't set fruit. I haven't been diligent about bringing it in when the temperatures drop below 50F (stunts growth), so it gets stunted a few times a year and is a bit small (imo) at about 4 feet diameter, but i will try to "force" it this coming spring using the apple method (ethylene gas). It is now 4 or 5 years old, which is greater than the typical lifespan of a pineapple.