| I just purchased a dwarf Valencia orange tree which will be kept in a large planter on my back patio. I am looking for a good reference on the care and feeding of such a tree. I have particularly severe brown thumbs (I once managed to kill a cactus plant that the guy at the nursery claimed was almost indestructible). Do you know of a good reference that will help me get better educated on the subject and avoid involuntary tree mayhem. |
| Citrus trees like moist soil, but not standing water, so make sure that the potting soil your tree is planted in will drain well. Place your tree in full sunshine, water when the soil begins to dry out, then sit back and relax. Citrus trees adapt quite well to growing in containers, and they don't require regular feeding (unless leaf color is poor or growth is puny). A good, general book on the care of citrus and other plants is the Sunset Western Garden Book, published by Sunset ISBN# 0-376-03851-9. Every gardener living in a Western state should have access to a copy. Check it out at your local library, or purchase one from a local bookstore. |
