Citrus Chart

Here is a chart for growing different types of citrus.

If you are thinking of growing your citrus from seeds:    
        Make sure you have a variety that is an “heirloom” or is polyembryonic, which means there are 2 embryos in one seed, and these types will produce seeds that grow true to the parent. Here is a list of polyembryonic types of citrus:

1.      key limes and Palestine limes (Indian sweet lime)

2.      rough lemons

3.      kumquats

4.      calamondins

5.      grapefruits

6.      sweet oranges (Blonde, navel and blood oranges)

7.      citrange (hybrid of the sweet orange and trifoliate orange)

8.      Trifoliate orange

9.      ‘Nasnaran’, ‘Shekwasha’, and ‘Cleopatra’ mandarin

   Other types of citrus seeds may not grow into a tree that produces good tasting or the kind of fruit you are expecting. Or they could take a very long time to produce. For other citrus types, taking cuttings or bud grafting is a better way to make sure you will have a tree that gives you the type of fruit you want. For more information on how citrus trees develop and scientific details, visit this page:  http://ubergardener.com/2011/07/grow-true-to-type-citrus-from-seed/

Name	Zone	Light Requirement	Soil Preference	Water    Requirement	Size (height x width)	Special considerations
Calamondin	8-11	Full Sun	Well drained, rich in organic matter. ph 5.5-7	Allow soil to dry out between waterings. Average flood and drought tolerance.	8-15’ up to 30’ x 2-10’	Protect from strong winds. Upright growing Cold tolerant above 20ºF
Citron	10-11	Full sun	Well Drained 6-8	Keep soil lightly moist for 1st year of growth, rainfall should be sufficient unless extremely dry thereafter.	8-15’ x 6-10’	Cold tolerant above 30ºF
Grapefruit	8-10	Full sun	Well drained and rich in organic matter 6.6-7.3	Water as needed if soil dries out.	30’ x 10-30’	Cold tolerant above 26ºF    Leaves of citrus trees getting excessive water will turn yellow and fall off. If a citrus tree’s soil gets dry for more than a day and is then watered, leaves may also drop.
Kumquat	8-11	Partial to full sun	Well drained, moderately fertile 6-7	Allow soil to dry between waterings	10’ x 5-8’	Wind resistant. Cold tolerant above 12º F
Lemon	8-11	Full sun	Moderately fertile, well drained soil. 5.5-6.5	Average water needs. Water as needed if soil dries out.	10-20’ x 25’	Cold tolerant above 26º F
Lime	9-11	Full sun	Deep, well draining soil, moderately  but not too fertile. 6-8	Water as needed to keep soil moist to dry.	10-15’ x 10’	Cold tolerant above 27º F
Mandarin	8-11	Full sun	Well drained, Fertile with organic matter. Ph 6-8	Average water needs. Water as needed if soil dries out.	10-25’ x 10-25’	Average wind tolerance. Cold tolerant above 26º F
Oranges (bitter, blood, sweet oranges, etc.)	9-11	Full sun	Well drained, sandy with organic matter. Ph 5.5-6.5	Water as needed to keep soil lightly moist.	8-25’ x 12-30’	Cold tolerant above 26º F
Pomelo	9-11	Full to partial sun	Well drained loam to sand 5.6-6.5	Water as needed to keep soil moist to dry.	16-50’ x 15-40’	Cold tolerant above 26º F

Name	Propagation	Sowing Season(specifically in S. Florida)	Germination time	Seed to fruit time	Harvest season	Native Origin
Calamondin	Polyembryonic seeds, cuttings, budding/grafting.	Best when temperatures will be above 50º F for several months.	Usually within 1 month	1-2 years	November-June	Philippines
Citron	Cuttings, Budding/grafting			3 years if grown from cutting	January, June-August	Southeast Asia
Grapefruit	Polyembryonic seeds, Cuttings, Budding/grafting	Best when temperatures will be above 50º F for several months.	Usually within 1 month	4 years	November-April	Jamaica
Kumquat	Polyembryonic seeds, Cuttings, Budding/grafting			5-7 years	October-March	China
Lemon	Polyembryonic seeds, Cuttings, Budding/grafting			2-5 years	October - April	India
Lime	Polyembryonic seeds, Cuttings, Budding/grafting			3+ years	May-January	Southeast Asia
Mandarin	Polyembryonic seeds, Cuttings, Budding/grafting			2-3 years	October-January	Southeast Asia
Oranges (bitter, blood, sweet oranges, etc.)	Polyembryonic seeds Cuttings, Budding/grafting			4-5 years	November-April	Southeast Asia
Pummelo	Cuttings, Budding/grafting			5-7 years	November-February	Southeast Asia and Polynesia