Growing Citrus in Northern States

Lisa K
Lisa K Posts: 1,933 ✭✭✭✭✭

I was listening to Melissa Norris and she said that she cannot grow citrus in her area (she is in Northern Washington near Canada) which got me wondering is there anyone growing citrus north of So. CA (where I am living) and is it outdoors, indoors and/or in a greenhouse?

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  • Annie Kate
    Annie Kate Posts: 680 ✭✭✭✭

    I've seen them in commercial greenhouses in the Ottawa area, with fruit, and in homes in Winnipeg, but I'm not sure if they had fruit there.

  • Lisa K
    Lisa K Posts: 1,933 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Annie Kate thanks that gives me hope since I have had Idaho on my mind lately!

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    I'm not sure what part of Washington Melissa Norris is in. If she is inland, then she most likely can't grow citrus. But if she is on the coast, she should be able to.

    This is a link to a website of a nursery on Vancouver Island that specializes in fruit trees including citrus and other "exotics". They have a demonstration orchard, too. https://www.fruittreesandmore.com/ Links to a bunch of videos on how to grow as well.

    Several other nurseries in the Lower Mainland region surrounding Vancouver sell citrus trees among other tropicals. Bananas and palms have become popular yard plants as most of the region is zone 7 or higher. Southern Vancouver Island and some of the Gulf Islands are as high as zone 9. There is a commercial tea farm, an olive farm (producing olive oil) and several others that sell kiwis, figs, etc.

    This is a link to a UBC forum where there is a pic of a Yuzu tree in Vancouver and someone posting that his tangerine tree had survived a frosty night. https://forums.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/threads/hardy-citrus-growing-outside-in-vancouver.95041/

    So coastal Washington will have a similar, if not warmer, climate. But inland regions will be more like my climate. Cold winters with quite a bit of snow that lasts throughout the winter.

  • Lisa K
    Lisa K Posts: 1,933 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited December 2020

    Cool thanks @torey! Melissa Norris I believe is inland.

  • Gail H
    Gail H Posts: 359 ✭✭✭✭

    I am just about at the 40th parallel, so at the same latitude as northern CA. I grow some citrus, but bring it in for the winter. I am eagerly awaiting my first two Satsumas! I purchase mine from https://www.logees.com/ . They are in Connecticut. Their catalog is my "wish list"!

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,573 admin

    I wish that I could buy from Logees! I would love to have a cinnamon tree. 😋

  • blevinandwomba
    blevinandwomba Posts: 813 ✭✭✭✭

    I've got a calamondin tree in a large pot. It's outside for late spring through mid-fall, then comes inside. It's very productive; I really recommend it.

  • Lisa K
    Lisa K Posts: 1,933 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks @Gail H for the link and @blevinandwomba for the recommendation!

  • Cornelius
    Cornelius Posts: 872 ✭✭✭✭

    I live on the east coast (Virginia) and I grow citrus (Meyer lemon and Australian Finger Lime) in my house. Most citrus can survive to low temps usually between 28-38 F for a short amount of time (less than 24 hours), but it depends on the type like oranges can survive to I believe to the 28 F. My Meyer lemon flowered twice but due to scale and a need for fertilizer it did not produce fruit. If you want to grow some I would advise looking at the different varieties and picking your favorite and starting from there. Look for dwarf root stock as it will help keep it small for a pot and take it inside for winter. Good luck!

  • Lisa K
    Lisa K Posts: 1,933 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Thanks @Cornelius I am very happy to know with a little work I would be able to take my citrus trees with me if I decide to move!

  • Hassena
    Hassena Posts: 345 ✭✭✭


    Have you looked into Sep's?

    He grows citrus in the cold mountains of austria. I think I read his growing zone is around 4.

    Planting the seeds and adding boulders.

    How this helps. It seems possible.

    We are going to turn the front porch into a passive solar greenhouse. To grow a few dwarf citrus and other goodies.

  • JennyT Upstate South Carolina
    JennyT Upstate South Carolina Posts: 1,273 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Hassena This sounds unreal.😲 I don't know how that is possible but I am so very curious now. I'll be checking out the link. Thank you for sharing.😊

    We're hoping to move this spring and where we move to I'm hoping to have some citrus trees. I understand that there are some people around me that have had some luck with specific types but I'd have to check again with the local master gardeners here to double check on which type.🤞

  • Lisa K
    Lisa K Posts: 1,933 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Hassena cool, thanks for the link!

  • Hassena
    Hassena Posts: 345 ✭✭✭

    Of course. =}

  • Tave
    Tave Posts: 952 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Awesome video. My Dad grew a lemon tree in a big bucket, then buried the bucket in the garden after the last frost and pulled it up again to put it in the greenhouse over the winter. Zone 5.

  • Michelle D
    Michelle D Posts: 1,465 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I'm in Southern Michigan, zone 6, I have a coworker that had successfully grown limes. He had it in a container and brought it inside to protect it from frost. It lasted awhile until his cats killed it. We also have several greenhouses in the area that grow citrus and bananas.