Look Inside
Get to know more about Citrus Plants
The Citrus ebook is a must have for any home gardener or professional gardener who wants to make the most out of their citrus plants. This ebook will not only let you know more about the many aspects of growing healthy citrus plants, that produce bumper fruit crops, it will help you understand more about the botany and taxonomy of citrus plants. There is a directory of the different cultivars of citrus plants and even a guide for cultivating and propagating the plants. Going with the theme of growing your own food, this ebook even has some mouth watering recipes to indulge in to help you use up your homegrown harvest.
The citrus genus varies widely in respect to the variety of species and fruit types within it - making this group of plants quite exceptional. The distinctive glossy green foliage and attractive fragrances of leaves, fruit and flowers add to the charm and make citrus highly sought after and widely grown by both commercial producers and enthusiasts.
ISBN- 978-0-9943737-0-0
Pages- 117
Images- 103
Table of Contents
Credits
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION: SCOPE, NATURE, BOTANY AND TAXONOMY
Citrus today
Harvesting
A brief history
Botany of citrus
Appearance
Reproduction and variability
Flowering and pollination
Fruit development
Number and classification of species
Species of citrus
Close relatives
Microcitrus
Eremocitrus
Fortunella
Poncirus
CHAPTER 2 CITRUS CULTIVATION
Planting citrus trees
What affects success?
Temperature
Frosts and cold winds
Choose the right type
Shade
Tree size
Root damage
Container growing
Soil
Colloids
Preparing the soil for planting
Does your soil need gypsum?
Planting technique
Feeding
Fertiliser applications
Drainage
Irrigation
Measuring water availability to plants
Irrigation
Scheduling irrigation
Important elements
Period of watering
Cyclic watering
Pulse watering
Water extraction by roots
Types of irrigation
Common citrus fruit problems
Nutrient deficiencies
Pests of citrus
Diseases and viruses of citrus
Planting lemon trees
Planting technique
Caring for lemon trees
Pruning citrus
Pruning a standard shape
Renovating an old tree
Pruning to improve fruit quality
Pruning to improve tree health
CHAPTER 3 CITRUS PROPAGATION
Propagation options
Grafting (budding)
Budding techniques
Dwarf trees and double grafts
Growing from cuttings
Growing from seed
CHAPTER 4 CITRUS CULTIVARS
Deciding what to grow
Unusual citrus
Citrus fruit ripening chart
CHAPTER 5 USING CITRUS
Nutritional value of citrus
How to extract citrus oils
Freezing citrus
Drying citrus
Making use of excess lemons
Making fresh lemonade
Recipes
Making jams/marmalade
Marmalade
Beetroot and orange chutney
Citrus syrup cake
Classic orange fennel and onion salad
Easy salad dressing
Easy pasta side dish
Fruit butter/ fruit curd
Lemon tart
Lemon dipping sauce - Asian style
Lettuce cups with chicken and citrus
Lime chutney
Marinade for chicken
Marinade for steak
Orange salad
Orange couscous
Salsa topping for salmon or trout
APPENDIX