All-in-One Citrus Starter Kit for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by John Haryasz | Horticulture Writer and Landscape Designer – last update on October 26, 2022

Planting instructions

All three of the plants in your all-in-one citrus starter kit will grow best in areas with good soil drainage and full sunlight exposure. If you live in zones eight and warmer, you can grow these plants outdoors and establish a small citrus orchard. If you live in a colder region, you should grow your all-in-one citrus starter kit plants in individual containers and bring them indoors whenever the temperature lowers to about 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Watering and nutrients

You should feed your all-in-one citrus starter kit with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer about 3 times per year. The first feeding should take place in the later winter or early spring. The second and third feeding should take place in later spring and mid-summer, respectively. Usually, you should water your all-in-one citrus starter kit about once per week. However, there may be times when you may need to water it multiple times per week or once every few weeks. Alternatively, you can water your all-in-one citrus starter kit whenever you notice that the first two to three inches of soil have dried out.

Pollination

While the three citrus fruits in your all-in-one citrus starter kit are typically self-pollinating, they will benefit from growing near one another. These three plants can easily cross-pollinate one another. When cross-pollination occurs, your all-in-one citrus starter kit will produce much more fruits on each plant than it would if each species was left to pollinate itself. For those growing the all-in-one citrus starter kit indoors, you may need to consider conducting pollination by hand since your plants may not have access to a natural pollination process.

Pruning

Generally, it is best to prune citrus trees during late winter and early spring. When pruning the plants in your all-in-one citrus starter kit, you should prioritize the removal of any branch that is dead, damaged or diseased. It is also beneficial to thin the canopies of these plants by removing excess foliage and crossing branches. Thinning the canopy will help air circulation and allow sunlight to reach all parts of the canopy, leading to fewer disease issues and better fruits.

Pests, diseases and animals

You’ll need to remain vigilant when caring for your all-in-one citrus starter kit to prevent any pest infestations. Unfortunately, there are several pests that harm citrus trees specifically, including citrus bud mites, citrus whiteflies and citrus thrips. Additionally, some more common garden pests like scale and aphids can also harm this plant. Along with those threats, your all-in-one citrus starter kit may experience diseases, including black spot, canker and fruit scabbing. The best way to prevent such issues is to follow the ideal care routine for each plant in the kit.

Harvesting

The all-in-one citrus starter kit contains three distinct citrus plants, each of which has its own harvest time. The Meyer lemon is usually ready for harvest in early spring, while the key lime plant and the calamondin orange bush will be ready for harvest in summer and fall. It is important to learn the signs of ripe fruit for each of these three plants to ensure that you harvest them properly. Fortunately, you can easily pick the fruits of each of these plants using nothing other than your hands.

Achieving maximum results

Before growing an all-in-one citrus starter kit, you should be aware that the leaves of the Meyer lemon tree can be quite toxic. As such, you should not grow this plant where children or pets can access it unsupervised. Also, it can be beneficial to spray your plant’s annually with an insecticide to reduce the odds of an infestation. This is especially necessary if you grow your all-in-one citrus starter kit outdoors where a much greater number of potential pests will have access to it.

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