Citrus trees are all over the landscape from Arizona, as they have been a commercial crop here for over 100 years, but they don’t have to be solely commercial as many Arizona landscape contractors and homeowners know. They can be the perfect addition to any back or front yard landscape design. And if you are in Arizona you are lucky enough to live in one of the best climates in the US for growing citrus. With our hot summers and cooler winters, a much more full flavored fruit can be grown than in other climates where it may be consistently warm (Florida) or cool (California coast).

One very important thing you need to know is that proper watering is the key to healthy citrus in Arizona. Sinice citrus needs to dry out between waterings, the watering schedule is dependent on the time of the year. The summer requires watering once every one or two weeks and in the winter probably only once every four to six weeks. When the temperature is between those two extremes, vary your waterings accordingly. If the citrus tree has been planted in the last two weeks, water it every three days and then normally after that.

Kumquat image taken from Wikipedia

Kumquat image taken from Wikipedia

Also in Arizona, there tend to be fewer pests on citrus trees due to the climate, but we still do get leafhoppers and others of the sort. It can be dangerous to use pesticides on these pests since they poison will often kill the pest’s predators as well an leave the tree open for the pests to come back stronger. Many argue that generally, there are not pests in Arizona that will require pesticides to kill since they pesticides will do more damage then the pests.

There are such a variety of citrus trees that can be grown and planted and you should do additional research to find what type would work best in your specific climate and yard as well as what kind tastes best to you! For example, kumquats grow more slowly and therefore tend to be more susceptible to sun burn. However they are also the exception when it comes to freezing and can handle temperatures as low as 15 degress F.

What is your favorite citrus to grow in Arizona or other climates? Have any other tips for homeowners or landscape designers? Let us know in the comments!