CITRUS PLANTS
Repotting or tubing
Freshly purchased citrus plants are usually in hard clay soil. Carefully rinse off part of the clay in the spring or summer and plant the plants with special container plant soil in a slightly larger pot or tub. For good drainage, place a shard over the hole in the bottom of the pot. Repot the plants every three to five years; this can be done throughout the season.
Pitch
Citrus varieties like a sheltered, sunny spot. On a corner of the terrace or close to the house is usually perfect. After overwintering in a greenhouse, shed, garden center or nursery, the container plants can only be outdoors for the first time after Ice Saints (15 May), when the chance of night frost is virtually nil. Do not immediately place them in full sun, but first in the (semi) shade for a week.
To water
Water the plants a lot the first time, once they are outside again. Then wait for the root ball to dry thoroughly before watering again; this time a normal amount. Continue to water them regularly throughout the summer, but don’t overwater them. If the root ball is constantly too wet, the roots will rot. As a result, the leaves turn yellow and fall off. It is therefore better to plant them in pots or tubs made of terracotta rather than plastic. Give rainwater rather than tap water because citrus plants do not like lime.