I’m starting a new series called “Five Things Friday.” Each Friday, I’ll share links to five articles all curated around a theme. This week, all of the links will be related citrus trees. Growing them. Eating their fruit. The pests that bother them. Etc.

While I have your attention, I want to invite you to send in your own themed lists. Here’s the rules: (1) the list must revolve around some sort of container gardening theme, (2) each link must be to a different website, and (3) the list must contain one link to an article on LOTB. Sound like fun? Shoot me an email with your Five Things.

1. How to Grow Citrus Trees in Containers - I have had several citrus trees, including blood oranges and tangerines. Though one of the professors that taught my master gardener class would disagree, they make great container plants. Here’s how to grow a little bit ‘o sunshine on your balcony or patio.
2. Citrus-Pomegranate Quinoa Salad – One thing I like about this recipe is that it is healthy while still delicious. It’s also nice that it only calls for one orange, one lemon, and one lime. When you only have room for one tree of each variety, you might not have a ton of fruit all at once, so I’m always on the lookout for recipes that call for a small amount of the fruits and vegetables I like growing. Oh, and in case you didn’t know, “quinoa” is pronounced “keen-wah.”
3. Lemon Chex Buddies – Much to my mom’s dismay, my favorite type of dessert usually involves lemons not chocolate, though I think they combine together fantastically. This is a sweet-sour take on chex party mix. Yum!
4. Grow Citrus Trees as Houseplants – I didn’t know this was possible, but the folks at Fourwinds Growers say it is. Check it out if you want to have an indoor citrus tree.
5. Citrus Pests - In this article, Arizona master gardeners introduce you to the pests you are most likely to encounter on your citrus tree. YUCK! But important to know about so you can take appropriate measures.

This post has been rumbling around in my head for quite some time. Citrus trees are among container gardeners’ favorite victims fruit trees, so I don’t know why it has taken me so long to put my thoughts down in a blog post. I have had several citrus trees, including blood oranges and tangerines. Though one of the professors that taught my master gardener class would disagree, they make great container plants. Here’s how to grow a little bit ‘o sunshine on your balcony or patio…

Suitably Small Varieties for Container Gardening

Like all trees you plan to grow in a pot, you should always, always, always select either a natural dwarf or a tree growing on dwarf rootstock. According to Sunset’s Western Garden Book of Edibles dwarf citrus trees are usually grafted on to one of two kinds of root stock. If given a large enough pot or grown in the ground, trifolate orange (Poncirus trifolate) will produce a 10 foot tree in 15 years, while ‘Flying Dragon’ trifolate orange produces an even shorter 7 foot tree in that time period. Either rootstock variety will sufficiently stunt the growth of your tree to make it happy to grow in a container.

Kumquats

Kumquats produce  fruit that look like tiny, oblong oranges. They are usually tart, and the fruit is eaten skin and all. You don’t need to select a variety growing on dwarf rootstock because these citrus trees are naturally short. Kumquats do best in areas with warm summers and chilly fall/winter nights. They’re hardy down to 20F if the pot is protected. Kumquats can usually be brought indoors in cold winter climates and still produce a good harvest.

• ‘Fukushu’ produces sweeter-than-normal fruit and the tree is thornless
• ‘Meiwa’ is the sweetest, and least-seedy variety of kumquat. Trees are nearly thornless.
• ‘Tavares Limequat’ is a cross between a kumquat and a Mexican lime. The tree is attractive and compact (less than 6 feet tall at maturity)

Lemons

Lemons are a great choice in areas with summers that aren’t hot enough for other types of citrus. They especially enjoy coastal areas, and will produce fruit year round near the beach.

• ‘Improved Meyer’ is the best variety for container gardeners. It is a disease-free version of regular ‘Meyer’ lemons (which cannot be sold in some states, due to the virus the trees carry). The fruit is sweeter with thinner skins thanks to the fact that is actually a lemon-orange hybrid. Can be brought indoors during the winter without sacrificing fruit production.
• ‘Sungold’ and ‘Variegated Pink’ both have green and yellow variegated leaves.

Gail is back with a new update from her balcony garden! You may remember from Gail’s first guest post that she’s from Calgary, AB Canada. Gail is was new to gardening back then, but she’s got another year of experience under her belt now. I think you guys will really identify with the success and challenges she’s had this year. If you’d like to chat with Gail, you can find her at twitter.com/missferran.

Well, it’s another summer of container gardening. The season isn’t over and I have high hopes for my plants. So far, it’s what I consider a victory. I got a handful of peas this year! That in itself seems like a miracle.

So, instead of no sunlight, the challenge this time around is that the plants are surviving (even the two hailstorms we’ve had so far), but not really producing. Gone are the withered and wretchedly growing impaired plants and in with the lush green plants with no fruit or veggies.

First, I should say that my potatoes seem to be a smashing success. The ones in the grow bag have beautiful, lush vegetation and lovely white flowers. The ones in the pot have the same green vegetation but pretty purple flowers. Aaah, variety! I am looking forward to harvesting them. Having said that, I have to get a move on and figure out when I can harvest. Further investigation is definitely needed.

There was a lot of excitement for me one night last week when I discovered little green tomatoes growing on one of the tomato plants I started from seed. I have a tomato plant that I bought that had tomatoes already growing, which is awesome in itself, but I find that to have something grow from seed to grow on its own is more of a reward. I can’t tell you how accomplished I feel about it. I’m hoping that they will mature so that I can have them for dinner and can proudly boast about it *grin*

I also noticed a lone pansy growing with my plants. I didn’t plant it, but it’s a welcome addition. Lately I’ve notice three or four pop up so I have a cheerful little group of flowers to greet me in the morning. I’m going to have to purposely plant some next time. They are lovely little things.

My major frustration is my peppers. Not one plant has grown higher than a seedling and they’ve definitely not born fruit. They refuse to mature and sit in their container as if in stasis. Not growing, not dying, merely existing in their tiny world, unencumbered by a desire to grow.

The one thing I am SUPER excited about is my ground cherry plants. I have two of them that started out like the peppers, silent monuments mocking my efforts to make them grow. And then there was a good rain and they sprung forth from their pots like little green beacons now mocking the peppers. They haven’t born fruit yet but I am confident they will. Ok, more hopeful than confident, but I digress.

I also have herbs growing both in the house and out. The garlic chives are wonderful and I have parsley, sage, rosemary, and garlic (thought I was going to break out into a Simon and Garfunkel song, didn’t you?). There are a few more herbs growing happily as well.

I also have a container that I like to call “Mon Homage au Gazon.” Or, if you like, “My Homage to the Lawn.” Or, if you prefer,” A Container of Weeds.” You’re probably asking yourself why I keep it. Well, I think some of them are actually flowers that haven’t grown yet. But I know for sure that some of them are most definitely weeds. I don’t know what weeds (although I know a dandelion was growing there at one time), but weeds none the less.

I must post a requiem for my poor, poor zucchini plant as it drowned in the last storm we had the other day. It had beautiful flowers. But, of course, it bore nothing before its untimely demise. I wasn’t brave enough to champion it from the sudden onslaught of the hail storm we had a couple of days ago. I believe it was the waves upon waves of water that fell from the sky, rather than the maelstrom of hail, which heralded its demise. On the other hand, I haven’t had to water my plants too much in the last couple of days.

The rest of my plants seem to be living fairly well and there’s still another month for things to grow. I’m starting to consider what I can grow in the living room in the winter as well. My goodness…so much potential!

I am really sweet on strawberries this year. I’ve been tucking them in practically all of my pots and enjoying the tasty rewards for over a month now. Which has led to a problem of abundance. What do I do with the one or two plants left in a six pack that I have no room for in my larger pots?

I found this basket at the dollar store. By lining it with moss and filling the basket with potting soil (and fertilizer!), it has become a great strawberry pot for less than $5. I’ve snuck in several of these small pots around my larger pots to fulfill my need for more strawberries!

Strawberries prefer a well drained soil, high in organic matter. They need full sun (at least 6 hours per day) for the best results. Fertilize with a balanced fertilizer (like 5-5-5) once at the beginning of the season, and again after each crop is produced. Don’t over fertilize, as that will cause your plants to produce too many leaves and not enough fruit. Keep plants well watered

Some things to know about Strawberries

1. There are three main kinds of strawberries: June-bearing, ever-bearing, and day-neutral. June-bearing produce one large crop in early summer, ever-bearing strawberries produce three crops (one in spring, one in summer, and one in fall), while day-neutral strawberries produce fruit throughout the growing season, with the biggest crops in mid to late summer.
2. June bearing strawberries are usually better suited to the warmer climates, while ever-bearing and day-neautral strawberries do well in cooler climates.
3. Alpine strawberries are the only sort that are worth trying to grow from seed. They’re day-neutral and produce tiny (slightly larger than a pencil eraser), sweet, delicious strawberries.
4. You can treat strawberries as an annual and replace them every year, or as a short lived perennial (they usually will only produce reliable crops for about three years).

It is a tad late in the season to be planting tomatoes, but in most of the U.S. there is still time. Planting and growing tomatoes in a container garden is pretty easy once you have the basics down. But before we discuss the basics, make sure you start with the right tomato, and if your season is short, here are some tips to pick out a tomato that will produce fruit before your first frost.

Pinch Those Suckers and Lower Leaves!

After you’ve picked out the perfect tomato and brought it home, it’s time to prepare it for planting. Do you see the leaflet that is growing in the spot where mature branches attach to the trunk of the plant? No? Look right above my pink thumbnail in the photo. See it? Ok, good. Pinch those suckers off! Continue to be on the lookout for suckers for the life of your tomato.

You should also pinch off the lower branches of the tomato so that you have about six to ten inches of bare trunk at the bottom of the plant. More on why in the next step…

Go Deep!

The reason you pinched off the lower branches is so that you can plant your tomato deep! Most of the time, when you plant a plant, you want to keep the crown of the plant level with the soil line. Not true when you plant tomatoes. Tomatoes will actually grow roots out of their stems. When you plant them deep, the part of the trunk that is below the soil line will develop roots and make your plant super sturdy.

Fertilize Early and Often

Tomatoes are heavy feeders. You will probably not have good results if you don’t fertilize. And fertilize often. Most organic liquid fertilizers are too weak for tomatoes (you can use them, but you’ll need to fertilize on a weekly or biweekly basis). For tomatoes, I prefer to use a blended fertilizer meant for fruits and vegetables (when in a pinch, all-purpose will do). Sprinkly the fertilizer liberally on the surfaceof the soil and gently mix it in. Water deeply.

Be sure to reapply fertilizer once a month for the entire growing season. Nutrients are quickly washed out of containers, so you need to fertilize them more frequently than you do in-ground gardens.

Pick a Pretty Cage

Don’t forget a tomato cage or some other type of support! While your tomato looks diminutive now, it will likely be a beast in a month or two. In their natural habitat, tomatoes sprawl on the ground, which is a great way to provide a buffet lunch to pests and diseases. One neat tip I picked up from Steve Goto is to match the color of your tomato to the color of the cage or support. Since my tomato is a ‘Cherokee Purple’ I spray painted my cage purple so I’d remember which tomato this is while I’m waiting for it to fruit.

Are you participating in the community container garden? I sure hope so! But even if you’re not, it’s still important to know what sized pot goes with what kind of edible plants. Tomatoes will not be happy living in a 10 inch pot for the entire summer. Nope. No way! But chives? They’re much more tolerant of tighter living quarters.

Affordability is also important, and to that end, I want to let you know about a discount cod to get 10% off any of the planters at MasterGardening.com. Just use LOTBplanters at checkout. Be sure to get your orders in quick, as the code runs out on April 18th. I get nothing out of the deal other than the satisfaction of knowing you guys saved some money. Happy shopping!

• Tomatoes – Think 5 gallon bucket size. At least!
• Sunflowers – For a dwarf variety such as Sunspot, you’ll want a pot that is at least 12 inches tall and wide (for one plant).
• Cucumbers – Polite varieties like Spacemaster also need a pot that is at least 12 inches tall and wide. The bigger the pot, the better though.
• Basil – You can get a pretty good-sized basil plant from a pot as shallow as a typical window box. I’d say you need a pot that is at minimum, 8 inches deep.
• Chives – You could probably get away with a pot that is only 6 inches deep, but I’d try to use a pot that is closer to 8 inches if possible.

Since MasterGardening.com was so nice to offer the discount, I went ahead and found some of their pots that will work great for edibles…

Photo by Mary Lauren

Of course, the ever popular Earth Box is a great option. Pam Baxter reviewed the Earth Box in a guest post awhile back. You’ll be able to fit several edible plants in one Earth Box. Earth Box’s manufacturer suggests that you can grow two tomato plants in one Earth Box, or four cucumbers, or six herbs (how pretty would the purple basil and chives look if you planted them every other one, so you had a purple and green checkerboard?). But I bet you could grow one tomatoes, one cucumber, and three herbs (two basils and one chives or two chives and one basil–your pick). Then you’d just need a pot for the sunflowers. You could get another Earth Box and fill it with them!

Another great type of pot that I can personally vouch for are Smart Pots. They are made out of fabric, which allows air to penetrate the roots, keeping your plants super healthy and happy.

Yet another type of pot that would be perfect for basil or chives are over the rail type planters. Pictured above is the Greenbo planter. I have three and am very happy with them. They are such a great space-saver because you don’t use one square inch of your balcony’s floor space. The pots are too shallow for tomatoes, cukes, or sunflowers though.

What kinds of pots do you plan to use in your edible garden this year?

We’re going to turn our Community Container Garden eye towards containers tomorrow, but I wanted to take a second to answer some common–and not so common–seed starting questions. How are your seedlings doing?

My seeds never germinated, what happened?

Are you using fresh seeds? If your seeds are more than a year old, they are probably no longer viable. If you collected them yourself, you may have inadvertantly collected “fluff” instead of actual seeds, or you may have harvested them too early.

If you used new seeds that you purchased from a reliable source, then you may not have kept them warm enough (most seeds need to be kept between 70-80 degrees to germinate). Or, you might have let them dry out. You need to keep seeds evenly moist for them to germinate.

Why can’t I just plant the seeds at any point and let the seed decide when it is safe/appropriate for it to come up?

Well, if you sow them in fall, they might very well germinate at the appropriate time. But if you want to get a jump start on the season, you need to start them inside, so that they can take advantage of the warmth inside your home that doesn’t exist outside. By the time your outdoor temperatures are warm enough for seeds to germinate, your indoor seeds will have been growing for four weeks or more. Starting seeds indoors improves your germination rates as well, since you can control all aspects of their environment.

Why do I need to know WHEN to plant the seed?

Regardless of what you read on the internet about growing plants indoors, it is almost impossible to have healthy, vigorous full-sun plants growing indoors without supplemental lights. By starting a few weeks before temperatures outside are warm enough for your seedlings, you’ll be balancing the benefits of starting seeds indoors with the benefits of giving them full access to sunlight outdoors.

How do I know when to plant the seed?

Seed packets will tell you how much before your last frost date you should sow the seeds indoors. You can find out what your last frost date is by entering your zipcode here.

What are some tips for starting heirloom peppers from seed?

First, be sure to use good quality seed. If you’re having a hard time getting them to germinate, try increasing the temperature by using a seed starting heating pad underneath the seed tray. Be sure that the soil stays moist but not soggy.

Do I need “Grow Lights” to start my seeds indoors?

If you are starting seeds that will eventually be moved outdoors after the plants are a few weeks old, then you can use a cool fluorescent light bulb, even a CFL. If you want a plant to flower and make fruit indoors, you will need a special grow light that has a larger spectrum of light.

A couple of days after germinating, my seedlings flopped over and died, what happened?

It sounds like your seedlings have succumbed to what is called “damping off.” Damping off is caused by bacteria that cause the seedling’s stem to appear pinched right at the soil line. The seedling falls over and dies. The best way to avoid this problem is to use soil specially marked for seed starting, to use new or sterilized trays, and to not over water your seedlings.

I’ve been wondering if other gardeners cut off the first leaf when the true leaves come out?

I never have, and I don’t see what benefit doing this provides?

My seedlings are leggy and are not getting dark green, what am I doing wrong?

It sounds like you’re not providing enough light. Seedlings need a very bright light source that is an inch or two away from the top of the seedling.

Here are some tips (especially geared towards gardeners in warmer climates) for caring for citrus trees in early spring. Read the whole post over on the Fiskars website

Hear ye, hear ye! Community Container Garden day is finally here! Without further ado, may I present the plants we will be growing this year: ‘Sunspot’ Sunflowers, ‘Purple Petra’ Basil, Garlic Chives, ‘Spacemaster’ Cucumber, and ‘Better Bush’ Tomato. And if growing plants from seed wasn’t cheap enough for you, I’ve arranged with aHa Modern Living to sell the Life on the Balcony Community Container Garden seeds to you at 10% off. Not just the seeds, but whatever you order from aHa Modern Living with this discount code: LOTBseeds.

Full disclosure: I get nothing but the satisfaction that you saved some money if you buy your seeds from aHa Modern Living.

Here’s the deal. You don’t have to grow these five plants. There is no garden police officer that is going to come knocking on your door to check your container garden. BUT, I thought it would be so much FUN if we all could compare notes about the same plants throughout the season. I have lots of posts planned with container ideas, combination suggestions, growing tips, and of course, recipes! I really hope you’ll join in. To kick things off, I shared a guest post over on the aHa Modern Living blog with tips for seed starting success, as well as one idea for growing all five plants in a single planter box.

By the way, to make chatting about growing these plants easier, I’ve created a message board for us all to use. I hope you guys will jump on over and get the edible garden conversation started. I’m still tweaking things over there, so be on the lookout for a prettier version of the message board soon.

Let the seed sowing begin!!!

I have had a peach tree growing in a pot for two and half years. It is one of my absolute favorite edible plants to grow, because the results are so juicy, and tasty! Peaches that are sold at supermarkets don’t even begin to compare to the taste of homegrown, tree-ripened fruit. I guarantee you will enjoy growing and eating peaches (or nectarines, which are essentially fuzz-free peaches) as much as I do. Here’s a nudge a right direction…

When and Where

If you order a bare root tree (a tree that is sold without soil around it’s roots) from a catalog or from a website, the grower will ship your tree at the right time to plant it in your area. If you want to purchase a bare root tree from a local nursery, start looking for them at the end of winter or early spring. A tree that is already growing in a nursery pot can be purchased and planted at any time, except for the height of summer.

As far as the “where” goes, you need a spot with full-sun, and preferably protection from harsh, cold winds. Just a reminder, full-sun means 6 or more hours of sunlight shining directly on the tree, without any obstructions interfering with the light (like tree branches).

Peach blossoms are pretty enough to grow the tree just for the blooms. Photo by ~Dezz~

Choosing the Right Tree

The first thing to know about peaches and nectarines is that, unlike apples, there is no dwarf rootstock to keep your tree small. However, trees that naturally maintain their dwarf stature have been developed. They’re called “natural dwarfs” and produce full size fruit on trees that max out in height at 6 feet. In a container, they are likely to stay even shorter.

Genetic dwarf peaches and nectarines

• El Dorado (peach) – Nice yellow flesh, rich flavor, produces fruit early in the season.
• Honey Babe (peach) – Has really great flavor. Needs a cross-pollinator that is also a genetic dwarf.
• Nectar Babe (nectarine) – Has awesome dark red skin, yellow flesh, and good flavor. (good pollinator for Honey Babe)
• Necta Zee (nectarine) – Medium sized fruit have flavorful, yellow flash.

Another concern when picking out a tree is winter chill; getting enough, but not too much. Peaches need about 500 chill hours, that is 500 hours of temperatures below 45F but above 32F. Those of us living in the southern part of the U.S. will have to purchase a “low chill” variety, because we don’t consistently get 500 chill hours. If you live in an area with sustained temperatures below 20F, you can grow any variety of peach or nectarine, but you’ll need to protect your tree. Though you might want to check out a variety called ‘Gleason’s Early Elberta’ (sometimes also called ‘Lemon Elberta’

Low chill peaches and nectarines:

• Babcock (peach) – This is the variety I grow. The flesh is white, with red streaks near the pit. It’s pretty sweet, with an tangy bite.
• Pix Zee (peach) – Large fruits with yellow flesh, and a wonderful fragrance.
• Bonanza II (peach) – Produces large fruit with yellow-orange flesh.
• Southern Belle (nectarine) – Large fruits have good flavor and are produced early.

Watering

Watering is super important when it comes to fruit trees, and peaches are no different. Get started on the right foot by deeply watering your tree right after you plant it. This means watering until you see water streaming out the bottom of the pot. If you purchased a bare root tree, you don’t need to water again for another couple of weeks. Watering before then could cause the barely active roots to rot. If you have an unexpected heat wave, and the soil dries out completely, then you can water before that, but that’s the only exception.

For peaches that were purchased in a nursery pot, and established bare root trees, you should water deeply whenever the soil dries out. That’s probably every 5-7 days in spring, but could be every other day in summer.

Starting in late August or early September start cutting back the water so that you provide just enough to keep the soil lightly moist. You’re doing this to slow down the tree’s growth and prepare it for winter.

Fertilizing

Choose a fertilizer that is meant for flower and fruit production. This means that the fertilizer you select should be high in phosphorus (the second number in the N-P-K numbers on the front of the fertilizer package). My preferred method is to use an organic, liquid fertilizer. I use it at half strength once a week during the growing season (and start tapering it off at the same time I taper off the water).

Pruning

Pruning is an extensive topic, and I wouldn’t even begin to pretend that I could cover enough to get you started in a paragraph or two here. Instead, I’ll point you to this excellent article on pruning/training a peach tree into what is commonly called the “vase shape.”

A Quick Word on Pests & Diseases

Other than caterpillars nibbling on my peaches, they have been largely pest free. Peaches and nectarines are not often harassed by pests. They are, however, plagued by two diseases: bacterial canker and peach-leaf curl.

You’ll know your tree has bacterial canker when you see a blob of amber colored sap on the trunk, branches, or twigs. If you were to scrape away the nearby bark, you will probably find dead or diseased wood (brown instead of white or green) in the interior. Bacterial canker is usually only a problem in areas that get lots of winter rain. The best way to prevent bacterial canker is to spray your tree with copper fungicide three times during the season: in fall before the rain begins, mid-winter during a break in the rain, and early spring, once the rain has stopped. As always, be sure to follow the label instructions carefully.

Copper fungicide will also help prevent peach-leaf curl. You’ll know you have peach-leaf curl if you see red splotches on leaves that are abnormally curled or deformed. Moving your tree out of the rain is a good way to help prevent both diseases.