Blood Orange ~ Tasty to eat and gorgeous, with ruby red flesh and juice;

flavor has raspberry overtones.

Citrus-Growing Secrets

Menifee lies in planting zones 18 and 19 and most citrus will grow in

the region. When purchasing citrus or any plant, be sure to confirm that it

works for your planting zone.

Todd and Diane, local garderners in Southern California share gardening tips for Sunset Magazine:

1. Soil matters. With nasty clay soil in our yard, we planted a lot of our citrus

in raised beds and in pots. Our garden soil is a compost mix. (Seek advice about

your local soil by taking a soil sample to a reputable nursery.)

2. Plants can get bored with the same food. We use various fertilizers,

depending on when we’re buying. Often it’s Dr. Earth Fruit Tree Fertilizer

but also liquid fish fertilizer, and other stuff.

3. Leaf trimmings from a hedge have a second life. They serve as mulch

for shallow-rooted citrus, which needs to be protected.

4. The assassin bugs are plant-protecting ninja. They hang out in our

Algerian tangerine. When aphid infestations occur, the assassin bugs

wipe them out.

5. Assemble a mostly organic arsenal. For sooty fungus, we use neem oil.

And if leaf miners are really hammering new growth, a little Monterey

Garden Insect Spray.

6. Exotic fruit calls for exotic wisdom. We turned to an old Japanese gardener

when our yuzus didn’t flower. He told us to stress the plant by tying garden

string around several of the branches to choke them. A tree often flowers

as a preservation mechanism. Breaking off the ends of the branches by

hand—instead of pruning them—has the same effect.

7. It cheers up the neighbors. In the winter especially, citrus works its magic.

8. Sharing is easy. A little juice goes a long way in cooking. And so do

the 600 pounds grown in our yard every year from 21 trees.

Article via Sunset Magazine

http://www.sunset.com/garden/fruits-veggies/citrus-gardening-00418000070419/