Food Garden Life Show: Helping You Harvest More from Your Edible Garden, Vegetable Garden, and Edible Landscaping
Growing Citrus in Vancouver
/22:34/S3 E63
Greg Neal from North Vancouver tells us how he got the bug for growing citrus. At last count he had 19 varieties around his suburban yard, some in the ground, some in pots, and some in his greenhouse. He takes delight in seeing the look of surprise on the face of delivery people who notice lemons, tangerines, and limes growing in his front yard. Neal says that memories of lemons growing around his aunt’s California yard inspired him to look into growing lemons at home. He learned that Meyer lemons are quite cold hardy, and, seeing Meyer lemon plants for sale in 2006, came home with three plants.He kept one plant in the house; it died. But the two that he stored in his cold garage for the winter lived. He now grows Meyer lemon directly in the ground, covering it with a string of incandescent lights and fabric for winter protection. The lights emit just enough heat to get the plant through the coldest days.He explains that the fruit takes about one year to mature—so it’s important to protect it from freezing over the winter.
Are you thinking of growing a potted olive tree? Or maybe you already have one…but you’re still waiting for olives. Olive trees are tough as nails. They can take more cold than many people realize. And they’re really beautiful, too. Put these all together, and you have a great potted plant for a cold-climate garden. In my new book, Grow Olives Where You Think You Can't, I tell you everything you need to know to successfully grow an olive tree in a pot!
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Greg Neal from North Vancouver tells us how he got the bug for growing citrus. At last count he had 19 varieties around his suburban yard, some in the ground, some in pots, and some in his greenhouse. He takes delight in seeing the look of surprise on the face of delivery people who notice lemons, tangerines, and limes growing in his front yard.
Neal says that memories of lemons growing around his aunt’s California yard inspired him to look into growing lemons at home. He learned that Meyer lemons are quite cold hardy, and, seeing Meyer lemon plants for sale in 2006, came home with three plants.
He kept one plant in the house; it died. But the two that he stored in his cold garage for the winter lived.
He now grows Meyer lemon directly in the ground, covering it with a string of incandescent lights and fabric for winter protection. The lights emit just enough heat to get the plant through the coldest days.
He explains that the fruit takes about one year to mature—so it’s important to protect it from freezing over the winter.
