Growing citrus in Chicago (lemon tree)

Lemon Tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet, but the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat

So if all goes well, I'll have my first yard in about two weeks. Late July isn't really the time to be planting anything (though suggestions are welcome), but the lovely back yard is an empty canvas for us. It's never been formally landscaped, and is just a long, shady rectangle of grass, with a gigantic maple tree over to one side. There is a single scrubby rose bush (unsure of the variety) right up against the house, and that's it.

I've always wanted to have a lemon tree once I had a house. I've seen them in Chicago (a few houses we visited in Forest Park have them), but don't know what variety they are, when they flower, if the fruit is edible, and how you take care of them properly both in greenery and overwinter. Has anyone here had success with outdoor citrus in Chicago? I'd love to hear the details of your trees (source, species, use, hardiness, lifespan, when to plant / trim).

Other planting recommendations are also welcome. If you were starting from scratch, what would you consider planting in your first year, both around a house's perimeter, and perhaps in a newly-turned garden plot at the far end of the yard? I have some experiences in my parents' garden, but much to learn, and probably less time to spend than I'd like, so fruitful / pretty for low maintenance will be our starting point. My thanks in advance.

Hi,

You will want a dwarf lemon tree that would visit the Chicago summers, then hide in your home the balance of the year. Tropical trees can certainly live in this climate, which was well documented by Erik M who grew a Kaffir lime tree. Just as long as they are indoors when the temperatures are less than 50 degrees.

Regards,

Cathy - fantastic, thanks. I picked up several useful nursery links from that thread.

The few I've seen out here are planted in the ground outside (no pot), and are definitely dwarf in size. They may not even fruit, and/or the owners may take obsessive care in the winter (covers, stands) that I hadn't guessed at since I'd only been around the properties in summer and fall. I'd probably lean towards containerized and grafted for my own, so I can "interiorscape" with the plant in the winter, and have fruit in season (I like making preserved lemon, lemon curd, and the like. Kaffir lime also has considerable appeal).

But then, of course, I'd still really like some kind of sturdy year-round outside fruit tree. Any recommendations for non-citrus? Something that actually *likes* Chicago? (Pawpaw? Apple?)

Santander wrote:But then, of course, I'd still really like some kind of sturdy year-round outside fruit tree. Any recommendations for non-citrus? Something that actually *likes* Chicago? (Pawpaw? Apple?)

My Maternal grandmother planted some apple seeds from a fruit she purchased at the A & P. The seeds sprouted and she planted one of the saplings in the backyard of my parents house when we moved in in the mid 50's. The tree is still thriving today and yields abundant apples for the present day owners of the house. I still drive by that house from time to time to check up on the tree. Give it a shot.

When I was growing up in Oak Park, we had a cherry tree in the yard. We very rarely got to eat any of the cherries (birds and squirrels beat us to them), but it fruited every year, and the blossoms in spring were a nice touch.

I'm with Ed - back when we were renting off Touhy in Rogers Park, there was a sour cherry tree growing off the alley - every year it had those gorgeous glowing red cherries, but it was an enormous tree, the lowest fruiting branches were 5 feet off the ground and most of the fruit was a full two stories up. IDK if the construction in the area took it over, but it must have been an ancient tree, and clearly, it was thriving. (If it's still there, it would be at the corner of the alley across from the now-defunct Mobile station by Roumanian Kosher, probably fruiting as we speak)

Where I grew up in Glenview, we had two apple trees and a cherry tree. The cherry tree wasn't a problem, although we didn't get many cherries - the animals got to them first. The apples were another matter. Many of them grew too high up in the tree to get to, even with a ladder, so they'd drop off and rot in the lawn. It was my job to mow that lawn, and it was a fairly disgusting job to collect all those rotten apples before mowing. Eventually I just got lazy, and ran the mower right over the apples. In retrospect, even though it wasn't pretty the next day, I'm guess that the fine spray of rotten apples actually helped fertilize the lawn.

Santander,

To echo what Cathy2 said, you probably want a dwarf lemon tree. I purchased one this spring from Gurney's. What I received was more like a dwarf lemon twig. I followed the basic instructions for planting and got some decent quality potting soil and a good solid pot with drainage that will last for several years. So far it's doubled in size and is doing quite well in a sunny spot on my patio. The leaves are quite fragrant if you nick them. I've yet to seek out citrus specific fertilizer but will pick some up to give it a boost to make it through it's first winter. Like most fruit gardening, you must be patient, watchful, and prepared to wait. I don't expect lemons for several years out, but the progress of watching the new growth is enjoyable enough. I think I'm on my 4th or 5th year of grape vines and raspberries and they are just begining to produce at a decent level. Try to scout out a sunny place to bring it in over the winter. You will likely have better luck in a container rather than planting in the ground in our Zone 5 climate. When's the last time you saw a thriving lemon orchard in the midwest? I'm just sayin'. Best of luck.

My mother tells me stories of her grandmother living in the city and having several fig trees in the ground, which she dutifully required her brothers to prepare for the winter by somehow bending over and securing the top branches in the ground to be oncovered in the spring. My barber's father also has a few fig trees in large rolling planters which he over-winters in a garage. They are basically forced into dormancy by covering them with sheets. Italians!

tony

Ah Santander, welcome to fruit-grower's world. C2 is just full of great advice, so listen to her. If you want to know about grapes, I'm the guy to come to. Now here's a couple of pointers. The very best apple guy in the universe is Jim Cummins. I've bought apples from him, and they're absolutely first-rate. Plus he's a great guy to deal with. I had three of his beautiful cider-apple trees (all dwarfs, of course--grow only dwarfs!) in Whitewater. Check him out:

http://www.cumminsnursery.com/cider.htm

Cherries: again, dwarfs, but understand that unless you net against birds, and use electric fence against the critters, you'll never, ever taste a fruit.

Citrus: dwarfs, specially selected for growing in pots--"patio" citrus they're called--under special fluorescent tubes in your basement to overwinter. Here's one of the largest nurseries I've ever seen:

http://www.thompsoncitrus.com/Order.asp

Oh boy are you ever going to have fun!

Geo

Santander wrote:Late July isn't really the time to be planting anything

You can still grow some herbs and vegetables for fall harvest. You might want to give cool-weather crops some protection from the sun and extra watering.

Planting Vegetables in Midsummer for Fall Harvest

Also, many perennials, garlic, flower bulbs, trees and shrubs do well with fall planting.

Santander wrote:Other planting recommendations are also welcome. If you were starting from scratch, what would you consider planting in your first year, both around a house's perimeter, and perhaps in a newly-turned garden plot at the far end of the yard?

If you want fruit trees, start early, because it takes a while before you get fruit. Ditto asparagus.

Fruit that does well in Chicagoland include apples, pears, cherries, plums and peaches, but they need attention. For lower maintenance, try currants, raspberries and mulberries. (If you're not vigilant, you may get mulberries whatever you do. I find them rather tasteless and would rather get rid of them, but they're hard to eradicate.)

We also have a fig, but it doesn't always yield a crop.

Choose varieties suitable for Zone 5 or colder.

we have a dwarf lemon as well as lime... both look fairly similar right now to what the above posters' does. not looking all that promising for fruit any time soon though, but who knows maybe it'll really take off soon.

can anyone explain, what's the deal w/ growing asparagus? ... i really need to find out more...we planted some and have more root that's unplanted... initially you plant it a certain level then keep filling the container with dirt as it grows taller to keep up with it, apparently. but later read it takes two years to be able to eat it. is this due to a quantity issue, or is it just not edible until then? ...right now the plant has gotten taller than the pot and it's sprouting offshots sideways almost like a tree... we kind of let it go after hearing the 2 year thing, knowing we probably won't be able to keep it until next year... i did eat some of the offshoots and they actually taste asparagusy raw..

apples def grow... my grandma (downstate though) has an apple tree that's been around forever, the thing is probably 40 or 50 feet tall... many a summer were spent climbing a ladder then using an apple picker on a long wooden handle to get them... my grandma would use the ones that fell to the ground first for apple pie.. it's still around but nobody has picked much from it in years and it's kinda going by the wayside

dddane,

I planted asparagus in my garden about 4 or 5 years ago. Depending on the starters that you get, it will take 2 to 3 years before it produces a decent amount. I did a little reading and followed the instructions that came with it. Basically I dug a trench the length of my garden, about 12-14 feet long, and made it approx. 4-5 inches deep and maybe 6 inches wide. With the soil I removed, I mixed it together with sand and some compost. Aparagus likes sandy soil. You then place the crown of the starter in the center, spread out the shoots evenly and cover with your amended soil mixture. I've not heard of growing asparagus in containers but just about anything is possible with enough care. Once planted it's good for about 12-15 years of production. The key lesson I learned this year is weed control. Asparagus, more than other crops in my experience, will really suffer in production if you are not on top of weed control.

Pawpaw does OK this far north. I've got one in my yard and, despite some cicada setback, it's doing fine. It'll be years before I get fruit though. I also have two Persimmons. Two because male and female flowers appear on separate trees.

A great source of tree info and a listing of trees that grow well in our area can be found at The Morton Arboretum. Tree Selection Guide

Diannie wrote:I also have two Persimmons. Two because male and female flowers appear on separate trees.

When you purchased them, did they identify them as male and female trees? My hollys were labeled prince and princess for the very same reason.

Regards,

C2--are the Prince and Princess hollies hardy in Chicago? I'm a bit surprized by that. I've got some hollies, 3 Princesses and one Prince (he's a busy boy! :^) Sure make pretty berries.

Amen to the issue about weeding asparagus! You've got to let them fern for 2--but 3 is better--years before cropping them, and keeping them clean during those years is a real task. In the end, I'm not sure it's worth it: fresh home-grown asparagus is nice but I'm not sure it's all that much nicer than store-bought.

Pawpaw is a wonderful native fruit! I had one when I lived in Kentucky and the fruit is incredibly tropical. Indeed, Kentucky began a program about 10 yrs or so ago to improve the breed, thinking it would be a local crop that ex-tobacco farmers could make some money off of. They have a site: http://www.pawpaw.kysu.edu/ , probably the only such site in the world.

We had a whole bunch of American persimmons at my vineyard years ago. Lovely fruit, but you MUST wait for that first frost. Otherwise, mmmmmmfffhh.

Geo

Geo wrote:C2--are the Prince and Princess hollies hardy in Chicago? I'm a bit surprized by that. I've got some hollies, 3 Princesses and one Prince (he's a busy boy! :^) Sure make pretty berries.

The challenge to hollies in Chicago is our base soil. I add acid fertilizers to keep them happy. When I planted them, I added a heavy amount of spaghnum moss to make the environment acidic, too. The Chicago Botanic Gardens actually digs out the local soil and replace with acidic soil for acid loving plants.

My prince is puny compared to two substantially larger princesses he very effectively services.

Geo wrote:Amen to the issue about weeding asparagus! You've got to let them fern for 2--but 3 is better--years before cropping them, and keeping them clean during those years is a real task. In the end, I'm not sure it's worth it: fresh home-grown asparagus is nice but I'm not sure it's all that much nicer than store-bought.

Looking for asparagus ferns at this time of year helps locate wild asparagus next spring.

Geo wrote:We had a whole bunch of American persimmons at my vineyard years ago. Lovely fruit, but you MUST wait for that first frost. Otherwise, mmmmmmfffhh.

This may be an old wives tale. Ray Sokolov tested it by eating persimmons in the fall that were quite delicious in advance of the frost. I think they ripen late enough in the season that frost and ripening may seem to be at the same time.

Regards,

electric mullet wrote:I planted asparagus in my garden about 4 or 5 years ago. Depending on the starters that you get, it will take 2 to 3 years before it produces a decent amount.

If you harvest too much too early, you can stunt the plant, which will interfere with future crops.

electric mullet wrote:The key lesson I learned this year is weed control. Asparagus, more than other crops in my experience, will really suffer in production if you are not on top of weed control.

Absolutely. I didn't think this was true, given the wild asparagus you see around, but it definitely seems to be the case.

Getting back to the citrus trees, Earthbox (I know, I use them on my roof and have mentioned them before) has an R&D center in Florida, just north of Bradenton/Sarasota and when I was down there in March, they told me that they have commercial growers using earthboxes to grow citrus.

Now, I use the Earthbox brand but you can make your own using SIPs (sub-irrigated planters) using rubbermaid totes and have a bigger growing area (more potting mix). This way, you may be able to move it in and out through the seasons. Just a thought...