Citrus trees grow at 2200 feet altitude? Western Sierra Foothills

Gryeyes

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I am in El Dorado County, CA and REALLY want an orange tree. Will I have to plant it in a container and bring it inside in the winter? (Sure hope not!)

Thanks in advance!
 

Ridgerunner

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I get your Zip Code to be 95623 which gives an Arbor Day planting zone 9. It may be a close call, but I think it would be risky. I get that you do have temperatures below freezing.

It is possible you could be in a microclimate that is a bit warmer than the average around you. You might talk to a Master Gardener or someone like that familiar with your specific area. They'd be more reliable than I am. You can probably get in touch with a Master Gardener through your county extension agent, in the phone book under county government.

Good luck.
 

grow_my_own

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I live 4 miles from you & we're fixin' to put meyer lemon, miniature tangerine, and kaffir lime trees in half wine barrels on the deck & will wrap them in clear plastic when it freezes.
 

Mahonri

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Linda... unfortunately, it gets too cold where you live.
 

Gryeyes

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Mahonri said:
Linda... unfortunately, it gets too cold where you live.
All righty, then. Thanks.

'Course, right now, it's unseasonably warm, and I am whining like Spookwriter.
 

Casa de la Luna

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Actually you are in zone 8a which is the coldest region recommended for citrus without wintering indoors. That being said it is still a hard zone to grow most citrus. Look for cold hardy citrus. Some new grafts (grafted to more cold hardy plant root stock) can handle temps below 20 degrees. You would need to plant it on the South side of your house (to protect from wind and frost) and plant it 6-8' from the house so the tree benefits from the warmth coming from the house. Citrus need full sun and well drained soil that does not have a high salinity count. Do not plant it over or near sewer lines or septic tanks. The deep roots of citrus can cause huge problems with septic and sewer lines.

Now if your planting area doesn't meet all those requirements there are always dwarf citrus that can be planted in containers and overwintered inside. The container still needs a full sun area when outside and well drained soil so pick a container that will drain well and use good soil. The first time your citrus blooms you will know it was worth all the effort!
 

Gryeyes

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Thank you, Casa de Luna! I really was looking for dwarf orange, anyway. However, the south side of my house is directly over my septic tank. I'm having a deck built adjacent to that spot, still on the south side, so maybe a dwarf orange in a wine barrel on that deck will survive.

:coolsun
 

Casa de la Luna

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Gryeyes said:
Thank you, Casa de Luna! I really was looking for dwarf orange, anyway. However, the south side of my house is directly over my septic tank. I'm having a deck built adjacent to that spot, still on the south side, so maybe a dwarf orange in a wine barrel on that deck will survive.

:coolsun
Good luck! :)
 

skeeter9

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I'm in Tollhouse, which is also in the Western Sierras, and at about the same elevation. Lots of people have tried to grow citrus around here and pretty much everybody gives up because it takes too much babying to keep them doing well. You can do a decent job of protecting them from normal frosts with plastic, etc, but if you guys have those super-heavy frosts occasionally like we do, it just really damages them. Maybe you will have good luck with them in your particular area, though. It certainly doesn't hurt to try!
 
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