Your Citron will not be too picky about how you choose to water it. As such, you can use just about any common watering tool to moisten this plant’s soil. Watering cans, hoses, and even cups will work just fine when it is time to water your Citron. Regardless of which watering tool you use, you should typically apply the water directly to the soil. In doing so, you should ensure that you moisten all soil areas equally to give all parts of the root system the water it needs. It can help to use filtered water, as tap water can contain particles that are harmful to plants. It is also beneficial to use water that is at or slightly above room temperature, as colder or hotter water can be somewhat shocking to the Citron. However, the Citron usually responds well to any kind of water you give it.

For outdoor plants, especially newly planted plants or plant seedlings, they can be prone to lack of watering. Remember that you need to keep watering enough for a few months when the tree is small or just planted. This is because once the roots are established, Citron can rely on rain most of the time.

When your Citron is planted in pots, overwatering is often more likely to.When you accidentally overwater your Citron, you should be prepared to remedy the situation immediately. First, you should stop watering your plant right away to minimize the effect of your overwatering. After, you should consider removing your Citron from its pot to inspect its roots. If you find that none of the roots have developed root rot, it may be permissible to return your plant to its container. If you do discover signs of root rot, then you should trim away any roots that have been affected. You may also want to apply a fungicide to prevent further damage. Lastly, you should repot your Citron in soil that is well-draining. In the case of an underwatered Citron, simply water this plant more frequently.

Underwatering is often an easy fix. If you underwater, the plant's leaves will tend to droop and dry out and fall off, and the leaves will quickly return to fullness after sufficient watering. Please correct your watering frequency as soon as underwatering occurs.

Most plants that grow naturally outdoors can be allowed to grow normally with rainfall. If your area lacks rainfall, consider giving your plants adequate watering every 2 weeks during the spring and fall. More frequent watering is needed in summer. In winter, when growth becomes slower and plants need less water, water more sparingly. Throughout the winter, you may not give it additional watering at all. If your Citron is young or newly planted, then you should water more frequently to help it establish, and mature and grow up to have more adaptable and drought tolerant plants.

For potted plants, there are two main ways that you can determine how often to water your Citron. The first way is to set a predetermined watering schedule. If you choose this route, you should plan to water this plant about once every week or once every other week. However, this approach may not always work as it does not consider the unique conditions of the growing environment for your Citron .

Your watering frequency can also change depending on the season. For instance, a predetermined watering schedule will likely not suffice during summer when this plant's water needs are highest. An alternative route is to set your watering frequency based on soil moisture. Typically, it is best to wait until the first two to four inches of soil, usually ⅓ to ½ depth of the pots, have dried out entirely before you give more water.

When it comes time to water your Citron, you may be surprised to find that this plant does not always need a high volume of water. Instead, if only a few inches of soil have dried since your last watering, you can support healthy growth in the Citron by giving it about five to ten ounces of water every time you water. You can also decide your water volume based on soil moisture. As mentioned above, you should note how many inches of soil have dried out between waterings. A surefire way to make sure your Citron gets the moisture it needs is to supply enough water to moisten all the soil layers that became dry since the last time you watered. If more than half of the soil has become dry, you should consider giving more water than usual. In those cases, continue adding water until you see excess water draining from your pot’s drainage holes.

If your Citron is planted in an area that gets plenty of rain outdoors, it may not need additional watering. When the Citron is young or just getting established, make sure it gets 1-2 inches of rain per week. As it continues to grow and establish, it can survive entirely on rainwater and only when the weather is hot and there is no rainfall at all for 2-3 weeks, then consider giving your Citron a full watering to prevent them from suffering stress.

Overwatering is a far more common problem for the Citron, and there are several signs you should look for when this occurs. Generally, an overwatered Citron will have yellowing leaves and may even drop some leaves. Also, overwatering can cause the overall structure of your plant to shrivel and may also promote root rot. On the other hand, an underwatered Citron will also begin to wilt. It may also display leaves that are brown or brittle to the touch. Whether you see signs of overwatering or underwatering, you should be prepared to intervene and restore the health of your Citron.

When the Citron is very young, such as when it is in a seedling stage, you will need to give it more water than you would if it were at a mature age. During the early stages of this plant’s life, it is important to keep the soil consistently moist to encourage root development. The same is true for any Citron that you have transplanted to a new growing location. Also, the Citron can develop showy flowers and fruits when you give them the correct care. If your Citron is in a flowering or fruiting phase, you will likely need to give a bit more water than you usually would to support these plant structures.

The seasonal changes will affect how often you water your Citron. Mainly, during the hottest summer months, you will likely need to increase how much you water this plant, especially if it grows in an area that receives ample sunlight. Strong summer sunlight can cause soil to dry out much faster than usual, meaning that you’ll need to water more frequently. By contrast, your Citron will need much less water during the winter, as it will not be in an active growing phase. During winter, you can get by with watering once every 2 to 3 weeks or sometimes not at all. For those growing this plant indoors, you should be somewhat wary of appliances such as air conditioners, which can cause your plant to dry out more quickly, which also calls for more frequent watering.

In some cases, your Citron may not need any supplemental watering when it grows outside and will survive on rainwater alone. However, if you live in an area of little to no rain, you should water this plant about every two weeks. If you belong to the group of people who live out of this plant's natural hardiness zone, you should grow it indoors. In an indoor setting, you should monitor your plant's soil as it can dry out more quickly when it is in a container or when it is exposed to HVAC units such as air conditioners. Those drying factors will lead you to water this plant a bit more often than if you grew it outdoors.

Citron need occasional pruning. As with other trees that have fruits, the main reason for pruning is fruit production because the increase in the number of branches and leaves automatically means an increase in the number of fruits. However, pruning the Citron has many other benefits that go hand in hand with boosting yields. Pruning helps keep the Citron healthy. By removing dead or diseased branches(leaves), suckers that take away resources, and those that impede air circulation, you are giving your tree the best chance to remain vigorous. Pruning helps with fruit picking. Keeping the canopy compact and low enough to harvest makes it easy to pick Citron fruits by hand. Pruning makes the tree look better. That is especially true for Citron due to its capacity to be a highly decorative specimen tree.

Depending on the branches' thickness, you will need a pair of sharp, sturdy pruning shears and a small hand saw. Sterilize all the tools before and after pruning - especially if you are making cuts on two or more plants. That way, you avoid the spread of plant diseases. All pruning cuts should be made at a 45-degree angle whenever possible. There are two types of pruning cuts: A heading cut is when you prune somewhere along the branch, shortening it instead of removing it completely. Besides shortening, this cut also promotes branching - because it “feels” the lack of foliage at the tip of the branch, the tree starts producing new growth below the cut. Thus, the heading cut is made right above a pair of leaves with buds. A thinning cut is when you trim the branch down to another branch or to the trunk. It can mean cutting one shoot of a branch with multiple tips down to the node or cutting the entire branch down to the trunk, or reducing the number of leaves on the tree. As the name suggests, a thinning cut doesn’t promote new growth. When pruning down to the trunk, always make cuts above the branch collar. The branch collar is the wrinkled area around the base of a larger tree limb. The cells created in the collar will ensure proper wound healing without resorting to products. Pruning the Citron step-by-step Remove all dead or diseased branches(leaves). Remove the branches that are too thin or dead leaves. That way, they will not spend the plant’s resources while failing to be productive. Prune all crossed branches - those that grow horizontally into the crown Branch crossing the others can interfere with their growth and even damage them, so you should trim them right down to their base (thinning cut). In the same fashion, shorten all the branches that reach the ground or are too low. This process is often called skirting. Inspect the canopy center - if it is too dense, air circulation will become challenging. Cut away the problematic branches(leaves) to create a light, airy center that allows good ventilation.

If you keep the branch collars intact as per advice, the cells created in the collar will ensure proper wound healing without you having to resort to any products. Letting the Citron heal on its own is the best long-term option. However, despite being able to heal, the larger cuts are sensitive to sunburn. That is especially concerning because Citron is used to planted in full sun. Painting the cuts with a 1:1 solution of water and white latex paint for interiors can help protect them from the adverse effect of sun rays.

Pruning brings beneficial stress to Citron, thus encouraging new growth, but overdoing it can have the opposite effect. Cutting out more than ⅓ of the tree stresses it to the point of struggling with the re-growth. Never prune more than ⅓ of the canopy per year. If you are doing extensive pruning, you shouldn’t cut the larger, mature branches all the way down to the trunk or parent branch. Leave about 5 inches or more of the branch so you wouldn’t discourage recovery and new growth. Depending on the branches' thickness, you will need a pair of sharp, sturdy pruning shears and a small hand saw. Sterilize all the tools before and after pruning - especially if you are making cuts on two or more plants. That way, you avoid the spread of plant diseases.

Pruning the Citron begins in the tree’s second year. In areas with cold winters and frost, the best time to prune Citron is in the spring, after fruiting. If you prune in autumn or too early in the winter, the delicate new growth will not have time to harden off enough to withstand cold spells. If your Citron has suffered frost damage, removing the dead and damaged wood(leaf) is essential - but not necessarily right away. Never do this until the frost risk has passed completely. In frost-free regions, pruning can be done anytime, as needed, including in the winter. The only exception is the hot summer weather. There are situations when you should not prune, even if it seems logical.

Exact needs vary, but a minimum of 6 to 8 hours per day is a good rule of thumb for Citron to grow and produce fruit.

Citron requires full sun, meaning that it should be grown in a location that gets direct sunlight that isn’t blocked by obstacles such as trees, fences, or buildings. In general, the faster the plant grows, the more hours of sunlight it will need. Morning sun is best for photosynthesis.

Citron should not need to be protected from the sun in most climates. Those who live in a desert or near the equator may find that the sun is too harsh for the types of plants they want to grow, but this is the exception.

All plants need sunlight to convert into energy. Plants that have a short growing season need even more light and energy than those that grow slowly, as they need to complete all their processes to grow and produce fruit within just a few months.

The first symptoms of insufficient sunlight in Citron are pale and yellow leaves that are not able to generate enough chlorophyll to keep their healthy green color. The leaves may eventually fall off, and new growth is small and weak. The plant may become leggy and sparse as it stretches toward the available light.

Finally, without enough light the plant will not be able to produce large, high-quality edible leaves or fruit. Citron needs to devote a lot of energy into growing leaves and fruits, so if there isn’t enough light available for it to convert, the harvest will suffer.

Citron can get sunburned from intense sunlight, especially when coupled with high temperatures and not having enough water. Afternoon sun tends to be most likely to burn plants. Scalded leaves develop faded patches of light brown to white on the areas at the top of the plant that are exposed to the most sun. They are especially vulnerable to this right after being transplanted from a shadier location to being in full sun. Transitioning plants gradually or providing them with a barrier while they are adjusting can help prevent sunscald in young plants.

In many cases, Citron develops leaves that are large enough to protect fruits from the strongest rays of the sun. However, if intense sunlight is in contact with fruits, they can also be damaged. Avoid over-pruning those protective leaves so that the fruits don’t get burned.

Citron may become unbalanced if it gets significantly more light on one side than the other. Ideally, you can plant your Citron in a location away from obstacles that might block light, and where the distribution of sunlight is even on all sides.

Be careful about planting tall species next to those that grow closer to the ground. It may not be obvious when the crops are first planted, but over time the taller plants may begin to block the amount of sunlight that can reach the shorter plants.

Morning sun helps to dry dew and precipitation, which helps prevent infection from diseases that can develop when water sits on the plant. If you are watering or irrigating your Citron, this should be done in the morning.

There is an ideal temperature range that makes Citron feel at home. Under these temperature conditions, it's unlikely that you’ll have any issues with cold or hot damage to the foliage, but changing leaf colors can absolutely be a sign that Citron isn’t happy. Try to keep your Citron well within its preferred range of 70-85℉(21-30℃), but don’t panic if the temperature creeps up past 85℉(30℃) during the day or down to 70℉(21℃) at night.

If your Citron happens to be planted outside, then there’s not much you can do to try to move it indoors. However, you can certainly provide cover in ways that will help it survive any extreme temperatures that may arise unexpectedly. For instance, you can always use a few stakes and some cloth to put together a shade tent that will block out much of the sun’s intense heat from direct sunlight exposure.

Similarly, Citron can be protected from the extreme cold and especially chilly winds by building a small greenhouse around the plant, which will create a greenhouse effect and warm the plant up. This can be done using garden stakes and any sort of clear or translucent plastic you may have around; if you have greenhouse plastic such as polycarbonate laying around, this works perfectly. Remove the greenhouse once temperatures warm up to 40℉(10℃) at night.

Generally speaking, Citron needs to stay within its preferred temperature range all year long. However, that doesn’t mean that care should stay the same all year long. During the warmest months of the year, Citron will need a little extra shade and a bit more of a breeze to help it cope with the hottest days. On the other hand, it may need to be moved away from chilly windows and doors during the cooler months in climates where temperatures drop below 40℉(10℃) at any point in the year.

Keeping your Citron at the right temperature can be fairly simple. Depending on where you grow it, Citron can be fairly easy to accommodate. For indoor growing, you can easily move the plant to different locations within your indoor space that best meet its temperature requirements. Avoid placing it near air conditioning vents, heaters, doors that open frequently, or drafty windows.

It is a little more difficult to control the temperature around your Citron if it’s grown outside. Of course, if it’s planted in a pot, you can simply bring it indoors when the temperatures outside get too hot or too cold for Citron, but otherwise, you may need to take different measures to protect it from extreme heat or cold that may damage it irreversibly. Try placing Citron under cover to protect from both the harsh sun that can overheat it and any cold wind that could be potentially deadly for your plant.

If the soil is rich in your area, it may not be totally necessary to fertilize. However, if the soil is lacking in nutrients, a Citron will not be able to produce enough leaves, flowers, and fruits. A soil test is the best way to determine what nutrients are plentiful in the soil and what may be lacking. Nutrient deficiency in Citron can cause small leaves and short branches, yellowing or bronze leaves, and more acidic (and therefore less delicious) fruits. Some types of nutrient deficiency can cause fruit to fall early or split.

Provide higher nitrogen and phospherus fertilizer to young Citron to support strong leaf and root development for future growth. The best time to use fertilizer is during the spring of the first growing season. It is a good idea to incorporate compost or another fertilizer into the soil prior to or immediately after planting.

For mature plants, supplement every few years as needed throughout the spring and summer with a balanced fertilizer or a fertilizer that addresses specific deficiencies in the soil in your area. Avoid fertilizing Citron in the autumn or winter.

Avoid fertilizing Citron after pruning, when it has disease or insects, or is otherwise stressed. Fertilizer only helps treat insufficient nutrients in soil, but cannot fix other issues that could cause problems in a Citron. Proper diagnosis of the issue helps to avoid adding fertilizer when another cause may actually be responsible for the problem.

Don't fertilize Citron during winter, or at times during the summer that are particularly hot and dry.

Most types of Citron grow in tropical locations that have a lot of decaying organic matter in the environment naturally. They can benefit from fertilizer to supplement their macronutrient and micronutrient needs. When growing Citron for fruit, a high-phosphorus organic fertilizer such as mushroom compost,, bone meal and poultry manure supports the development of delicious and well-formed fruits.

When purchasing fertilizer, there will be a number (NPK) on the label with the ratio of the three macronutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Low nitrogen is the most common nutrient deficit in soil, but a soil test is the best way to know which types of nutrients might be lacking in your soil and require additional supplementation.

Follow any instructions on the fertilizer you choose. Using too little fertilizer is always preferable to using too much, so be conservative when adding fertilizers. This is especially important for chemical fertilizers, which are generally very concentrated compared with organic fertilizers.

Liquid fertilizers are usually diluted with water which is then used to water the Citron. Granular or dry fertilizers can be spread around the base of the plant, making sure not to allow any fertilizer to come into direct contact with any part of the plant. The most common practice is to use it once every 2-3 weeks in the growing season.

Organic fertilizers can be mixed into soil prior to planting or can be spread in a layer over the top of the soil for newly-planted or mature plants.

Too much fertilizer causes Citron to turn yellow and drop leaves. It could kill the Citron entirely in severe cases. Checking the soil before you fertilize helps to avoid this issue. Fertilizer applied too close to the base of the plant can burn it because of the salts it contains.

The first sign of too much fertilizer is when leaves turn brown at the tips. This is a signal to stop applying fertilizer and flush the water with soil to dilute the accumulated salts. Do a soil test before the next application to see what is happening with the soil. You may need to choose a different type of fertilizer or it may not be needed.