We had a lemon tree in our backyard when I was growing up. We used to harvest the fruit, juice them and freeze it in ice cube trays to have it available any time. I was an adult before I ever paid for a lemon and have been aghast ever since at their price.
So, last year I bought three dwarf citrus trees: a Meyer and
a Ponderosa lemon, as well as a lime.
The first stumbling block to my hopes of home-grown juice
was chipmunks. Turns out they love rampaging
through the branches, which knocks off both the flowers and any budding
fruits. I wrote off any benefit from the orchard last year, but there’s always
Spring, right?
Ah, well—we had several days of sub-freezing weather last
February, and even though I had the pots insulated with bubble wrap, I lost all
three. (I know it’s a stretch being in Northern Virginia, but what with global
warming, we’ve had very mild winters the past few years, so it was worth a
shot. Also—my gardenia bush survived fine. It was in a larger pot, though. Besides: there's a guy in London whose banana tree is producing fruit.)
So last month I bought three more dwarf trees. This time, I’ve
armored them against chipmunks, involving a very interesting (and scratchy)
session with chicken wire. Fort Citrus looks odd, but so far it seems to be
working.
Now I just have to keep them watered through the climate-change-is-a-hoax
hotter-than-usual summer.
©2025 Bas Bleu
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