Citrus enjoy a light spraying in hot weather

Well over a century ago the British Admiralty required all naval vessels to carry stocks of limes as part of the food intake for sailors to prevent them suffering from scurvy, a nasty disease related to Vitamin C deficiency which could immobilise an entire ship’s company. It is now ancient history of course that this was the origin of the term ‘Limey,’ used by Americans to describe the English. The practice of giving a gin and tonic a twist of lime, or of using it in a rum punch, was inspirational and maybe not wholly unconnected with its original use; it was simply a more agreeable way of taking lime juice.

Citrus was introduced into England over four hundred years ago, and the Orangery became one of the features of the great (and highly competitive) houses of Britain. Usually they were large, light, airy, unheated buildings which were, and often still are, filled with tubs of the most gloriously scented plants when in flower. I doubt there is anyone in Guyana suffering from Vitamin C deficiency, as citrus like almost everything else grows so easily. Often the problem is not getting them to grow but keeping them within bounds. I have a few pots of tangerine, lime and orange, which are brought inside for their scented flowers and moved out again afterwards.

Containerised citrus needs good anchorage, and the compost used should be along the lines of two parts of good loam (with plenty of grass-root fibre if possible), one part well-rotted cow mould, and charcoal as a sweetener. There should be plenty of good drainage in the base. Broken plant pots are excellent for this purpose. After young plants of lime or tangerine grown from seed, or grafted plants of the thin-skinned Valencia orange are planted use a rammer to firm the soil in the pot so that it is really, really hard. This is very important as the last thing you want to happen is for the plant to wobble about when it is being carried or exposed to a breeze. The nutrition in the cow mould should last for a few weeks, but then additional fertilizer will be needed sparingly every ten days or so. I say sparingly, because growth has to be controlled in containers which are going to be used in the home. You don’t want plants ten or twenty feet high and across cluttering up the view of The Young and the Restless. Plants should be on the small to medium side, beautifully shaped and balanced. A snip here and there to remove weak or straggly shoots is all that is required to keep them so, and ensure the production of young flowering shoots.

During hot, dry weather all citrus and especially those grown in pots or tubs appreciate a light spraying in the afternoon. It helps to perk them up no end, and deters the dreaded red spider mite.

Last night (Saturday) I went to a house warming. Friends galore, liberal quantities of vitamin C slightly masked with some local medicine and the planets in line overhead, but we walked on a disastrous front lawn – which didn’t matter as it was a house-warming not a lawn-warming. I applied my size twelves to the surface in the interests of getting my hosts a level surface, and thought how really marvellous it is how plants bring people together and can create lifelong friendships. Dear friends, I learned, were heading back to a postage-sized garden in England after five acres and eight years in Guyana. Another was feeling fairly perky that all she had lost in the late unlamented dry spell was her Shrimp plant. She did better than I did! Another was hell bent on cracking the fresh herb shortage by ordering seed of everything they ever use, and growing them herself. And why not, I thought? Nearly all the plants we use normally in the kitchen will grow in Guyana, and to get your sage parsley and thyme you don’t have to go to Scarborough Fair.

May your God go with you.