Growing citrus fruit can be very rewarding, writes VAL BOURNE

Every large garden once had its own orangery close to the house and Waterperry Gardens, near Wheatley, was no exception. It is a Victorian structure and is home to a much-loved Seville orange that dates back to the 1890s.

Over the years, the orangery has fallen into disrepair and the the Friends of Waterperry have raised much of the £45,000 needed to restore it. Work is well under way and once the roof is repaired, the orangery will be used as a heritage centre and, hopefully, the tree will survive for another hundred years.

Growing citrus fruit can be very rewarding and the popularity of unheated conservatories has encouraged many to have ago. The best citrus fruit nursery I know is Reads, of Loddon, Norfolk, and Stephen Reads encourages his customers to start with lemons or limes, rather than oranges.

"They're much more productive and they can flower throughout the year and produce fruit in every season," said Stephen. "Whereas oranges, although they can flower twice, usually only flower once."

One variety of lemon, Four Seasons, reflects this year-round bounty but Four Seasons can reach over 6ft and this may be too large for some.

Stephen recommends two compact lemon varieties instead, Yen Ben and Genoa, for their neat habit and regular fruit and flower. These can overwinter in a cool conservatory, but if the temperature drops below 10C will become dormant.

Ideally, the temperature shouldn't fall below 7C because citrus trees hate extreme conditions. As many conservatories can reach over 30C in summer it is best to place your trees outside in an airy, warm position. It is vital to shade the root ball, too. Either put another container in front of the pot, or place one pot inside the other. This avoids the root ball becoming overheated.

The secret of keeping citrus trees in good fettle is to keep the compost well-drained, particularly in the winter months, and to adjust the watering and feeding regime according to the season. Soil-based compost is best for drainage and Stephen uses a John Innes no 2 or 3 mixture with 25 per cent perlite, but you could incorporate 25 per cent grit instead.

The best type of pot is a large, deep clay or terracotta pot, one with a wider top than bottom, and any pot used must have good drainage holes. Pots can be stood in saucers filled with pebbles. This will help create humidity and prevent your lemon tree from drying out. When it comes to watering, use rainwater whenever possible because tap water tends to be too limy for lemons and oranges.

If you do use tap water, add 5g of citric acid in very litre of tap water to counter the lime. Citric acid, used in jam and cordial making, is available from chemists.

Water well in dry summer weather, always allowing the water to drain away, and then ease off the watering in winter. In summer, the foliage can be sprayed daily with soft rain water. This maintains healthy foliage and helps to ward off red spider mites and other pests. If pest problems do occur you need an organic spray based on rape seed oil. Stephen also advises a weekly feed in the growing season.

Supplier: Reads, Hales Hall, Loddon, Norfolk, NR14 6QW; tel: 01508 548395; fax: 01508 548040; website: www.readsnursery.co.uk