Can you grow citrus trees in a raised garden bed?

[Glenys1]

Can you grow Lemon and lime trees in a raised garden bed?

[EricL]

Hello @Glenys1 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about Lemon/citrus trees. 

From a control point of view the Lemon tree can be trimmed down in order to keep its growth in check. You'll need to check if the Lemon tree's root system is not getting too big. The Lemon tree can grow up to a maximum height of 6 meters. Which means its root system can become big as well.

If trimmed regularly to control its growth, you can plant a Lemon tree in a raised garden bed. However, it would be better to plant the Lemon tree in the ground so that you get the maximum benefits of having a lemon tree.

Let me call on our experienced members @Noelle and @mich1972 for their recommendations.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[Noelle]

Hi @Glenys1 

I agree with Eric - fruit trees including citrus are best grown direct in the soil or in large planters (eg half wine barrels) that are sufficiently deep to encourage root growth and retain moisture. Generally raised garden beds lack the depth required to anchor the trees firmly so they don't become top-heavy as they mature.

That said, there are some dwarf citrus available that would be ideal in raised beds - they are grafted on to dwarfing rootstocks that restrict the mature heights of the trees to about 1.5 to 2m. Some even have lemon and lime grafted on to the one rootstock! These mini citrus trees could be grown in raised beds (and containers) provided the soil can be kept cool enough. Over-heated soil is the enemy of citrus.

[Glenys1]

Thanks for the info @EricL and @Noelle .

Kind Regards Glenys