My main squeeze

Go bananas for oranges and lemons

GROW the zesty best with beautiful orange and lemon plants – and be instantly transported to the sunny Med.

Lemons – and citrus generally – are not frost hardy but can be grown in pots outdoors in summer and brought into a conservatory or a sunny windowsill for winter.

They make a shiny- l eaved houseplant, which flowers and fruits if the night temperature is above 11C.

Meyer is one of the best lemons for pots as it has a compact, tight bunching habit, so will fit most windowsills.

In spring, masses of wine-coloured buds open into white, fragrant, star-like flowers. These are followed by sweet fruit, which take about nine months to swell and ripen.

Expect a dozen fruits to grow to maturity – often you will find flowers and fruits on the same plant.

The fruits last in good condition on the plants for a couple of months so you can enjoy their ornamental value or pick them as and when required.

Greedy

Dwarf oranges, or calamondins, also make great houseplants. They are often trained as a bonsai and will bloom year-round. But the small sour fruits can make your lips curl – unless they are soaked in brandy.

Growing citrus fruit is fairly straightforward, providing they are well fed. They are greedy so should frequently get a high-nitrogen feed from March until October. After that, they can be given a more balanced liquid feed until spring.

Plants should be well soaked when watered using clean rainwater, which is kept at room temperature, and then left alone until almost dry again. Never let them dry out completely or they will drop leaves and flowers.

Avoid over- potting established trees – they only need moving every two to three years into a pot one size up. They grow best in John Innes No 2 compost with added grit for drainage.

If space is tight, keep plants small with selective pruning in spring. Cut wayward shoots back to an active bud and pinch out tips of vigorous growths.

Scale and mealy bug love citrus, so pick them off with your nails. Do the same with aphids and mist spray to discourage red spider mites.