What to expect:

The citrus genus varies widely in respect to the variety of species and fruit types within it, popular ones being cumquats, limes, lemons, oranges, mandarins and less common fruits like buddha’s hand, pomelos, finger limes and the japanese yuzu. They earn their place in your backyard with divine white scented blooms and winter fruits that help combat colds with their high Vitamin C content. The distinctive glossy green foliage and attractive fragrances of leaves, fruit and flowers add to the charm and make citrus highly sought after and widely grown by both commercial producers and enthusiasts.

How does it work?

At the end of each lesson, you will be given a short interactive test to undertake, which will provide an indication of how your learning is progressing. Upon completing the very last lesson, you will be offered a more thorough automated test or examination. This final assessment can be undertaken at any time of day or night; and any day of the week; and if you achieve an overall pass (60% or more); you will be able to obtain a “certificate of completion” with your name and completion date on it.

Note: these short courses are self-guided online courses and are not to be confused with our tutor-supported online courses.

There are 5 Lessons in this course:

1. Introduction: Scope, Nature, Botany, and Taxonomy

• • Citrus today
  • Harvesting
  • A brief history
  • Botany of citrus
  • Appearance
  • Reproduction and variability
  • Flowering and pollination
  • Fruit development
  • Number and classification of species
  • Species of citrus
  • Close relatives
  • Microcitrus
  • Eremocitrus
  • Fortunell
  • Poncirus

2. Citrus Cultivation

• • Planting citrus trees
  • What affects success?
  • Temperature
  • Frosts and cold winds
  • Choose the right type
  • Shade
  • Tree size
  • Root damage
  • Container growing
  • Soil
  • Colloids
  • Preparing the soil for planting
  • Does your soil need gypsum?
  • Planting technique
  • Feeding
  • Fertilizer applications
  • Drainage
  • Irrigation
  • Measuring water availability to plants
  • Irrigation
  • Scheduling irrigation
  • Important elements
  • Period of watering
  • Cyclic watering
  • Pulse watering
  • Water extraction by roots
  • Types of irrigation
  • Common citrus fruit problems
  • Nutrient deficiencies
  • Pests of citrus
  • Diseases and viruses of citrus
  • Planting lemon trees
  • Planting technique
  • Caring for lemon trees
  • Pruning citrus
  • Pruning a standard shape
  • Renovating an old tree
  • Pruning to improve fruit quality
  • Pruning to improve tree health

3. Citrus Propagation

• • Propagation options
  • Grafting (budding)
  • Budding techniques
  • Dwarf trees and double grafts
  • Growing from cuttings
  • Growing from seed

4. Citrus Cultivars

• • Deciding what to grow
  • Lemon tree selection
  • Cumquats
  • Unusual citrus
  • Citrus fruit ripening chart

5. Using Citrus

• • Nutritional value of citrus
  • How to extract citrus oils
  • Freezing citrus
  • Drying citrus
  • Making use of excess lemons
  • Making fresh lemonade
  • Recipes
  • Making jams/marmalade
  • Marmalade
  • Beetroot and orange chutney
  • Citrus syrup cake
  • Classic orange fennel and onion salad
  • Easy salad dressing
  • Easy pasta side dish
  • Fruit butter/ fruit curd
  • Lemon tart
  • Lemon dipping sauce – Asian style
  • Lettuce cups with chicken and citrus
  • Lime chutney
  • Marinade for chicken
  • Marinade for steak
  • Orange salad
  • Orange couscous
  • Salsa topping for salmon or trout