Citrus Not For Every Backyard in Las Vegas

Q. Why does your list of recommended fruit trees have no citrus? I understand the problem with freezing during the winter but nurseries and garden centers here sell citrus. If I could provide some sort of wind block from cold winter winds and some frost protection, would lemons or oranges have a chance or are they just generally doomed? 

A. Generally, I do not recommend growing citrus in the Las Vegas Valley. Is citrus grown here? Yes, it is growing successfully in many backyards. So why don't I recommend growing citrus? Because many planted in our Valley die during freezing winter temperatures. Some don’t.

            Successfully growing citrus is better than a crapshoot. The overall climate of the Las Vegas Valley is too cold during the winter to recommend citrus. However, there are protected nooks and crannies in people's backyards that allow for citrus to be grown. These protected nooks and crannies are called microclimates.

            The major limitation for citrus here is cold winter temperatures. Cold winter temperatures are made more lethal when accompanied by strong winds. Remove these two obstacles and citrus does well.

            After an ideal microclimate is found, citrus must be healthy to survive our extremes of heat and cold. Amend the soil with compost at planting time. Do not apply citrus fertilizers after August 1. For long-term health of the tree, avoid surrounding it with rock and desert landscaping.

            And finally, choose fruit that you want combined with tolerance to freezing temperatures in your microclimate. Tolerance to winter temperatures is best with kumquat followed by mandarin orange, Myers lemon (only Myers) and grapefruit. Least tolerant to cold are the limes, true lemons like Ponderosa or Eureka and some of the specialty oranges.

            Planting citrus here is not for everyone. Proceed with caution and look at it as a fun experiment in gardening.