In this edition of PlanterTomato, I interview Aaron Dillon, a fourth generation grower with Four Winds Growers, a nursery specializing in dwarf citrus trees.
PlanterTomato: Hello Aaron, thank you for joining us today. If you wouldn't mind, why don't you begin by telling us a little about Four Winds Growers.
Aaron Dillon: Happy to do so. Four Winds Growers was started by my great grandfather, Floyd Dillon in the late 1940's. He moved to California from the Midwest and purchased some dwarf pear and apple tress for his garden. He was amazed that you could get full-sized fruit production in a small space using dwarf varieties.
Floyd was a visionary. He realized that after World War II, all the guys who shipped out to the Pacific from California would get a taste of the beautiful weather and lifestyle here and want to return after the war.
At this point, the citrus industry was dominated by growers who used standard-sized trees that are 20-25 feet tall and about as wide. These types of trees would not be appropriate for backyards that were being created in the post-war suburban housing boom. But Floyd believed that if he could make citrus trees smaller, he would have something that people would really appreciate.
He correctly predicted that the new suburban homeowners of the post-war era would want to walk out into their backyard and pick a fresh orange off the tree. So he set about figuring out how to do this and that's how the company began.
PlanterTomato: That's a terrific story Aaron. We are seeing even more interest today in growing fruit and vegetables at home. Your great grandfather really was a visionary.
If I'm a first time grower, what would be the best type of citrus to add to my garden?
Aaron Dillon: That's a good question. It's certainly going to depend on where you're located. If you're living in California, with our mild climate, you have great flexibility. If you live on the East Coast or in the Midwest, you still can grow citrus, but it's going to be more challenging because of frost issues. Our best selling tree is the Meyer Lemon. We sell three to every one of anything else.
PlanterTomato: So is the Meyer Lemon well suited to colder climates?
Aaron Dillon: The Meyer is probably the most appropriate to grow in any conditions. It's very prolific. Year-round it will be in either bloom or in fruit, and it lends itself well to being an indoor plant. This variety, in particular, can be grown strictly as a house plant. That notwithstanding, it's better to grow it in a container and transfer it from the garden to your home and vice versa with the change of seasons.
PlanterTomato: Can you do this with any citrus tree, or just the Meyer?
Aaron Dillon: You can do this with just about any tree, but because the Meyer Lemon is so prolific, it is the best suited for indoor and outdoor environments.
PlanterTomato: While we're on the topic of containers, tell us a little about how to be successful using containers. Specifically, what size container is best?
Aaron Dillon: Citrus, in general, like good drainage -- they do not like to have alot of water held up next to their roots. The most important thing in container selection is to make sure there ample drainage at the bottom. Next, you want to select a container that's appropriate to the size of the plant. If you're starting with a small plant, you want to use a small pot. Our most popular size is a plant sold in a 5-gallon plant which the gardener should transplant into a 12"-14" container.
PlanterTomato: I think that would be about 7 gallons.
Aaron Dillon: Yes, that's about right. And you want to select a really well drained media. Generally, most potting soils will work well. Keep the root ball high and be careful with the watering. Typically, with containers, this means watering just once per week.
PlanterTomato: I believe citrus trees needs alot of fertilizer. What should the feeding schedule be? Let's assume, I've got my plants in a pot.
Aaron Dillon: Citrus are heavy feeders. We recommend you feed as much as once per month. You also want to use a type of fertilizer that is specific for citrus. If you use general purpose or general fruit tree fertilizer, many times these don't have the right ratios of phosphorous and potassium that are conducive to citrus fruit production. Many of these brand recommend feeding every 3-4 months. In California, we recommend feeding more often - as much as once a month.
If you live in areas with cold winters, you want to reduce feeding as you approach winter because you don't want to encourage soft new growth that will be damaged by the cold.
PlanterTomato: Thanks, that's great advice. Now tell us about the range of citrus trees you sell at Four Winds Growers?
Aaron Dillon: As you mentioned, we specialize sell a variety of fruit trees with a specialty in citrus and sell to retail nurseries in California as well as online to those outside the state. We sell about 65 varieties at this point and it's constantly evolving. We have about 40 other varieties in our greenhouses right now that we are evaluating.
PlanterTomato: Can you hint at which ones you think you will be selling in the near future?
Aaron Dillon: Right now there's demand for seedless mandarin oranges, and that's where much research attention is focused. Some mandarins are susceptible to cross pollination so if you grow it near an orange tree it's likely that it will develop seeds. The University of California is trying to develop varieties that are seedless under all conditions.
One that we really like is called the Gold Nugget Mandarin. It's only been available for about 5 years. It's a late ripening mandarin. In northern California that means you can start picking them beginning in April and throughout the summer. It's easy to peel and has great flavor.
We are also seeing alot of interest in Italian lemons, things people can use to make Limoncello.
PlanterTomato: I'm laughing because on February 8th., I posted an article on how to make your own limoncello in the "Food & Drink" section of PlanterTomato. Most Americans don't know about this delicious Italian after-dinner drink and it's hard to find at your local liquor store, but it's very easy to make at home. All you need is lemons, vodka and sugar.
Aaron Dillon: Absolutely, but people are becoming more aware of limoncello as they travel to Italy and try the limoncello in the various regions in the country that produce it. These regions do a tremendous job trying to market their version as distinct, but I think at the end of the day, they are all pretty similar. You can use Eureka lemon or a Lisbon lemon and make fantastic limoncello. But there are some cultivars that come from Italy and we are looking at these.
PlanterTomato: So thinking about your citrus, what do you think is the most unusual variety?
Aaron Dillon: Well one thing we sell is called Buddha's hand. It's a form of citron that has long finger-like projections. It's got a great aroma, but there's no real juice. It is quite stunning in appearance.
PlanterTomato: Is it purely ornamental or could you candy the skin?
Aaron Dillon: You can candy the skin. You can also use it for anything where you want to incorporate a citrus aroma.
PlanterTomato: I'm hoping that we've convince those reading this posting to add citrus to their backyard garden collections. Where can you buy Four Winds citrus trees?
Aaron Dillon: I would encourage everyone to look at our web site which is www.FourWindsGrowers.com. There a ton of useful information there on plant selection and care. We also do direct sales from the web site for people outside the State of California. Inside the State, we encourage you to go to your local garden center.
PlanterTomato: Thank you for helping my readers learn about citrus.
Aaron Dillon: Thank you for sharing the information with them.
Four Winds Growers variety and planting information is attached below.
Download Four Winds Growers Varieties & Growing Instructions
I like your blog, because we have similar outlook and outlook on life!
Posted by: Ajf 6 | 07/02/2010 at 08:47 PM
Thanks for coming by!
Posted by: H. Mark Delman | 07/03/2010 at 06:12 AM