Hi all,

I have two small citrus trees, a Eureka lemon & a Tahitian lime, that are about 20cm tall each at the moment. They've been living quite happily in a sunny spot in my backyard all Winter since I bought them. As we're heading into Spring here, and I imagine they're about to put on a bit of a growth spurt, I'll be re-potting them soon into 50cm-wide, minimum 50cm-deep self-watering containers (the type with a reservoir at the bottom).

What I'm wondering is, does anyone have any experience of planting anything around the base of citrus trees in containers? Any plants that would be beneficial companion plants, or that like similar conditions and might do well there? My preference is always for edible plants & herbs, but I'd be happy to explore other options.

My conditions here are frost-free and quite warm (think Southern California, but with a little more Summer humidity). These are plants that are intended to live outdoors all year round. The property I currently live on already has a thriving mandarin tree & unknown-variety lemon tree in the ground.

Also, any tips for how best to care for first-year citrus trees would be fabulous! I'm guessing staking them is a good idea? Should I pinch off any flowers that appear?

Thanks in advance for your responses,

Slashy