The cultivation of exotic trees is carving out an important place in apartments and houses in Quebec. Lemon trees, lime trees, grapefruit trees and, why not, coffee trees, pepper trees and ginger trees flourish in northern territory thanks to the good care of a community that is growing day by day. Overview of a practice that takes root everywhere in Quebec.
Whoever pushes the door of this banal garage in the suburbs of Montreal is assailed by an exotic aroma. A mixture of the smell of the Biodôme and lime floats in the atmosphere. The air is maintained at 27°C. Outside, the mercury hovers around -7°C.
“We eat well here,” swears Jean-François Thibodeau, with a smirk. He and his wife, Véronique Hotte, have cultivated a passion for exotic fruits for several years, until they converted part of their house into a tropical forest. More than sixty tropical or subtropical plants thrive in them. A citrus tree, under the best conditions, can produce up to thirty fruits per bloom.
And there really is something for everyone: six varieties of lemons, five of limes, mangoes, oranges, grapefruits, figs, pomegranates, ginger, pepper. There are even coffee trees. The couple are currently pushing experimentation to the point of trying to germinate a coconut.
“We screwed up a couple of times,” admits Jean-François. And for good reason: neither he nor his wife studied horticulture. It was therefore by the trial and error method that they managed to find the required fertilizer ratio, the adequate level of light and the ideal temperature for these capricious plants.
It goes without saying that these plants do not tolerate the cold. “Summer is everyone outside,” explains Véronique Hotte, while below 10°C, it’s risky. Below 0°C, this whole jungle dies.
The couple recognizes it, they have invested much more than normal in this urban agriculture. Almost $10,000 was spent on all the equipment. Four lights flood dozens of plants with 1,000 watts, resulting in electricity costs of a hundred dollars per bill. Carefully watering these fruit groves, preparing the cuttings and adjusting the microclimate of the garage takes between four and five hours of work per week.
“A few weeks ago, I wanted to leave it all behind. But everyone who grows citrus goes through it, confides Jean-François. We do this because we want to be able to be food self-sufficient. »
A touch of fantasy at the chalet
You don’t have to be so elated to harvest tropical fruit north of 45e parallel. The pandemic has fueled the interest of apprentice gardeners, and the number of small Quebec lemon or lime trees has exploded. The community of citrus enthusiasts in Quebec now has more than 12,000 followers on Facebook.
Chantal Bourret started her small production of lemons, limes and grapefruits in 2020 in a guest bedroom. From a simple “experiment”, his trees ended up producing about thirty juicy fruits and infinitely fresher than in store.
“Citrus fruits are super easy to grow. I have others in my cabin. I install them facing south [pour le soleil]with the dry air from the wood fire, and there’s zero problem in that,” she says enthusiastically.
“I’ve lost one so far. The only thing to which [les agrumes] are sensitive, it is moisture in the roots. People lose their citrus trees because they water them in winter as in summer. I give them water when they ask me, when the leaves curl and curl up. Otherwise, I don’t touch it. »
A few weeks ago, I felt like leaving it all behind. But everyone who grows citrus goes through it. We do this because we want to be able to be food self-sufficient.
As far as the pollination of flowers, which is essential for fruiting, is concerned, Chantal Bourret brushes aside the problem out of hand. “You stir the pot and it ends there. » The most dedicated will use a fan to circulate the pollen or use a brush to touch each pistil.
If the lime green thumb tickles you, be sure not to use a seed from a store-bought fruit. “It will make a beautiful green plant” which will only bear fruit after 20 to 30 years, according to Jean-François Thibodeau. It is better, to start, to find a cutting from another amateur of citrus growing.
A Quebec orange grove
Vyckie Vaillancourt owns the only company that grows citrus fruits for sale. O’Citrus supplies several chic restaurants in Montreal from its greenhouse in Laval.
The art of citrus is based on the choice of fruit and the care given to them, says the farmer, whose family has occupied the same land for seven generations. “Some types of citrus are not made to grow here. For others, I have nothing to do and it grows by itself! »
All these plants grow in pots, which does not obliterate the rhythm of the seasons. In winter, after the harvest in mid-December, the trees lose their leaves and “fall into dormancy”. Nothing unusual there for these trees, which will regain their colors in the spring.
“I am often called for advice, confides M.me Vaillancourt. The biggest question I get asked is if I am selling trees. But I don’t want to get into that. This is real management. »
For that, you have to turn to Dany Bonneau, from Brugmansia Quebec, who sells everything you need to make successful rutaceae.
Its sales have exploded with the pandemic. These three best citrus fruits: Key Lime, Persian lime and Meyer lemon. “His three varieties produce all the time,” he says.
The few dozen fruits harvested per plant may not seem like much to some. Especially since their taste is sometimes less sweet than usual if the tree lacks heat in autumn, at the time of flowering. “But it’s a real pride. You don’t have to buy them,” says Dany Bonneau.
Beware of those who pick the fruit too early, he warns. Some also wait too long and end up with dried fruits that have overripe. “When there are several fruits, you pick one, you taste it, and if you like it, you harvest the other fruits right away. »