Growing Citrus Fruits in Cold Climates - Does it Make Sense?
According to a recent report on CTV news, growing citrus fruits in Canada’s cold climate may seem impossible, but innovative farmers are making it a reality. Using energy-efficient greenhouses and soil regeneration techniques, they successfully cultivate oranges, lemons, limes, and even avocados.
The CTV news report featured Jane Squier, a citrus grower on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, grows 35 citrus varieties inside a 6,000-square-foot greenhouse. She uses a wood-fueled hydronic heating system, insulated pools, and fans to circulate warm air, keeping costs as low as a single-family home’s power bill.
Her methods focus on regenerative soil practices rather than fertilizers or pesticides. “The soil has active biology creating heat,” she explained. This natural approach supports healthy plant growth.
Bob Duncan, another grower from Vancouver Island, follows a different technique according to the CTV news report. He lightly heats his trees using incandescent Christmas lights, covering them with special cloth for insulation. “The heating cost for the entire winter is two to three dollars,” he told CTV News.
With rising concerns over food security and trade tariffs, Duncan believes more Canadians should explore growing their own produce. He advocates for government support, though he emphasizes his methods are already low-cost and sustainable.
The easier alternative for consumers looking to keep their vitamin intake up if trade tariffs lead to boycotts of orange juice is to drink apple juice or cranberry juice.
In 2021, Canada produced 347,125 tonnes of fresh apples. Some apple juices sold in Canada are made with Canadian apples: Allens, Graves McIntosh Apple, Oasis Classic, and Tropicana Pure Premium. Apple juice provides you with 3% of your daily value of vitamin C.
In the same year Canada produced 155,064 tonnes of cranberries, which is equivalent to a large amount of cranberry juice. Canada is the second-largest producer of cranberries in the world, producing about 30% of the world's cranberries. Cranberry juice provides you with 26% of your daily value of vitamin C.