The Truth About an Indoor Lemon Tree (Hint: It Belongs Outdoors) - Gardenista
My neighbor Bill Stock has an amazing garden–30-year-old roses and towering hollyhocks grown from seed he brought from Monet’s garden after a visit to Giverny. This is Northern California, after all, where citrus trees grow like weeds. At first glance, Bill seemed to be doing everything right–his potted dwarf mandarin orange trees live in an actual solarium, a light-filled sunroom with three walls of windows. Photograph by Nicole Franzen for Gardenista. A potted Meyer lemon tree. I reached Mario Vega, a nursery specialist at the Conservatory of Flowers in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, while he was driving. Photograph by Tom Kubik for Gardenista. “Indoors, there is a lack of humidity,” said Mr. Vega. “You know those little saucers you put under potted plants to catch the runoff water?” Mr. Vega said. To make it easier to move large potted plants, put them on wheels with one of our favorite Rolling Plant Stands. “Buildings tend to be airtight, particularly newer buildings. In them, the air becomes quite stagnant,” said Mr. Vega. If you have no outdoor space, open doors or at least a window in warm weather to improve air circulation for citrus trees. Secret No. 2: Air Movement. Photograph by Michelle Slatalla. Bill’s dwarf mandarin trees had brittle, curling leaves. Secret No. 3: Plenty of Water. “The leaves are curling under to try to conserve moisture, to try to recapture moisture they’ve lost,” said Mr. Vega. So keep plants moist, but don’t waterlog them or the root will rot. Photograph by Michelle Slatalla. “Those yellow spots are most likely the result of chlorosis, a lack of chlorophyll,” said Mr. Vega. Secret No. 4: Fertilize to Replace Soil Nutrients. Photograph by Michelle Slatalla. Citrus trees require a minimum of eight hours a day of sunlight to thrive, and they’d really prefer 12 hours, said Mr. Vega. Secret No. 5: Sunlight, Sunlight, Sunlight. It’s not hopeless, of course, to try to grow citrus indoors. Give it the conditions it needs to grow and don’t try to make it bend to your will. Photograph by Michelle Slatalla.