Indoor Lemon Trees – Your Complete Care Guide
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Indoor lemon trees are a great way to brighten up your home while also having the possibility of producing one of your favorite fruits. Growing and caring for lemon trees indoors is becoming increasingly popular because of their cute charm and ability to make a space unique.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to grow lemons indoors? This article will provide you with lemon tree indoor care so you can keep your plant lively and produce an ample amount of lemons, all while being in the comfort of your home.
Light Needed For Your Indoor Lemon Trees
Indoor lemon trees will thrive when receiving between 8-12 hours of direct sunlight. They prefer 12 hours, but it can be tough to replicate this indoors. Lemon trees will be more likely to produce fruit if you can provide them with the correct amount of sunlight because they will have the strength to do so.
With only 8 hours of sunlight, your lemon tree will still thrive and remain healthy, assuming you’re properly caring for it. However, it is less likely the tree will be able to produce fruit, but don’t worry, even if your plant does not make fruit, it will still emit a pleasant aroma, and the tree itself, even without fruit, is a beautiful way to liven up your home.
There is no possible way for your lemon tree to survive with indirect or filtered light. People who live in a home with smaller windows may be disappointed with this news.
Watering Your Indoor Lemon Trees
Potted lemon trees should get watered when the soil is still slightly moist. Never allow your tree to dry out between waterings. If left completely dry, you will notice a drastic decrease in its health in just 24 hours. Proper watering will increase your chances of a healthy fruit-bearing tree, so do not let the soil completely dry out before watering again.
To determine if you have damaged your plant by allowing the soil to dry out, look at the leaves. When a lemon tree does not receive enough water, the leaves will fall off. It is best to water your plant evenly, never let your soil dry out completely, and make sure the pot you have planted your lemon tree in has a drainage hole to provide the best health for your plant and raise your chances of lemon production.
Also, avoid overwatering as well. Preventing overwatering is done with a proper drainage hole. The roots of your lemon tree need air to live, and when your tree gets overwatered and does not have adequate drainage, air cannot reach the lemon tree’s roots because the soil is waterlogged.
At this point, your lemon tree will begin to experience root rot. Determining if your tree is suffering from root rot only requires you to look at the tree’s leaves. Leaves will turn yellow and eventually fall off if suffering from root rot. Another way to determine if your tree has root rot is by looking at the roots themselves. Healthy roots have a white appearance and are solid, while roots suffering from root rot are dark in color and slimy.
Humidity For Your Indoor Lemon Tree
Lemon trees require nearly 50% humidity. Replicating this can be incredibly difficult indoors: however, there is a way to do it. The following are a few ways to give your indoor lemon tree the humidity it needs.
Provide Time Outside
Providing time outside is ideal for those who don’t have a lot of time on their hands to worry about spraying their tree every so often, and it can also help you reach your sunlight goal of 12 hours. During a warm day, move your plant outdoors for a few hours to allow them to get the humidity needed to thrive and hopefully produce fruit for you.
The Humidity Tray
You’ll need a sizeable tray that can hold your lemon trees pot so you can set it up properly. All you need to do to make this is put a few pebbles in your humidity tray and allow the water collected from the drainage hole to remain in the tray. The humidity tray will provide a slow release of evaporated water, which will provide your lemon tree with humidity.
Spraying
You’ll need to fill a bottle with a fine mist with water and several times a day spray the leaves of your tree and surrounding area to provide your lemon tree with humidity.
Temperature Needed For Indoor Lemon Trees
Since lemon trees are tropical, they prefer warm climates thriving best in temperatures ranging from 70°F-100°F. However, if you can control the temperature, 85°F is ideal for lemon production.
Never let the temperature get above 105°F, as this will completely halt your lemon tree’s growth. Similarly, do not allow the temperature to fall below 50°F, as this will cause your tree to enter dormancy. Additionally, never let the temperature fall under 30°F as this will cause all of the leaves on your lemon tree to fall off and will result in the death of your tree.
Best Soil For Indoor Lemon Trees
Your lemon tree will thrive with many kinds of soil as it is not picky in this region. However, if you want to have a fruit-bearing tree, there is soil to help aid in that process.
A soil with a pH between 5.5 and 7 is ideal. However, for best results, stick in the range of a pH of 6-6.5. When the soil mixture has a pH of more than this, it typically strips your lemon tree of much-needed minerals, such as iron, magnesium, zinc, and more. While, soil that falls below this pH range will keep leaves, fruit, and flowers from growing.
Needed Air For Indoor Lemon Trees
Like any other tree, your lemon tree will need air circulation. However, this can prove difficult while living indoors as the home is typically airtight, and the air stays at a standstill. As mentioned earlier, when on the topic of humidity, moving your tree outside for a few hours a day can provide it with the air circulation needed to combat the standstill indoor air.
However, plants that have been inside all winter are more susceptible to leaf burning if brought outside too quickly, so it’s best to ease the plant back into brighter and warmer climates.
If there is limited outdoor space and you can not move your plant outside, no worries, you can open doors or windows to provide air circulation for your plant!
Fertilization
Since your plant lives indoors, it is best to use a liquid fertilizer high in nutrients.
Pruning Your Indoor Lemon Tree
Pruning your lemon tree is incredibly simple; all you need to do is thin out the branches that are overbearing the rest. Pruning will create a tidier appearance for your tree while also benefiting it.
When it becomes hot, you may need to pinch the tips of hardcore growth. Pinching is very simple and does not require any tools, use your finger to do the pinching.
If you are caring for a matured plant, you will want to keep an eye for and remove water shoots accordingly. If they are growing near the bottom or middle of the branches, remove them immediately. However, if they are growing near the branch’s tips, trim them, do not remove them.
Repotting Indoor Lemon Trees
Repotting your indoor lemon tree is very similar to repotting any other plant. Follow the steps below to do it properly:
1. Get a pot that is ¼ bigger than your lemon tree’s current pot.
2. Fill ¼ of your pot with potting soil.
3. Water until moist.
4. Loosen the soil around the root ball and current pot.
5. Lift your tree from the base.
6. Examine the roots and cut any roots that appear to engulf the root ball.
7. Place your tree on the soil in the new pot.
8. Fill the areas around the roots with soil and ensure your tree is straight.
9. Water your lemon tree.
10. If needed, add more soil.
Harvest Your Indoor Lemons
If you’ve been lucky enough to have your tree produce lemons, you’re likely wondering how to harvest them. The process is simple. You’ll know your lemons are ready to harvest when they are yellow and firm to the touch. They should be 2-3 inches long at this point.
Picking them is no different than apples. Firmly take your lemon and carefully twist it until it breaks away from the tree!
Toxicity
Lemon trees are known to be toxic to cats and dogs. However, they usually tend to be repelled by the smell emitted from the lemon tree. Also, it is only harmful if they ingest the leaves from the tree, which usually doesn’t happen because they don’t want to get too close due to the smell.
Indoor Lemon Trees – The Wrap-up
Lemon tree indoor care is not demanding and will liven up your home with its divine smell. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, you will be able to maintain a healthy lemon tree indoors. Also, your lemon tree can start producing fruit.
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Published at Mon, 11 Apr 2022 09:03:03 -0700