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Tips For Growing Citrus Trees Indoors
By MASIE O'TOOLE
Choose The Best Tree
Dwarf varieties of lemon, kumquat, tangerine, and orange trees can all be grown on a smaller scale, so choose the type that best fits your needs.
Both Ponderosa and Meyer lemons do well inside, as do kumquat and citron plants. If you're planning to grow oranges, look to the calamondin orange.
Mimic Environment
Citrus plants are native to warm and tropical climates, so you need to mimic these environments. Use sandy loam soil with a solid amount of drainage.
Water the soil when the top few inches dry out and add more humidity with a mister if the air is particularly dry. Give them bright, direct sunlight with a fair amount of heat.
Fertilize
From around March through August, fertilize your plant's soil every 2-3 weeks with a liquid or solid fertilizer. Consider using a specific citrus-focused fertilizer.
Pot Size
To give your citrus tree enough room, you need the right-sized pot — one that's big enough to prevent overcrowding, but not so big that it will be hard to water.
An 8-inch diameter container is a good starting size, but you may need to repot the plant as it grows. Just make sure that the pot you choose has an adequate drainage system.
Self-Pollinate
Most citrus trees self-pollinate, but you can hand pollinate to increase your chances of success even more. Do so by using a small brush to collect pollen from each bloom’s stamen.
Then, rub the brush over each stigma (the sticky bulb that receives pollen). This will increase the plant’s chances of bearing more fruit.