Wear long sleeves and gloves to prune away thorns and all shoots or roots near soil level. Most indoor varieties are thornless, but some lemon trees have thorns. Indoor lemon trees typically need little to no pruning. When flowers are blooming and you stop to inhale the intoxicating fragrance, gently shake the branches to help spread pollen within the blossoms. With popular indoor varieties your tree should bear fruit on its own, but you can also help it along. Better pollination translates to more and better fruit. But in nature, lemon trees rely on insects to pollinate their blossoms. That means they don't need pollen from another lemon tree in order to bear fruit. Unlike some fruit trees, lemons are self-pollinating. Avoid disturbing shallow roots when you feed. Feed container lemon trees every three to four months. Like other citrus trees, lemon trees require plentiful nitrogen as well as other essential nutrients, including magnesium and iron.1 This is especially important for indoor lemon trees, which are restricted to containers.Ī premium citrus fertilizer such as Pennington UltraGreen Citrus and Avocado Plant Food 10-5-5 provides indoor lemon trees with an ideal blend of primary nutrients and micronutrients at planting time, then it keeps feeding for up to four months.Īs your tree grows older its needs will change, so follow label instructions for your indoor lemon tree's age and pot size. To grow tasty fruit and beautiful foliage, your indoor lemon tree needs proper food. Watch for warning signs such as yellow leaves, which signal soggy roots or nutrient problems. Timing varies depending on your indoor temperatures, your container and your tree size. During winter, water only as needed to keep soil moist. Test soil with a moisture meter (available online and in garden centers) or use your index finger instead.ĭuring active growth, especially if they're outdoors during summer, container lemon trees may need daily watering. Keep the soil moist, not overly wet, but never let it dry out completely. Then water thoroughly until it runs through the pot's drainage holes. To keep your lemon tree healthy, allow the soil to dry out about 3 inches deep before you water. Abrupt changes in light and temperature can make fruit drop. Before fall frost comes, move it back inside. The extra sunlight will do it good - and reward you with fruit. Once all danger of spring frost passes, gradually acclimate it to the outdoors. Lemon trees won't tolerate hot or cold drafts, so place them away from all air conditioning and heating ducts.ĭuring warm summer months, consider giving your indoor lemon tree an outdoor vacation.
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Once your lemon tree is in its new container, it's ready for its new environment. Either way, your new tree won't have the small size and disease resistance of grafted dwarf trees, and you won't see fruit for many years.
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Starting a lemon tree from a cutting will yield the same tree - from the ground up - but the process is challenging. If you plan to grow a lemon tree from a seed, understand that the new tree won't be the same as the one the seed came from. Other indoor varieties can grow to 6 feet or more. Container size helps limit a tree's eventual height, but most indoor dwarf Meyer lemon trees grow to at least 3 to 4 feet tall. Most dwarf lemon trees sold by nurseries are two to three years old - old enough to start bearing fruit, but still immature.