Growing and caring for your citrus plants
Lemons in Minnesota? This might seem unlikely, but growing some citrus plants indoors makes it possible. Their flowers and fruit can be fragrant and visually appealing.
Most citrus varieties grown in warm areas are too big to be kept indoors. However, many small or dwarf varieties can thrive as potted plants inside your home, even during cold winter months.
Caring for citrus plants isn’t complex. Encouraging them to produce juicy tropical fruit is a different challenge.
For most people, it’s best to think of citrus as attractive houseplants that might give some fruit as a bonus.
Choosing the right plants
Several citrus species work well as houseplants with proper care.
The calamondin orange is the most popular indoor citrus. Its small, sour fruits are good for making marmalade or decorating summer drinks.
The Otaheite orange isn’t actually an orange. It’s a tiny, thornless cross of lemon and tangerine.
Tangerines can also be grown indoors. Satsuma oranges, which are a type of tangerine, are especially tasty and have strongly scented flowers.
There are two types of lemons suitable for indoor growing, called ‘Ponderosa’ and ‘Meyer.’
You can also grow citron and kumquat indoors if you wish.
Requirements:-
- Choose small or dwarf varieties for easier care indoors.
- Provide plenty of light and keep the plants in a warm spot.
- Water them regularly but don’t let them sit in water.
- Use well-draining soil to prevent roots from rotting.
- Be patient and realistic about fruit production. Most indoor citrus plants may not produce large or many fruits.
- Enjoy the beauty and fragrance they bring to your home, even if fruiting is limited.