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Lemons are one of the most popular citrus fruits and make a delicious addition to any dish. But did you know that lemons are also relatively easy to grow indoors? With a little effort, you can enjoy fresh lemons all year round!
Lemon Tree Quick Care Tips:
1. Start with a healthy lemon tree.
2. Place your lemon tree where it will get at least six hours of direct sunlight each day.
3. Water your lemon tree regularly.
4. Fertilize your lemon tree every few months with an organic fertilizer.
5. Prune your lemon tree to encourage new growth and prevent pests.
6. Enjoy the fruits of your labor!
How to Grow Lemons Indoors
Have you ever woken up in the morning and wished for a fresh glass of homemade homegrown lemonade? Well, this can be your life by growing lemons inside your home!
Indoor lemon trees can produce wonderful-smelling flowers while they produce fruit. One of my all-time favorite lemon trees to grow inside is the Dwarf Lemon Meyer which is a great fruit tree to start with for newbies.
Today, I will teach you how to care for your lemon tree so that you can start growing lemons indoors! Even a novice plant owner can grow lemons indoors!
1) Start with a healthy lemon tree. Grafting a lemon tree is the best way to ensure you have a strong, healthy tree that will produce fruit.
Starting a lemon tree from the ground up can be quite an undertaking, but it can be well worth the effort when you have a strong, healthy specimen that will bear fruit.
Buying your lemon tree from a nursery is the recommended option to start with. You can get a healthy 2–3-year-old tree that will produce fruit reasonably quickly. The indoor varieties of lemon trees are called dwarf trees and typically grow up to 3-4ft tall. The outdoor types can grow up to 20ft tall. I bought mine on Etsy; this is where I got my lemon tree.
You can also start from a seed or leaf cutting if you wish. These methods are harder to achieve and will take years to produce any fruit. However, if you are playing the long game, it can be very satisfying to go from seed to fruit.
Choose the Right Pot
Choosing the proper pot for your new lemon tree isn’t difficult. The most important thing when choosing a container is to ensure it has large unobstructed drainage holes. Lemon trees need excellent drainage for a happy life.
Remember, starting with a smaller container is usually better, and as the tree grows, you can move to bigger pots.
Placing a saucer under the container to protect your floors when watering is always a good move to make your life easier. Placing your pot on a wheeled plant dolly is super helpful if you plan on moving the plant around because they can get pretty heavy over time.
2) Place your lemon tree in a sunny spot near a window where it will get at least six hours of direct sunlight each day.
Caring for a lemon tree is a great way to reap the rewards of fresh lemons right in your home. It’s important to find just the right spot for your lemon tree, somewhere that it can bask in the sun for at least six hours each day.
When choosing the location in your home for your lemon tree, lighting will be the most important factor. Lots of sunlight is critical for growth, especially for producing fruit. Therefore, 6-8 hours of sunlight is what you should be shooting for, with 6 hours being the very minimum.
Generally, a south-facing window will give you the best sunlight in the house. However, you may need to supplement with artificial light. I use the Haus Bright LED bulbs.
Indoor lemon trees also really like humidity, which can be hard to get in the house. A humidity tray underneath the plant container is a great solution to add humidity around the lemon tree. Fill a container tray with pebbles or small rocks and pour water into it.
Place this underneath the lemon tree pot, and as the water evaporates upwards, your tree’s roots get some additional moisture.
You can even bring your indoor lemon tree outside during the warmer parts of the year for fresh air and sunlight. Make sure the nighttime temperature is above 65 degrees if left outside overnight. Even one cold night outside can be a shock to your plant.
Introduce your plant to the outside slowly, as placing outside in full sunlight can also shock the plant. Slow and steady!
Taking the time to give your lemon tree what it needs to stay healthy is certainly worth the effort!
3) Water your lemon tree regularly, keeping the soil moist but not soggy.
Taking care of your lemon tree can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Watering it regularly will help ensure that its roots remain healthy and hydrated, enabling the tree to flourish. Investing a few moments each week to make sure the soil stays moist will pay off with a prolific harvest of juicy tart lemons as a reward! Not to mention the contentment it brings knowing you’re taking such good care of your little piece of nature – keep up the great work, and enjoy your results!
4) Fertilize your lemon tree every few months with an organic fertilizer to help it grow and produce fruit.
Growing a lemon tree at home can be a wonderfully rewarding experience! Giving your tree the nutrients and minerals it needs is important to its health and growth.
Fertilizing your indoor lemon tree regularly will be important for producing fruit and strong foliage. Your tree only has access to the nutrients in the soil, and as it grows, it uses up what’s stored there. Using a 6-3-3 fertilizer will be good for most citrus plants’ happiness and success.
Here’s a good article on fertilizing houseplants if you need some pointers. Every few months, fertilizing your tree with an organic fertilizer will help ensure that it gets the right amount of nutrition it needs and support juicy, delicious fruit production. Not only will your tree look healthier, but you also won’t be able to resist plucking off some sweet, tart lemons straight from the source! So take care of your citrus tree and watch as it produces bushels of healthy goodness year after year – what could be better?
5) Prune your lemon tree regularly to encourage new growth and prevent problems like pests and diseases.
Pruning your lemon tree may seem daunting, but it’s an essential part of keeping the tree healthy and strong. Not only can pruning help shape up a scraggly tree, but it actually encourages new growth and keeps pests and diseases at bay.
Spider mites are a common pest of indoor citrus plants. Be sure to thoroughly wash them off whenever you see an infestation starting with warm soapy water or neem oil.
Regular pruning can also make harvesting your lemons much easier, resulting in a bumper crop of juicy citrus fruits! There are few feelings better than coming home with bags full of fresh lemons from your tree – and when you take good care of your citrus garden, you’ll get more harvests each year.
6) Enjoy the fruits of your labor – fresh lemons grown right in your own home!
Growing your own lemons can be such a satisfying experience. Not only do you get to enjoy watching them grow from tiny buds to ripe fruits, but you also get to savor the unique flavor of freshly picked citrus! Adding a few lemon trees to the space always makes for the most delightful addition, no matter how small or large your home is.
As much as it may take some effort initially, it’s all worth it when you look at your juicy lemon – grown entirely by yourself!
Conclusion
With a little care and attention, you can grow your lemon tree right in your home! By following these simple tips, you’ll be able to enjoy fresh lemons straight from your tree in no time. So what are you waiting for? Get started today, and soon you’ll be reaping the benefits of homegrown lemons!
Thanks,for the info & invite love to have an grow a Lemon tree,so fresh.
Hi, love this content. I would like to use an organic fertilizer, is there such a thing and is it any different than the 18 18 18? I can’t wait to purchase my first lemon tree! ??