Learn How to Grow Citrus Trees Indoors | Gardener's Path

Learn How to Grow Citrus Trees Indoors

I love citrus fruit, but living in the Vermont mountains, I don’t often have access to freshly grown lemons, limes, or oranges.

Fortunately, while perhaps not quite as impressive or fruitful as a tropical citrus orchard would be, it is possible to successfully grow citrus plants in pots indoors. Even here, in my USDA Hardiness Zone 4 climate, where snow coats the ground for practically half the year.

While growing citrus indoors can be a bit tricky, with just a few pointers, you can easily fill your windowsill with enough lemons to make lemonade!

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Here’s what’s to come in this article:

Let’s get to growing, shall we?

First, you need to find an adequate pot. You will need a large pot with sufficient drainage holes.

You may want to consider starting the plant in a smaller pot, and moving up to a larger size as it grows so that the ratio of plant to potting mix isn’t too broad.

If there’s significantly more potting material than there are roots, the soil may remain overly moist after watering, increasing the chance of root rot.

To start out, look for a pot that is at least 8 inches wide and 10-12 inches deep. A 5-gallon pot is ideal.

As the tree matures, move it up to a container that is 18-24 inches deep.

Larger pots will prevent top-heavy trees from tipping over, while also allowing plants to grow larger roots and be more productive. Keep in mind, however, that the larger the pot is, the heavier the plant will be to move.

This could pose a problem when it comes time to move it outside with the return of warm weather, or from room