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In various cultures , lemon yellow Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree stand for the goodness of spirit : love , lightheaded , and felicity , to name a few . They make wonderful holiday or housewarming gifts , or commemorating plant to lionize special affair . Whether buy a lemon tree tree for oneself or receiving one as a natural endowment , it makes for an excellent , long - go indoor flora offering attractive foliage , fragrant flower , and tangy yield for year - rung appealingness .
develop a lemon yellow tree indoors is easy , but it does require a bit of specialised care in terms of luminance and fertiliser . Read on to learn how to grow a lemon tree indoors .
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Indoor Lemon Tree Care at a Glance
Common Name : LemonScientific Name : Citrus limonSoil : Well - drained , pH 5.5 to 6.5Light : BrightWater : MediumFood : Balanced organic or tedious - spillage formulaTemperature and Humidity:65 to 75 degree Fahrenheit , 50 percent humidityPropagation : Rooted cuttings , graftingSafety : Thorns , allergenic for some , nonpoisonous to humans , somewhat toxic to ducky
Lemon Tree Characteristics
The stinker tree grows in semi - tropical region ofUSDA hardiness zones9 to 11 , but it can be an splendid indoor plant in cool regions as well . It ’s a relatively easy - going flora that prefers to spend the summertime outdoors . Lemon trees require little pruning , moderate water , and a uniform supply of nitrogen - rich plant intellectual nourishment . Arguably , their most lively arise requirements are bright light and proficient air circulation .
nerveless overnight temperature help to perk up flowering , especially in winter and former spring . Like other citrus trees , lemons bring about small whitefragrant blossom . They are mostly self - fertile , so a single tree can offer eminent yield yields with patience . Ripening may take up to a year before the lemons are ready to harvest .
lemon tree tree diagram leave come forth with a reddish tint and explicate to recondite super acid above and lighter below . Flowers are held singly , in pairs , or in small clustering , and the aromatic fruits are dotted with oil gland that produce a lemony odour as they ripen .
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Although lemon yellow trees can grow to 20 feet or higher when planted outdoors , they make timbre specimen in containers , where they typically reach half that pinnacle . This make them a choicegift for industrial plant lovers . Lemon trees rationalize and repotted every duet of years maintain a shrubby form around 5 to 7 feet tall .
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Types of Indoor Lemon Trees
Selecting Soil for Lemon Trees
Lemon tree diagram grow best in rich , well - draining grease with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5 . High - qualityindoor - outdoor container mixesshould be enough . implement fertilizer specifically designated as “ citrus food for thought ” to help oneself maintain the proper pH.
Potted lemon tree require both an adequately sized container and the right kind of potting mix to expand . When repotting , incrementally increase pot size . For instance , a new lemon tree in a 3 - gallon ( 10 - column inch diameter ) potty should be transplanted to a 12 - column inch sess . Do not go too bountiful all at once , or the jeopardy of root rot increases . A 16- to 20 - in container will be the proper size for a lasting home plate .
The Right Light
honest flower and fruit yield demand full Dominicus vulnerability , which ranges from unmanageable to impossible inside some home . Most gardeners find success by moving lemon trees to a sunny fix outdoors for the mature season and back to a bright room indoors on inhuman Night .
In springtime , transplant lemon trees to a handsome mint if more grow quad is needed . When the danger of frost has reach , move the tree diagram first to a bright filtered - igniter emplacement outdoors . bit by bit increase the duration of direct sunlight exposure daily over the course of 2 weeks . If cold-blooded weather is in the forecast , transition the tree back into a bright room — preferably one with large S - present windows .
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Watering Lemon Trees
irrigate the plantdeeply whenever the land dries out to a depth of 2 in . examine the dirt with a stick or quarter - column inch joggle rod mark with a 2 - column inch depth indicator . leave behind the dowel pin in the soil for 1 minute . Then , extract it out and front at the bottom end . If wet is discernible at the base of the joggle , do n’t water the tree diagram . If the joggle appears dry , thoroughly dowse the filth and permit redundant water drain freely . Do not leave stand up water in a saucer beneath the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
Fertilizing Indoor Lemon Trees
For healthy industrial plant growth and fruiting , stinker trees benefit from consistent feeding throughout the yr . Choose fertilizer specifically formulated for citrus plants to help maintain a more or less acidic pH. A balanced plant food , such as 8 - 8 - 8 , is good .
During the spring and summer grow season , apply granularorganic fertilizerevery 6 to 8 hebdomad ; or apply dumb - discharge fertiliser once in the springtime and supplement it with liquid industrial plant food semiweekly . At the conclusion of the growing season , apply granular constituent flora food for thought or a second software of slow - release fertilizer to supply nutrition through the wintertime . Do n’t apply liquid fertilizer in the winter .
Setting the Temperature and Humidity
An indoor lemon tree will thrive in average domicile mood weather condition . A temperature between 65 and 75 level Fahrenheit and humidness around 50 percent works well for overwintering . However , habituate caution when transitioning the tree diagram outdoors in spring . An acclimatized lemon tree may bear jar from nerveless temperatures below 50 degrees , and it will be damage by hoar . It ’s best to keep the tree indoors in leaping until all risk of frost has snuff it and nighttime temperature remain above 50 degrees Fahrenheit .
Summer sunlight and oestrus are no problem for potted lemon yellow trees after a gradual transition menstruum . At the height of summer , they can stand firm high temperature in the 90s , so long as they are systematically watered well . Watering frequency will necessitate to increase during spicy weather .
Propagating Lemon Trees
Lemonade enthusiasts often wonder how to rise a maize Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree from a cum , but that ’s not how it is done . Seed - grow yield is extremely irregular in quality , sapidity , and even tree characteristics . Professional agriculturalist and retail nurseries mostly sell grafted lemon trees .
To save propagation fourth dimension and outer space , and to ensure identical genetic science , nurseries fuse arm cuttings from one form of flora with stem cutting from another . Everything grow above the transplant join will demonstrate the desired trait , but if any shoots appear from below the bribery , they should be polish off and discarded .
Instead of grow a lemon tree from seed , home gardeners can grow lemon trees either from rooted newspaper clipping or by graft . The easiest way to propagate thefruit treeis by taking a 6- to 8 - inch leg from a radical with at least four side bud and no blossom or fruit in tardy give , taking care to :
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The cutting should grow roots within a month . habituate this method acting to grow new Citrus limon trees on their own roots or to produce rootstock of trifoliate citrus tree for grafting . To graft new citrus fruit tree diagram , this T - budding method ensures a eminent success pace . Those in citrus - grow regions should follow local governance to avoid the scatter of disease .
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Safety Considerations
Of course , if anyone in a home has a citrus allergy , void growing a lemon tree diagram indoors . The primary symptom of citrus allergy is contact dermatitis , an antsy blizzard similar topoison ivy . Otherwise , lemon trees are considered safe and nontoxic for humans . Essential fossil oil found mostly in the fruits are toxic to animate being , however , so those with curious pets should practice caution .
Some lemon varieties are thorny , and others are grafted to rootstock that might send up thorny shoot . keep an eye on out for these stickers and be sure to trim any shoots go up from below the graft uniting .
Potential Pests and Diseases
gamboge trees are susceptible to mealybug , spider mites , and scale insects . These are broadly speaking debar with friendly growing conditions such as good sun exposure , air circulation , proper dressing , and uniform watering . If insect problems rise , treat them promptly by pick bugs by deal or pruning off the touched sphere if it is small . Quarantine the tree diagram andspray with an appropriate insecticideif necessary .
Feeding aphid may spread a fungal disease called tristeza , indicate by yellowing of leafage and speedy decline . Infected maize Tree may buckle under to root rot . Always monitor for insects and treat them whenever they come along . In nerveless , damp conditions , the fungus Botrytis make fuzzy gray mold - like growth to seem on fore and flowers . Keep gamboge Tree in a bright , gay location and , as they mature , prune impenetrable branches to improve air circulation .
FAQs
Yes , lemon tree trees develop well in pots . gnome cultivars are the easiest to keep , but even standard miscellany can be keep in check with occasional repotting and root pruning .
An indoor lemon tree diagram can know for decades . With estimable care , some gamboge trees can survive for 50 years or more .
Bright sunlight is decisive for plant health . Choose a room with large Dixieland - facing window and place the lemon tree diagram as close to them as potential .
Lemon trees are not difficult to grow if your home has a bright positioning for overwintering .
A lemon tree that has been systematically overwatered may develop yellow leafage and root rot . Avoid these problem by water profoundly and consistently and by take away suffer water from the container ’s dish antenna .
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