Dwarf Citrus Trees

Forkes

So I was thinking of a Christmas gift for someone I know, and I was thinking about a Dwarf Citrus Tree.

Anyone know about growing these, indoors, in Ontario? Even if I can get one?

Any help would be awesome.

vch457

i live in northern California and I bought a dwarf orange tree to grow in a container. The tree seems to be pretty easy to keep so far and I've even gotten fruit the last 2 years ( i think orange trees don't fruit until they are at least 5 years old) Oh, "dwarf" trees can still grow to be 10-12 feet tall, but they can be pruned to maintain size and shape.

This is the brand I bought and they even have a FAQ on keeping a tree indoors:
http://www.fourwindsgrowers.com/growing/houseplants.html

As for buying one in Canada, have you checked your local nurseries or home depot? i know around here they usually keep them in stock in the spring, not so sure about now.

Gdiguy

I think they'll grow basically to normal size eventually, it's just that the growth rate is severely stunted, so that they'll still be manageable for a decade or two instead of a year


I (also in northern Cal) have 3 of those (two dwarf blood oranges and a dwarf mandarin), and they've done very well so far in pretty big containers on my front stoop area... as long as you can get good sunlight indoors, they should be fine (the sunlight is the big key though). Four winds is the same brand I bought (though I also got them from a local nursery, avoiding the shipping charges you'll wind up paying buying online)

Re vch457: I've actually gotten fruit on mine already, though they were probably a year or two old when I bought them... I believe most of them are every-other-year bearing, though, so one year you'll probably only get one or two (or no) oranges (but the tree will grow like crazy), whereas the next year you'll get a ton but not much growth

MetroidZoid

Hey, I know a thing or two about citrus trees and the growing of!

Okay, what you want to make sure of is that the tree you grow on is on a dwarf root stock. Not semi-dwarf, as that will stick push 6+ feet and want to keep growing. A tree on dwarf root stock should be able to be confined to under 4 feet, and in a container no more than 24" wide. Bigger is better, but citrus can stand to be a little rootbound and still look healthy and produce fine.

I'm assuming Ontario, Canada? I don't know what your summers are like, but a citrus tree will love you immensely if you can get it outside after the nightime temps are above 60*, and bring it in before they drop below that. Some stuff, like Meyer Lemons (seedless delights, can't get 'em in grocery stores because they don't ship well) can take it colder. Kumquats are the hardiest citrus. Citrons (big Buddha hand things) are the least hardy, oranges and mandarins fall between depending on their heritage.

Watering depends on where it is and what time of year, but if you've kept any houseplant alive, or have experience with them, watering is fairly easy. With humidity, like sitting the pot on a tray of gravel + water, I water my tree rarely in winter. Also try to keep it in a cooler room, away from stoves and heater vents if you can. They hate dry indoor breezes.

Fertilizer is important; almost anything from an all-purpose (5-5-5, 7-7-7, etc) to something higher in phosphorus and potassium, less nitrogen (2-7-6, 5-9-8, etc. I'm just making up numbers, but you can find anything in that range about. Look what's it's made of, rather than just the percentages) will work as a regular fertilizer, obviously giving less in fall thru winter because the tree will go slightly dormant. But the biggie is using a fertilizer that contains Iron, Zinc, and Manganese. I find more often than not these are in liquid fertilizers. My preference, and I don't know about their availability in Canada, is Dr. Earth's Bloom Booster as a granular fertilizer in the active growing season, and using Dr. Earth's 3-3-3 All purpose Liquid fertilizer once a month. The metals are what keeps the leaves from getting yellow veins, or yellow leaves with green veins.

Also don't be afraid to start with a younger tree; my Meyer Lemon was a #5 pot size plant, about 3 feet tall, a year and a half ago. Now it's in a 24" pot and reaches up to my chest. I love it so.

E: Also, lighting. I've heard reports that a bright southern or western window is sufficient, especially if you turn the plant, but here in Oregon the light cuts back so much after DSL, I imagine it's especially worse up north. My fix, for my other houseplants as well, was a 60w grow light that fits in a regular light socket. I put mine in one of those cheap Wal-Mart lamps, one with a vertical fixture and an adjustable side-arm light. The arm's aimed at the lemon (and a fig, and a philodendron), but looks just like a normal light. Keeps everybody happy.

Gafoto

It might be too late in the year to get one shipped to you but Logee's in Connecticut sells a wonderful variety of exotic Citrus. If the temps are too cold there's always next year.

I've been to the actual greenhouses and they're pretty fantastic. They have a 110 year old Ponderosa Lemon growing inside the greenhouses (which are obviously just as old). Just in case you ever happen to be in the Connecticut area!

Phoenix-D

Be careful about buying from a US source, though. I dunno what Canada is like, but getting live plants- especially citrus- into the US is more complicated than you'd think.