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Even if you do not live in Florida or California and have less than suitable conditions or space is an issue you can still enjoy citrus trees - grow them in containers for use outdoors on the patio or as a houseplant.
If you are wondering what the dividing line is temperature wise between indoor or outdoor care here it is. If temperatures dip below 4 degrees Celsius (25 F) the plants will need some frost protection. If the temperature drops regularly below 4 degrees look for a bright spot indoors.
When growing citrus in containers follow these tips:
For soil do not use soil from the garden, use a potting soil or media mix designed or developed for potted plants. Just because citrus is grown in the ground does not mean you should use the same type soil.
Look for ever-blooming varieties:
The most tender of the citrus are - Limes - and usually they come with thorns. Limes make actually be easier to grow in a container than grown in the ground. They need to be protected if the temperature falls below 0 degrees (32 F) and need to be watched for wind chill injury.
Calamondins are a small, sour orange citrus fruit and fairly cold tolerant. The calamondin is grown more for looks than the fruit it produces. However, it is a great tree for use on the patio and is hardy down to -6 degrees (20 F). Of all the citrus for container use the calamondin will probably be the easiest to find at your local nursery or garden center.
For a fast growing citrus that grows well in containers go for Lemons. Watch out for frost as they are tender and need to be brought inside if the thermometer goes down to 0 degrees (30 F). Most lemons produce fruit year-round.
The Kumquat produces lots of small orange fruit, which can be eaten peel and all. It can tolerate cold much better than any other citrus - down to -8 degrees (18 F). It is excellent as a container plant, and extremely ornamental for use in the landscape.
All of these varieties will most likely set fruit indoors during the winter, other varieties of citrus will grow and even flower but do not count on much in the way of fruit.
Try to keep the plants above 13 degrees (55 F). If the plants go below the 13 degree mark the plants could start to go dormant.
When watering your containerized citrus tree make sure the root ball is soaked completely and wait until the top quarter of the soil is dry.
As the weather starts to break and spring comes on and you can move the citrus outdoors - but do it gradually. Bring the plant in at night and outside during the day. Do this for about a month. Remember while the plant is indoors any additional light and extra humidity you can provide will be helpful.
Courtesy of Thomas Fyrd
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