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Growing Dwarf Citrus Trees in the Home

Citrus mitis
October 9, 1999

Dwarf citrus trees such as oranges, lemons, and limes are living conversation pieces. Their shiny foliage, bright fruits, and fragrant blossoms provide year-round enjoyment. Dwarf citrus trees are well adapted to container growing indoors.
Citrus trees like four hours of full sunshine or VERY bright a day to grow and ripen their fruit. They have a shallow root system, so when you are growing them in a container, a wide diameter is far better than a deep one. They prefer light, well-drained soil which is rich in nitrogenous food, such as manure or leaf mold which they need for growth, especially from September to December. In Autumn, fruiting citrus will benefit from plant food rich in Phosphorus and Potassium, which promote flower development and fruit growth. The best growing temperature range would be 68 to 75 degrees F. During the summer months, be sure to provide ample water. Citrus respond to pruning. Keep all the dead branches pruned off, and thin the plant to the three strongest trunks.
Dwarf Citrus

Citrus plants thrive in temperatures between fifty-five and sixty-five degrees. They should be grown near a bright sunny window, or under fluorescent 'grow' lights.
Citrus plants need an acid type soil. If the leaves turn yellow, the soil needs to be made more acid. To maintain the acidity of the soil, dissolve one half teaspoon of magnesium sulfate (epsom salts) into one quart of room temperature water. Use this solution every two or three months. They should be fed with a complete acid type fertilizer (rhododendron, azalea type food) every three months.
Allow the plant to approach dryness before watering. Keep the soil moist, but never saturated.
Dwarf citrus trees require periodic repotting (every third year or so.) The dwarfing characteristics are the result of keeping the tree root bound in the container, so do not used too large of a planter. They have a shallow root system, so a wide diameter container is far better than a deep one. When repotting, use a fresh mixture of one-third peat moss, one-third sand, and one-third sterile potting soil.
Citrus trees respond well to pruning. Keep all the dead branches trimmed off, and thin the plant to the three strongest trunks.
Citrus trees are succeptible to plant scale, mealy bugs, and spider mites, so watch out for them, and treat them appropriately. Citrus blossoms are produced year round, but often will fail to develop fruit. To ensure the setting of fruit, use a small brush to lift the pollen from the stamen (male part of the flower) of one blossom and gently dust it onto the pistol (female part of the flower) in the center of another. Within a few days the pistol should begin to develop a tiny new fruit.
It is possible to propagate citrus trees from seed. Unfortunately however, they will probably never bear fruit. To insure a fruiting specimen, dwarf citrus trees should be propagated from cuttings.


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