Citrus as houseplants...

[wispandex_bulge]

Just out of curiosity, have any of you grown citrus as house plants? If so do you have any suggestions on light and fertilization? I'm pretty limited on temperature and moisture being here in wisconsin. However, I have read that many citrus trees make very good foliage house plants. I now have two 3 month old grapefruit seedlings. Please let me know if you have any advice...

 

[Nelly Gay]

Just out of curiosity, have any of you grown citrus as house plants? If so do you have any suggestions on light and fertilization? I'm pretty limited on temperature and moisture being here in wisconsin. However, I have read that many citrus trees make very good foliage house plants. I now have two 3 month old grapefruit seedlings. Please let me know if you have any advice...

Sadly, Oranges and Lemons (like Apples) grown from seed rarely fruit .
Those specimens grown for fruit are usually grafted.
None-the-less the self-sown seedlings make attractive plants.
Some friends actually over-winter their Citrus trees OUTSIDE (in London) safely.
An elderly aunt grew 3ft specimens from orange pips.
Avacado also makes a showy house-plant with large, glossy leaves !
The Citrus family are quite easy to grow and can be put outside in the summer ....

 

[DC_DEEP]

My Mom grew a grapefruit tree from seeds, too. I don't know that it ever bore fruit, but that's ok.

The plants are BEAUTIFUL. Just be careful of the thorns (not too plentiful, but they are there.) The leaves are a dark, bright, glossy green. And once it gets larger, you can actually use the leaves as a spice/seasoning.

I'm not sure about the soil and fertilizer requirements, but you can surely find those online. We had our grapefruit tree LONG before the internet, and just put it in dirt, and watered it when it looked a little dry. Good luck!

 

[D_Bob_Crotchitch]

Most of the citrus grown as house plants are dwarf varieties. They can be grown in tubs and will bear fruit. Check seed catalogs like burpies, parks, etc or talk to your local nursery owner.

 

[joyboytoy79]

Citrus require bright light. In wisconsin it would be best to place them in a south facing window (if you have a south facing bay, it would be perfect) during winter. In late spring begin transitioning the plants outside by bringing them outdoors for an hour in the morning, and increasing to 4 hours over the course of a week. Thereafter they can be left outside the entire summer (but may need to be brought in during hale or wind storms). A standard tomato-type fertilizer may be applied if the foliage begins to look ill (yellow, or pale green when mature). Seed grown specimins will flower, and may set fruit, although the fruit will likely be unpalatable. To maintain house-sized plants, prune back heavily in the spring, just before moving the plants outside. Be mindful of pests, such as spider mites.