Dwarf Key Lime indoor, no problem?

16 years ago

My question is, do citrus kept indoors during the winter grow much? Here's why I ask.

I bought what was sold to me as a dwarf key lime tree. I say that cause I bought it online and ya just never know what ya really get. Anyway, I'm in Iowa and it's cold/dark. A couple of weeks ago I decided that my lime might need some water. I'm petrified of over watering citrus indoors, so I've only watered a couple of times since October when I brought him in. I happened to have some "acid loving plant" fertilizer that I picked up this summer, just sitting around in my kitchen. Figured. . .meh, how much could a little bit hurt mixed into the water?

I just noticed the other day that almost every branch tip on my plant(not a tree yet)has between a quarter and a half of an inch of brand new growth that has appeared since then. When I bought him, he was barely a toothpick, and last summer he branched out a lot but didn't really get much taller. Since I've brought him inside in October, he's done nothing. Until I watered and included that fertilizer. He's in a south window, and I'm just chuffed that he hasn't died.

So, do most citrus still put out new growth in the winter if they're kept inside? Or is this maybe a reaction to the days starting to get longer?

Just wondering,

Thanks for any info,

dave

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Comments (7)

User
16 years ago
I don't know. Citrus can be funny. Not doing anything and then putting out of flush of new growth. I've had citrus outside in full summer sun not do much only to start growing in the middle of the winter, in a basement under flourescent lighting. Go figure. I don't much care if they go dormant in winter. I keep mine now in very cool and slightly arid conditions to encourage some degree of dormancy before (hopefully) their season of active growth. Good luck!
don_in_ct
16 years ago
tdave,

I would say winter growth is normal. Once the sun starts moving back toward the northern hemisphere, citrus trees kept indoors but in a well-lit (southern or western) window will tend to flower and grow. This makes a reasonable degree of sense: outdoors, citrus often begin to flower and grow around this time of year too.

Don
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Thanks for the responses guys. I mentioned I didn't think it was the water or fertilizing, but it certainly could be. Again, I'm a rookie and that was just my guess. Feel free to correct me - you all know much more than me so you're not going to hurt my feelings ;) My soil moisture test is pretty basic - I stick my finger in the soil about an inch down and if it feels completely dry I water it. I dump enough to submerge the rootball before it all soaks in. With this method I end up watering it every 2-3 days. Not very scientific I know but it seemed to be sufficient. The pot has some gravel in the bottom so drainage is pretty good. When I moved it outside we did get a couple pretty rainy nights so it probably did get a bunch of water those 2-3 days. Perhaps that is also a factor. I had assumed 2 or 3 overwaterings wouldn't be that bad given that it has pretty good drainage. I'm going to google the 'dowel method' now. Thanks for the tip. As for fertilizer I have to admit I only added it once at the end of the winter and it was some generic Miracle Grow plant fertilizer, nothing special for citrus trees. Go easy on me guys. I figured a generic fertilizer applied sparingly would either help or at worst no hurt too much. I'm going to order some citrus fertilizer soon. If the leaves are just falling off to make way for new ones I should see some newer, tiny leaves coming in right? It must seem like I have no idea what I'm doing... which is probably true it large part. I read some stuff when I got the tree and followed some simple rules. For a year the tree did so well I was convinced key lime trees were so robust you didn't have to do much at all. Clearly I was wrong.
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Again, check the soil way down at the bottom, Mile High. You made up your own mixture, and believe it or not, it may still be retaining too much water at the bottom of your pot. Cactus mix and perlite will still retain too much water. Especially when you bring your tree inside for the winter. Which is why Mike shared with you using the 511 mix. O don't even use cactus mix and perlite in S. California, where it is almost as dry as Colorado, and I can keep my trees outside all year. My customized 511 mix is 3 parts bagged mix (usually MiracleGro Vegetable Soil), 1 part perlite and 1 part small bark chips (usually reptile mix or coarse orchid mix). I think the issue you're having is from past and possibly continued root damage, some of it a delayed response, and possibly some of it a response to continued root damage. I think the roots are damaged enough that the plant cannot sustain growth at the apical ends of the branches, and they are just dying back (called Die Back, interestingly enough). So, I would make absolutely sure you're not continuing with more root rot. I think the chlorosis you're seeing being caused by inadequate root growth, not inadequate fertilizer. If the roots are so damaged that they cannot take up nutrients, you'll see chlorosis, despite fertilizing. Your best bet? Re-pot now, with 511 mix. Trim off any dead, rotten roots. You may even have to flush the pot with a weak bleach solution to stop the root rot (I think Mike has had to do this in the past, so search the forum for the bleach to water ratio, you don't want it to be too strong, or you'll kill your plant). Then, once re-planted with a properly porous mix, start fertilizing with 1/2 strength Foliage Pro until you start to see some recovery. Once you do, you can move up to full strength Foliage Pro, and add some Osmocote Plus time release fertilizer (please do not use anything else, many of the time release fertilizers have too much urea--based nitrogen, which will burn the roots, and also do not contain micronutrients, as Osmocote Plus does). Patty S.
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tdave8666
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks. I was surprised, pleasantly, when I noticed. Had thought maybe it was reacting to the sunlight.

thanks again.
d
lanier_2007
16 years ago
Mine put out new growth and is covered in flowers and limes by a south facing window in my studio. So I guess yours is doing just as it should! :)
tdave8666
Original Author
16 years ago
Lanier,

I'm sure it's too young and small to flower and grow any limes yet. Was a toothpick a year ago. I'm guessing probably two more years before it flowers and tries to fruit? When do they usually start that? How large of a pot will I eventually need?

dave
lanier_2007
16 years ago
dave,

Mine is about four years old and in a 27-30 inch pot. Pot and all it stands about 6 feet. I've got it growing more tall than bushy for space reasons in the cold months. Otherwise it is outside my door in dappled sunlight. You never know about flowering young. I have two meyer lemons that are just twigs but have flowers.

Melanie
tdave8666
Original Author
16 years ago
Melanie,

Thanks. I've been surfing around looking at ideas to help him deal. Do you re-pot often? Do you prune roots? I'm guessing my pot is probably 20-24 inches across. I put him right in there when I got him. Decided to go with a larger pot from day one, because I'm scared to re-pot him. Mostly, I'm afraid of the thorns. I'm hoping to keep him from getting any taller than about six feet so the majority of his leaves are at the height of my South windows for winter. I'm sure I'm concerned about this far too early, but eventually I will need to re-pot him and maybe prune some roots.

Thanks for the info,
Much Obliged.
dave

Dwarf Key Lime indoor, no problem?

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