Nan, Its not a harebrained idea.
I grow a Key lime in a pot. It doesn't come into my house over the winter because my house is rather dark and space is also an issue. I do make an 8x12 hoop house each winter that I heat with a space heater. Keeping the temp no lower than 45 degrees. I've done this for the past 2 years and I've got fruit. Now because I'm not perfect with my temps nor my watering I keep stressing the lime so it throws it into flowering so, I get a couple fruit at a time off and on throughout the year.

Tanya

Thanks Tanya. I will let DH know he can proceed then. I keep my area in the garage heated and lit for other things I propagate, etc., so maybe that will be the spot for this tree. I really do miss the smell of citrus blooms anyway and wouldn't mind trying this one bit.
-Nan

I have a meyer's lemon tree that I bought from Springhill nursery. It has lemons on it right now. They are still small and green but they are growing. This is the second year that I have had it. I kept it in the garage over the winter where it got a little sun through a window. It did fine.

Ginger

Yep, definitely possible! DH and I have a meyer lemon tree that's around 4 years old now. We're growing it hydroponically, so it's essentially in a big pot that recirculates water/nutrients over the roots. It stays outside during the summer and in our unheated garage under a grow light in winter. We get 4-6 lemons per year from it, and they have a wonderful taste. One tip: ours tends to bloom in late winter/early spring when it's still in the garage. If yours is still inside when it blooms, be sure to hand-pollenate with a small paintbrush or Q-tip (unless you also keep bees in your garage!) :-)

You might want to do some research on the varieties you find available. A lot of citrus bloom during our cooler months and it takes around a year for the fruit to ripen (some take as long as 14 months!). All of this makes it difficult to get bumper crops when you have to overwinter them in anything except a heated greenhouse. There are varieties of lemons and limes that kinda bloom and fruit all year long and they make better patio plants. I have a meyer lemon and a persian lime both of which I bought at my neighborhood home improvement store.

John- you didn't mention if you were pleased with your choices there? Do these do their "thang" for you all through the year like you mentioned?
-Nan

Since you guys are on the subject of citrus, I would like to take this opportunity to invite any Carolina gardeners to the 4th annual Southeastern Citrus Expo. The event will be held on Nov.18th starting at 9 am at the Virginia Beach Aquarium in Va Bch. There will be a citrus fruit contest, speakers on both inground and pot culture citrus and a tour of Pungo Palms Nursery as well as a citrus,palm and exotic plant sale. There is a bus trip planned for that Friday the 17th for any of you in SC or NC that would be interested in going. Cost of the bus trip and overnite stay in Va Bch is only 105 per person. The bus will make stops in Charleston, SC, Florence, SC and Fayetteville NC for anyone who would like to go on a road trip with a bunch of citruholics. Anyone interested can contact me and I will be glad to mail a brochure on the subject. Just email me thru Garden Web for more details. Hope to meet some of you in November at the Expo.

Nan - they are definitely doin their thang! I bought them last summer and overwintered them in my hoop house over the winter. I only keep it above freezing but the cool and damp conditions seem to suit them well, they bloomed and bloomed and bloomed - which means that I pollinated and pollinated (the hardest part was wearing the bumble bee costume!). They are still kinda small - maybe 2.5 feet tall but they each have 6 - 12 fruit on them. The meyer lemon had fruit on it when I bought it and I waited a few months to harvest it. I should have waited longer because it had no flavor at all. I guess I will have to learn how to tell when the fruit it ripe. But yes, I am very happy with my patio citrus plants.

You should definitely be able to grow lemons in a pot. When I lived in Italy I noticed that most home gardeners grew just about everything in pots - HUGE terra cotta pots - don't know why. The owner of the house where I lived had enormous, freely bearing lemon and other citrus trees in pots. Her gardener hauled them all into the greenhouse or the skylit foyer in fall. In spring they went back out into the garden. I can't imagine moving a pot that large without help, though.

John- I knew you would have the technique down on keeping these alive. I'll follow your lead, sans the bumble bee suit. LOL And not to worry Linda- I always keep the hand truck handy in Fall for hauling in a pile of stuff to keep alive. Managed to keep my Mandevilla alive and kickin' this year for once! The real trick is knowing when it's safe to haul it all back in Spring without getting a surprise freeze. Now I'm inspired- wonder if I "could" grow an avocado tree this way too?
-Nan

you could, and it makes a nice tree, but don't bet the bank on getting avocadoes. from seed, it's doubtful. there are some small varieties sold just for that purpose, but even those have to get some size before they'll bear. maybe if you have a greenhouse... i have the name of a nursery in fla that sells stuff like that if you want it. it ain't cheap, but it's hard to find that kind of thing anywhere else. email me. tam

I have been growing a lemon tree in a pot for 2 years. I can see that the plant is healthy and green, with even a few new leaves this year. My concern is that it is not growing fast enough. It is only about 2 feet high and it does not seem that it will be getting larger, and this is not a dwarf tree. I have also not seen it flower at all. It has full sun, what else could I check on to make sure it has all it needs. I am thinking of re-potting with new better soil. Any suggestions? Thank you...