Greenhouse grown Citrus in zone 6
blazeaglory
11 years ago
Featured Answer
Comments (18)
krismast
11 years agoblazeaglory
11 years agoRelated Discussions
Indoor container grown citrus
Comments (4)I don't have your climate but I do have a dwarf Meyer lemon which has lived with me for over a decade and which comes in every winter. Citrus are not winter hardy in the UK. It is in a terracotta pot with a soil based mix (John Innes n03.) It is indoors from mid November to mid-March in a greenhouse attached to the house. We can have very gloomy weather in winter with about 7 - 8 hours daylight in mid winter and often little actual sunshine. The tree can take temps down to just above freezing if it has to and I think it is probably not a good idea to keep citrus too warm in winter. They should just be ticking over. It gets scale indoors but I remove this with babywipes and outdoors in the summer it doesn't happen . In summer it lives on a balcony but we don't get the heat you do. I give it a summer citrus feed when I remember....See MoreHelp--can citrus survive in zone 6-7?
Comments (7)i have 5 citrus tree under an 800w super spectrum lighting system. if you google super spectrun, you will find a bunch of online places selling them. essentially, its a pre-wired unit that contains both a metal halide and a high pressure sodium bulb- ie a red light to promote flowering and a blue light to promote vegative growth. i have had the trees indoors for about 3 months- doing great so far- ton of blossoms and no leaf drop. the super spectrum lights come in 400w, 600w 800w, and 1000w set ups. also check out garden webs growing under lights forum. members post incredibly technical posts that are too much for me- but maybe you'll have the patience. the super spectrum lights though are extremely simple to use because they are an all in one package. some claim that are better lights out there but as a package deal, requiring no knowledge of lighting, this is up there. hope that helps meyer. below are some links to some of my citrus and other plants http://s189.photobucket.com/albums/z285/lycheeluva/?start=0 http://s189.photobucket.com/albums/z285/lycheeluva/tropical%20plants%20feb%202008/...See MoreGreenhouse citrus in ohio
Comments (15)I grow my citrus in a hoophouse that I seal up tight and heat in the winter like a greenhouse. The roof is double layer of plastic sheeting but the side walls and end walls are single layer reinforced plastic curtains - so it is not very energy efficient. At first I only tried to keep it above freezing. I'm in zone 7b (Raleigh, NC) and it wasn't too hard, most winter days are in the 50's in the daytime and low 30's at night. Lately we've been having periods of very cold nights - lows in the single digits and daytime highs in the 20's (and cloudy) so it has been a lot more work to keep the plants happy these last couple of years. I heat with wood for the most part (wood is free). I have kerosene and electric heaters for backup or if I need more heat than the wood stove can provide. It's do-able but time consuming (chopping all that wood) and expensive (buying high quality kero or paying the electric bill). No matter what you grow in a greenhouse in the winter, it is an expensive hobby. In my experience my trees got too big to move in and out in a couple of years. They also got too big to repot easily soon after that. I solved that problem by making what I call 'cage pots' made by circling the tree with a ring of hardware cloth lined with landscape fabric and held together with zip ties. That way I don't have to lift anything to repot them, just snip the zip ties and open up the cage and replace the media. Citrus love the extra drainage. The only problem with this is that the pots are not movable (no bottoms) and they hold around 50 gallons of media each. A side effect of all those large pots of media is that they hold on to a lot of heat (damp media stays warm longer than just about anything). So during the day I let thing heat up as high as they can get in the middle of the winter knowing that the days are short and that after sun set I will have a few hours before things get cold enough to need extra heat. Back when the trees were smaller I would even store large tubs of potting media in the corners to act as heat sinks. Some people do the same sort of thing with large containers of water, but I find that water gives up its heat faster than damp media. I aim to keep everything around 50 degrees which keeps the roots active. If you want to store the plants at a lower temperature you would want to keep things dryer to avoid rotting the roots....See MoreGreenhouse to grow tropicals in zone 6b
Comments (9)Here is a site that may give you some ideas. http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Sunspace/sunspaces.htm#Greenhouse%20Plans If you build your own I would suggest either aluminum or galvanized steel for long life. This is a link to one of the major suppliers of galvanized steel to the industry. http://www.atc-mechanical.com/applications/greenhouse-structures/ Many of us on here have built our own greenhouses. It may take some digging on here but it is well worth your time for the ideas you can get. Your heat source is also something to consider from the beginning. I have radiant heat in my concrete floor which is heated by circulating hot water through Pex tubing in the floor (you would need a circulating fan to make this effective). The heat source is an on demand hot water heater using propane fuel. You might consider some version of a Modine heater fired by natural gas or propane. With a Modine the heat would be circulated with a fan that is part of the unit. Some people use wood stoves or pellet stoves. Good luck with your project !...See Morejustfigured
11 years agodenninmi
11 years agomeyermike_1micha
11 years agokrismast
11 years agojustfigured
11 years agoblazeaglory
11 years agoblazeaglory
11 years agocurlygirl
11 years agomeyermike_1micha
11 years agocebury
11 years agofruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
11 years agoblazeaglory
11 years agofruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
11 years agodenninmi
11 years agoblazeaglory
11 years ago
Related Stories
GARDENING GUIDESGreat Design Plant: Kumquats for a Juiced-Up Winter
Grow it for the edible fruit or its good looks alone. This citrus cousin will brighten any gray winter day
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDES6 Captivating Roses for an Alluringly Fragrant Garden
Perfume your garden with aromas from richly spicy to lightly sweet, without sacrificing an inch of color
Full StoryWINTER GARDENING6 Reasons I’m Not Looking Forward to Spring
Not kicking up your heels anticipating rushes of spring color and garden catalogs? You’re not alone
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESYour Garden: 6 Fragrant Plants Surprise and Delight
Enchant the senses and enliven your landscape with scented foliage that goes beyond everyday florals
Full StoryWINTER GARDENINGExtend Your Growing Season With a Cold Frame in the Garden
If the sun's shining, it might be time to sow seeds under glass to transplant or harvest
Full StoryHOUSEPLANTS8 Essentials for Healthy Indoor Plants
Houseplants add so much to our homes — and can thrive when grown in the right conditions. Keep these tips in mind
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNThe Art of the Espalier
Go ahead, let limited garden space drive you up the walls. With these 6 ways to train plants vertically, it can be a beautiful thing
Full StoryFARM YOUR YARD10 Easy Edibles to Grow in Containers
These herbs, vegetables and fruits are just as happy in a pot as they are in the ground
Full StoryGARDENING AND LANDSCAPING40 Great Gifts for Gardeners
What to Get for Green-Thumb Types. It's a No-Gnome Zone.
Full StoryEDIBLE GARDENSA Formerly Weedy Lot Now Brims With Edibles and Honeybees
Photographers transform their barren backyard into an oasis filled with fruit, vegetables, honey, eggs and more
Full StoryColumbus Area's Luxury Design Build Firm | 17x Best of Houzz Winner!
fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX