Author Topic: tips for bringing your citrus indoors over the winter  (Read 1055 times)

Unicyclemike

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tips for bringing your citrus indoors over the winter
« on: October 01, 2022, 07:51:34 AM »
I have a basement in which I plan to overwinter a couple of citrus that are in 5 gallon buckets. The Temp will be around 55-60 degrees F. I have a Led growth lamp over top of them.  What type of humidity should I try to have around my plants? Should I feed them at all? Should I mist the leaves?

Unicycle Mike

Vlad

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Re: tips for bringing your citrus indoors over the winter
« Reply #1 on: October 01, 2022, 09:48:46 AM »
I have a question to add to the above: what are the light requirements under those conditions?

poncirsguy

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Re: tips for bringing your citrus indoors over the winter
« Reply #2 on: October 01, 2022, 12:03:11 PM »
At 55F to 60F you will not need intense light but will need light equivalent to an overcast day.  No sun but no dark clouds either.

Unicyclemike

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Re: tips for bringing your citrus indoors over the winter
« Reply #3 on: October 01, 2022, 12:15:25 PM »
I am using a 75 watt led grow light. 

Unicycle Mike

poncirsguy

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Re: tips for bringing your citrus indoors over the winter
« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2022, 01:07:21 PM »
How many lumens does it put out.

Unicyclemike

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Re: tips for bringing your citrus indoors over the winter
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2022, 03:56:44 PM »
It does not give the lumens...

Unicycle Mike

poncirsguy

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Re: tips for bringing your citrus indoors over the winter
« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2022, 11:42:28 PM »
I am wondering if the 75 watts is the energy used or represent the power of an incandescent bulb it replaces.

Unicyclemike

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Re: tips for bringing your citrus indoors over the winter
« Reply #7 on: October 02, 2022, 05:01:10 AM »
I don't know anything  about watts/lumens....Could you explain it?

Unicycle Mike

Ilya11

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Re: tips for bringing your citrus indoors over the winter
« Reply #8 on: October 02, 2022, 05:40:27 AM »
I am using Lux Meter Level application on Android device, I guess there is also an equivalent for iphone. For seedlings 5000 lumens is OK for growth, mature plants will need more.
Best regards,
                       Ilya

poncirsguy

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Re: tips for bringing your citrus indoors over the winter
« Reply #9 on: October 02, 2022, 08:58:03 AM »
In the United States Light output is measured in watts with an incandescent bulb, around 1000 Lumens.  If a floresent bulb puts out a 1100 watts it is listed as a 75 watt CFL bulb even though it only uses 17 watts.  LED bulbs will use 10.5 watts for the same light output.

If your light puts out the lumens of a 75 watt incandescent bulb it will not be enough.  If your bulb actually uses 75 watts it will put out as much light as 7 incandescent 75 watt bulbs and should be fine for your use.
« Last Edit: October 02, 2022, 09:02:24 AM by poncirsguy »

Unicyclemike

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Re: tips for bringing your citrus indoors over the winter
« Reply #10 on: October 02, 2022, 12:50:53 PM »
THANK YOU....

Citradia

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Re: tips for bringing your citrus indoors over the winter
« Reply #11 on: October 03, 2022, 12:17:08 PM »
I just put mine near a south or west facing window. The problem with citrus indoors is spider mites. I spray them with neem oil solution or haul them outside once a week if not freezing and blast the underside of leaves with hose. I have also put them in the shower to let it rain on them. Mites don’t like water or humidity. It helps to put a humidifier near your plants too. My in ground citrus in cold frames get water hosed once a week also when not freezing outside. They do better outside in cold frames I think because they get the natural humidity. Once my frames are set up, my maintenance on the cold frame citrus is easier/ less work than the potted ones in the house. Despite my efforts last year, I still had one potted indoor lemon tree defoliate from mites and didn’t recover until put back outside in spring.

Peep

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Re: tips for bringing your citrus indoors over the winter
« Reply #12 on: October 04, 2022, 04:23:53 AM »
To make it more annoying, lumens isn't really a good measurement for plants. Lumens is related to how much light we as human perceive, but for plants it works a bit differently. Other measurements, like PPF (Photosynthetic Photon Flux) and measured in µMol/s, are often used for growlights.

kumin

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Re: tips for bringing your citrus indoors over the winter
« Reply #13 on: October 04, 2022, 05:18:33 AM »
The problem with citrus indoors is spider mites. I spray them with neem oil solution or haul them outside once a week if not freezing and blast the underside of leaves with hose. I have also put them in the shower to let it rain on them. Mites don’t like water or humidity.


After using miticides with inconsistent success in the past within a cold frame environment, I eventually went to mist lines just below the poly covering. Although there's an occasional mite seen, there's no discernable damage. The mist lines also serve as Summer cooling equipment.
« Last Edit: October 04, 2022, 05:20:49 AM by kumin »

kumin

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Re: tips for bringing your citrus indoors over the winter
« Reply #14 on: October 04, 2022, 05:22:50 AM »
The problem with citrus indoors is spider mites. I spray them with neem oil solution or haul them outside once a week if not freezing and blast the underside of leaves with hose.

After using miticides with inconsistent success in the past within a cold frame environment, I eventually went to mist lines just below the poly covering. Although there's an occasional mite seen, there's no discernable damage. The mist lines also serve as Summer cooling equipment.