For you who must bring citrus inside for the winter.

[Dave_E]

Hi All,

After probably too much reading up on grow lights, LDI, PPFD, LUX etc., I put my light meter next to the trees on my back porch in the pure sunlight and got readings that were mind boggling compared to anything I can get from any combination of grow lights unless the leaves are maybe an inch away from the light source. I know the merchants want to sell me their biggest, brightest and very expensive grow lights and try to convince me I have to have these to grow things.

I’d like to hear from you who do move your citrus outside and back inside every season. Do you have elaborate megga grow lights for your one or two potted citrus trees? What have you noticed about plant growth inside and outside? I’ve had folks tell me they simply move their citrus tree into the garage and have 1 light on it. I’m in the unknown region and would like to hear from you who have walked in the nooby citrus grower’s shoes and live in the northern latitudes.

Thanks - Dave

[BorisR]

Dave, you need read this.

[eggeto]

Not the best reference, but here’s my setup:

I live in an apartment.

Normally, I move the plants inside around mid-October and take them back out in mid-March, when daytime temperatures are consistently around 15°C.

In winter, indoor temperatures range between 15°C and 22°C. I have a south-facing window, and I place glasses of water around the plants to help with humidity.

I use two Sansi 35-watt grow lights. They're on for 6 hours a day, which should be enough for 4–6 small plants.
There are better options out there, like these: [https://www.geturbanleaf.com/blogs/lighting/best-led-screw-in-grow-light-bulbs](https://www.geturbanleaf.com/blogs/lighting/best-led-screw-in-grow-light-bulbs)

Citrus grown from seed tends to grow slowly.
Citrus grafted onto rootstock is a different story.

[Moomin]

Dave, you need read this.

This is quite interesting, but I have made an entirely different experience with my citrus here in Switzerland. I leave them out in the cold (unheated greenhouse) as long as possible, until temperatures drop below -3°C. Then I bring them inside the house, but only for as long as necessary, until temps go back up to 0°C. Inside the house they have no grow light whatsoever, only the light from east facing windows, which is definitely not much. The room is about 15°C, I water only when the top 5cm of the potting mix are completely dry. It sometimes requires several moves and I will have to think of an easier way to do this once the pots get really heavy, but for now this works for me. My sweet Pursha Lime and Yuzu haven't lost a single leaf this Winter. The Pursha produced 19 new flower buds and both had lots of new growth as soon as temperatures started to rise in Spring.

[1rainman]

If possible keep the light close to the plant like an inch or two above it. Use window light as well. Use two different spectrum bulbs or three. I grew lemons in ohio though my plant did a lot better in summer it did ok in winter. Theres a lot more problem with insects when you move a plant indoors generally you have to watch it closely. If you get a a few warm days take it outside and spray it with a hose to get light and a shower or throw it in a bathtub and shower it helps keep away spider mites and such. I kept it outside anytime temps were above freezing basically. But it got big and had thorns. When wet it got too heavy to move seems to lose 100 pounds when soil gets completely dry. Not too heavy bone dry but the sheer size of the plant got to be more difficult. But once its big you have to stop watering it and let it dry out to get light enough to move around.

[Dave_E]

Thanks for the discussion folks! I have done much research and I like to ask the forum because the forum has usually "been there, done that” and that’s how we learn and share with one another. Someday I can answer questions for another noob.  They just never quit coming. 

Dave