GROW CITRUS ANYTIME (Winter, For Instance...)

[Daddieo]

"A feature of royal and aristocratic residences from the 17th to the 19th centuries. A type of greenhouse, with citrus trees being grown in tubs and wintering under cover, it originated from the Renaissance gardens of Italy, when glass-making technology enabled sufficient expanses of clear glass to be produced.

"The Orangerie at the Palace of the Louvre, 1617, inspired imitations that were not eclipsed until the development of the modern greenhouse in the 1840s, which was quickly overshadowed by the architecture in glass of Joseph Paxton. Notable for his design of the Crystal Palace his "great conservatory" at Chatsworth House was an Orangery and glass house of monumental proportions.

"The Orangery, however, was not just a "green house" but a symbol of prestige and wealth and a feature of the garden, in the same way as a summerhouse, folly or "Grecian temple." Owners would conduct their guests there on tours of the garden to admire not only the fruits within but the architecture without. Often the Orangery would contain fountains and grottos and an area to sit and take of a light repast."

After reading THAT, do you think an Orangery is something you can have in your own home? After all, it sounds pretty expensive and difficult, if only the very wealthy could pull it off. Well, put those thoughts aside, because all an Orangery really means is to grow citrus indoors. Plus, we have something even the kings and queens didn't, and that is, we have several varieties of citrus that can fruit and flower year-round indoors.

Originally, even the aristocrats could only have citrus indoors in the winter. Eventually, they had to have the gardeners put the containers back outside during the spring and summer, in order for the plants to get enough light and heat to produce fruit. That's what made the Orangery so special, they could now have citrus indoors all year long.

We can too, because believe it or not, citrus is suitable for growing indoors. In fact, it is surprisingly easy to grow, and offers dark, green foliage, beautiful sweet-smelling flowers, and, with some species, flowers and fruit year-around.

What to buy:

It's best to choose dwarf varieties, or trees that are naturally small, like a Calamondin orange (Citrus mitis) or a Key lime (Citrus aurantiifolia), because you'll be growing these in containers. When you make your purchase, just make sure you choose a true dwarf tree: one that has been grafted onto a dwarfing rootstock.

You'll want to buy trees that are about two years old, which is usually what nurseries carry. If you want, you can start a citrus plant from the seeds of store-bought fruit. They become beautiful, long-lived foliage plants. Keep in mind however, that plants from store-bought fruit rarely ever flower or produce fruit. If you want to try, sow the seeds in small pots in a warm, bright location. Seedlings usually appear in 2-3 weeks.

Basic Care:

Dwarf citrus grow from 2- 3 feet (0.60 - 0.91 m) tall and are just about as wide. They like lots of bright, direct sunlight, just as they would outside. Plants that stay indoors year-round, need plenty of light and warm temperatures to bear sweet fruit, so they will need a sunroom or bright, south-facing window. They like 55 - 68° F (12.7 - 20° Celsius) and around 30 -60 % humidity.

I have personally grown citrus, and even banana trees indoors, and the real trick is not only having good light and warmth, but most importantly, humidity.

The average home has 15 - 20 % humidity, so you will need to make adjustments to meet the 30-60 % humidity requirement. This is easy to do. Either put your plants in a very bright, well-lit bathroom where there already is more humidity, or raise the humidity in another part of the house by grouping plants together, using a humidifier or cool-mist vaporizer, or putting out a few bowls of water that will evaporate and help raise the average humidity around the plants.