How to grow huge lemons indoors

I have a secret to share about lemon trees. They don’t just produce delicious lemons. They also produce tiny, delicate white blossoms that give off the most delectable, sweet, citrusy floral perfume.

And despite what you may have read online in other articles, in my experience, they are EASY to grow indoors – if you grow the right variety and treat it well and don’t mind waiting up to 9 months for the fruit to ripen. That’s right. NINE looooonnnngggg months!

Note: This is the reason for the green lemon in the above picture. I wish it was an exotic green coloured lemon from a faraway land, but no. It’s an unripe one. I just couldn’t wait 9 months to share this post with you.

Before I get into the details of how to grow a lemon tree indoors, here are four reasons why you should have one.

Four reasons to grow a lemon tree indoors

1. Your home will be filled with a sweet, citrusy floral fragrance

I had no idea lemon trees gave off such a wonderful, fresh lemon aroma and now I couldn’t imagine not having this spectacular scented treat in my home. And not just once a year. My two lemon trees like to bloom several times a year. It’s like having your own all-natural scented plugin. But better. Because you get to eat lemons!

2. Lemons so fresh and delicious you won’t want to buy the ones from the supermarket

Or at least that is what I’m led to believe because I’m still waiting for my ONE, humongous lemon to turn yellow so I can harvest it. I have had this tree for a year and although there are other small ones beginning to grow, this is my first fully grown lemon. It’s the size of a grapefruit and weighs roughly two pounds.

But it’s still green.  Apparently, it can take up to 9 months for them to ripen, which they do from the inside out. Why is my lemon so big? It’s a Ponderosa lemon, which is supposed to have an intense lemon flavour making them excellent for juicing (read: lots of homemade gourmet lemonade) and cooking or just squirting into your evening tea.

Each lemon also has an abundance of lemon skin for zest. Fresh lemon blueberry muffins, anyone? Or maybe lemon cheesecake? Or lemon zest pasta? The point is you will have the freshest lemons on hand for whatever recipes you invent.

I chose the self-fertile Ponderosa lemon tree because it isn’t too fussy about soil type and does well in containers or so the tag told me. Fortunately, the tag did live up to its claims.

I also grow this Meyer lemon bush indoors. No, it’s not a tree, but in comparison to my “one lemon wonder tree”, after one year this little bush has several lemons growing on it and it is supposed to produce year-round. Meyer lemons are also juicier and less acidic than a typical lemon.

3. Easy to grow

I’ll be honest. I didn’t have high hopes for my lemon tree experiment. I had read it is really hard to grow lemon trees indoors, but for once something I tried was actually easy. Of course, I had to write this blog post to celebrate this fact – The Old Walsh Farm tried something and it worked and they didn’t injure any body parts (or their animals’ body parts), get stung, cry, or….you get the picture.

4. Lemon trees are beautiful

Indoor plants seem to be all the rage in décor these days so if you’re going to plant something in your home anyway, why not consider a lemon tree? They are definitely beautiful with their dark, green glossy leaves, lacy pink and white flowers and bright yellow lemons – well, at least in 9 months from now when my lemons turn yellow.

How to grow a lemon tree indoors

Step 1 – Plant it

I bought my lemon trees from The Green Barn Nursery and then simply filled a large pot with Pro-Mix Organic All-Purpose Potting Soil and planted them in. Simple.

Step 2 – Give it sunshine

You must place this tree in a south-facing window – or else. No ifs, ands or buts. You will NOT get any lemons and your tree will not thrive if it does not receive the proper light. Lemons love sunshine – the more, the better.

Step 3 – Feed it

I keep the tree well fed throughout the year with fertilizer. I use worm castings as well as Neptune’s Harvest Organic Fish Seaweed Fertilizer. Fish and seaweed are some of the world’s best natural fertilizers. You simply mix one ounce of the fertilizer in a gallon of water and pour evenly around your tree.

Neptune’s Harvest Organic Fish Seaweed Fertilizer is cheaper for me to buy on Amazon, but may not be for you. Check your local garden store first although I’d prefer you’d buy it online from this link right here because I receive a small commission. Just being honest here!.

Step 4 – Water it

I water my lemon tree when I remember. There is probably some secret formula for this that you should follow, but I check on the tree every now and then and water it if the surface of the soil seems dry. Although I don’t do this, you could also put a saucer filled with pebbles and water underneath your plant to raise the humidity for this tropical tree.

So what are you waiting for?

Lemon trees are easy to grow, produce delicious fruit, make your home smell like a bouquet of lemon flowers –  Why the heck not give this a try? In about a year from now, you can enjoy one big, ginormous green lemon. It will all be worth it.

PIN IT FOR LATER!

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