I had big plans yesterday of spending some quiet time in may office browsing through the 2020 Baker Creek seed catalog and dreaming of the next seasons garden. That dream was quickly brought back to reality when baby Declan decided to join me. After a few failed attempts at letting him play by himself, I realized today would not be the day for seed shopping.
There are affiliate links in this post. Read my disclosure policy to learn more.
His adorable intrusion (and snacking on soil in my avocado tree’s pot #reallife) did bring about my attention to my house plants. I started adding plants around the house last year. I missed getting my hands in the soil and there were too many frigid days left before I could work the ground.
I’ve since acquired quite a few houseplants that are sprinkled around our home. (Except for my office. It’s starting to look like a jungle in here.) There’s a great nursery near my hometown, so whenever I go out to visit, I always try to take some time to check out what’s new. I especially love them for their indoor fruit trees! My thoughts are if I’m going to grow things indoors, the might as well hold future potential for food for us, too!
The sad lemon tree. I moved this one into a spare room to test the amount of light it would receive, and completely forgot to water it. It’s currently being nursed back to health!
Bay Leaf Tree. Honestly, this is my second attempt at growing indoors. This one is thriving with all kinds of new growth!
We have a lime (who was gifted to us from a friend moving out of state and couldn’t take her big baby with her), a variegated lemon tree (my personal favorite, I think she’s stunning), a grapefruit, a traditional lemon, a coffee tree, and a bay leaf tree. I have two avocados I’ve started from pits that also hold special places in my heart! My pineapple was just successfully potted from the cuttings of an actual pineapple fruit! (This was given to my from my mother-in-law, so I haven’t actually propagated one myself yet!) The citrus and coffee tree flowers are SO fragrant. In my opinion, they are worth the investment just for the fragrance alone!
My variegated pink lemon tree! The white parts on the leaves are more susceptible to sunburn, so take care if you move them out into the sun, they will need more time to acclimate to the change than others.
A few tips I’ve acquired:
- Check out your plants thoroughly before bringing them home. You want to look for fungus gnats, spider mites, and mealy bugs around the soil, under the leaves, and along the trunks.
- Use a quality, organic, and well-draining soil. Citrus love water, but it must drain well. They can suffer from root rot, so only water when you can stick your finger in to the second knuckle and not feel moisture.
- I’ve found with all our indoor fruit/edible plants that terra-cotta works best. The water gets wicked away through the pot, and I generally juts prefer the earthy look they give. Some don’t like the mineral deposits that can form on the outside, so do keep that in mind when choosing your pots.
4. Fertilize! Your potted plants have no way to receive the proper bacteria, fungi, and organic material they need to be healthy. I love Jobes Organics for my citrus, coffee, and avocado and on occasion use a sprinkle of Iron-tone if the leaves start turning yellow.
5. Sunlight. All of these do well with bright, direct light. Once temperatures reach above 55*F outside, you can move them to a sunny spot outdoors for the warmer months. Indoor plants are not used to direct sunlight right away (similar to our skin, the leaves can burn from bright sun exposure) so you will want to acclimate them to being outdoors. Start off with a few hours during the day, and move towards longer periods. I kept ours in the garden, under the shade of a large black walnut, and slowly moved them to areas where they received more light during the day.
6. Watering. I use filtered water (as our tap water goes through a water softener and will build up mineral deposits in the soil) from our reverse osmosis filter. We use an APEC Water System that mounts under the sink in the kitchen. Water only when the soil is dry about a two inches into the soil, and water deeply when you do. Just know that if the soil is too dry, the water will drain through quickly and not actually get soaked into the soil. If your pots are small enough, you can place them in a bowl, sink, or tub and allow the pots to soak partially submerged for an hour to allow proper hydration.
7. Pollination: Just like apples and pears need pollination to fruit, so will your potted trees! If you are able to move them outdoors, the bees LOVE them. If you do not have access to moving them outside, then hand pollination will work, too.
If you keep fruiting trees indoors, any tips or tricks would be much appreciated! I’m definitely still learning myself!
Fascinating read!
I only recently started getting back into my plants. When my kidsvwhere young I have tons. Then like got busy and there was no time. Well, I have finally found the time again. I am enjoying it. I have found my plant have favorite window. They like certain sunlight and if I move them.the get mad. Lol
Was wondering if you can explain how to start an avocado pit. I have one and not sure how to start it. Thank you.
Yes! I definitely will! Look for the posting next week!