If a gardener on your gift list would love to plant a fruit tree this year, you might think: "apple tree!" But if that gardener dreams of the scent of orange blossoms — and loves a challenge — you might wrap up a citrus plant instead.
Growing citrus in our region is all about choice. Once you choose the right kind of citrus, the correct container, and where to grow the plant indoors and out, you're on your way. You should go into the process knowing full well that you might get citrus blossoms but not necessarily fruit.
First, start by searching for the right kind of citrus. Citrus plants that grow well in containers are your best bet, because this new addition to your mini orangerie is going to be a dual citizen of both your indoor and outdoor space.
For oranges, look for Citrus mitis or calamondin. For lemons, choose Citrus x meyeri or Meyer. And go for Persian limes and kumquats, as all of these citrus plants can take being a bit root-bound in a container and still thrive.
Your citrus plant is going to live indoors in fall and winter, then move outside during spring and summer, so also consider where in your home it can thrive (think cool and sunny) and what spot will work best outdoors (think warm and sunny).
A sunny, cool room in your home that has boosted humidity works best. You can use a humidifier or place the container on a pebble tray with water to improve the humidity. This extra moisture is especially helpful for your citrus plant if you are using a wood-burning stove over the winter.
And then, it's all about finding just the right size and sort of container. Size-wise, begin with a small 12-inch pot for citrus plants. As it grows, repot and graduate up to larger ones.
The key for citrus plants that grow indoors during the colder months is to not let the roots dry out completely nor sit in soggy soil all winter. And that is where choosing the right material for your container comes in.
Choose plastic if the plant won’t be watered often and clay if it will be. For citrus plants that will be watered often, the clay pot will help the plant drain well.
For less frequently watered plants, go for plastic. This type of pot makes it less likely that the roots will dry out completely if the plant doesn't get enough water over the winter.
This indoor setup will be the citrus plant's winter home. Then in the spring, the move outdoors begins. This transition from indoors to outdoors should be done gradually, over five or six days.
Begin by bringing the citrus plant outdoors for a few hours each day, then back inside. Repeat this for several days to help ease the transition. This also ensures that the leaves don’t burn and drop prematurely.
Once the citrus plant is fully outdoors, put it in a protected and sunny spot, water it, and add some citrus fertilizer.
Then, in the fall, bring the plant back indoors to start the cycle again. With diligence and patience, you'll get some sweet-smelling citrus blossoms and maybe even a piece of juicy fruit.
Treating droopy plants that once thrived
Q: I have a few indoor plants that thrived all summer and are now fading. I tried feeding them, repotting them and they are just seeming to struggle, dropping leaves and being droopy. I keep my house cool and I have only one side that gets sun. One of the plants is a peace lily, the other is a beautiful red variegated leaf, caladium flower. - Lisa, in Hartland
A: The cause of the droopiness could be connected to watering. You may be watering them a little bit too much.
With a caladium or peace lily — which do tend to prefer moist soil — just a bit too much water can cause them to droop and their leaves to drop.
To remedy this, try pulling both plants out of their pots, then knock off all the soil, and clean out the containers.
Next, get some fresh potting soil, add that to the container and repot the plants. Put them in the sunniest spot that you have for just the winter and cut back on watering to see if that will help.
Cleaning slimy, stinky stones in a pebble tray
Q: I have a gerbera daisy that is now going on 2-1/2 years old. It spends the summer outdoors and the winter under a grow light in my warm, humid bathroom by a north window. It keeps on blooming! Indoors, I have the 12-inch pot sitting on a bed of little rocks in a saucer. How do I keep the rocks from getting stinky and slimy without having to wash and scrub them every couple of weeks? - Anita, in Wardsboro
A: This can happen with pebble trays that are placed under plants, especially if the plant lives in a humid, warm spot in the house, like a bathroom.
To remedy this, try taking the pot off the pebble tray, and remove all the pebbles. Put them in a bucket, then pour a 10% bleach solution into the bucket and let the pebbles sit there for a bit.
This can help kill all the fungus and mold that may have built up on those stones.
With that same mild bleach solution, clean the pebble tray and the bottom of your plant pot, too, taking care to not get any bleach on the leaves or soil.
Put the pebbles back in the tray and the plant back in its place and you should be all set.
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