Hello,

I live in northeastern Pennsylvania. Exactly 2 years ago, just to see what would happen, I planted a lemon seed from a store-bought lemon. I never expected the seed to germinate, let alone grow into a tree!

Now I have a 3-foot high skinny tree, with fragrant leaves and thorns. I want to keep this tree indoors (I don't care if it ever grows lemons), but I don't know how to take care of it from this point. Here is a picture:



It's in a small pot (with a drip tray snapped on the bottom). I keep it in an east-facing window during the warm months, turning it every day. I water it only when the soil dries. In the cooler months, I keep it on top of my refrigerator, and again, water it when dry.

I have a 2-foot rod propping the tree up so it won't droop. The leaves are, for the most part, in good shape. However, there are sections where they droop. Seems like they're drooping at the bottom quarter, sticking outward a quarter above, then droopy the next quarter, and sticking outward at the top. The droopy leave are not soft. They are the same texture as the outward-pointing leaves.

This tree has become my pride and joy, and I would love to have it for many more years

Thanks for any help/advice!
-Tom in Scranton, PA USA

First, because the tree has always been inside a windless environment, you will need to top the tree at approximately 2 to 2-1/2 feet (learned from Laaz). You should have long ago, when the seedling was 2 inches tall, either placed the tree outside in the wind, or placed the tree in front of a fan causing the stem to flick back and forth. Had you done this the tree would not now require a stick to hold it erect, the trunk would have been much thicker and stronger. Also by doing so the tree would have long ago branched out. A seedling tree as tall as yours, certainly has a root system that has reached the bottom and sides of the small container and has circled around and around. Air root pruning containers prevent circling by air pruning the tap root causing hundreds, if not thousands, of lateral side roots to develop starting approximately 4 inches back from where the foundation roots were air pruned. At this point I would top the tree at 2 feet, put a very loose tie around the tree and the support stake so the tree can move against the resistance of wind from a fan, and check the root system and clean out all dead and circling roots. If you have a air root pruning container use it. The absolutely worse container a seedling tree, or any tree, can be put into is the common round plastic smooth sided nursery pots. I would fertilize the tree with 17-7-12 w/trace minerals Osmocote, or some close formulation slow release NPK W/trace minerals. - Millet

Thank you for the quick reply, Millet! Boy, am I glad I came here!

Ok, by "topping" the tree, do I simply cut off the top 12" ? Do I cut straight across or at an angle. Will I be able to root the portion that I cut off (in rooting medium) for another plant?

I was not aware (obviously) that citrus trees need wind movement!

I will get an air root pruning container and 17-7-12 fertilizer immediately and repot the tree. What soil should I use?

Thanks,
-Tom

Hi Tom, Welcome to the forum. Millet is the container expert here and has posted a recipe for potting mix using CHC (coconut husk chips). Use the search function at the top of the page-- you can use it to find a lot of info already posted here using the search button.

If you don't have CHCs locally and don't want to order, you can use amix that is primarily pine bark chips with about 1/4 peat moss or regular potting mix.

Read some of the old post on fertilizing and trace minerals. You have done a good job getting it to that size-- most people would have overwatered. Some of the bottom leaves are probably getting to the end of their life expectancy, so don't be too surprised when they start falling.

Thanks for the welcome, Skeeter! And thanks for the info about the CHC potting mix. I will do my best to get the ingredients.

I didn't expect my tree to germinate and grow like this. But now that is has, I want to take good care of it and learn all about growing a potted lemon tree!

-Tom in Scranton, PA USA

Hi Tom. By topping the tree you force it to branch out. I usually top my trees at about 18 - 24 " above the soil line. What you do is cut the main stem off, this will force growth below & make a much better tree.

Thanks Laaz!

Do you think I can root the part I cut off using rooting medium and potting soil?

Also, does it matter WHEN I top the tree? It's got some new growth about to open up. Should I wait until it stops producing new leaves?

-Tom in Scranton, PA USA

Hi Tom. Yes you should be able to root the top that you cut off. Lemons root very easy, I root my meyers without any rooting hormone at all.

You can top it at any time. Lemons have a tendency to bud out again at the top where you cut it, so you will want to continue to remove the new growth at that point until you have the side growth you want. Seedling lemons are very aggressive growers & will get very "leggy" if they are not grown in direct sun. It may take you a while to get the tree in the form you want it. Just cut the tips of the branches that get out of control & they will each branch out lower down.

The nice thing about lemons is the will bear fruit from seed in 3-5 years. The bad thing about seedling lemons is they have some of the most vicious thorns of all citrus.

Thanks again, Laaz! I'll give it my best shot!

It looks like your container is retaining water at the bottom where it will encourage root diseases. It is not recommended to have standing water on the bottom of your pot! You will have to separate the bottom of your pot from the excess water catching dish by at least half an inch gap of air. So if the excess water fill about half an inch, then put the pot higher by an inch. There are many ideas on how to place the gap. One of them is to use pebbles or marbles, another is that there is a special plastic contraption that will do the job of holding the pot above the dish. Of course after you water you drain off and then let it stand while the excess water will continue to drip very slowly, but when it drips, it should accumulate on the dish never touching the bottom of the pot.

Joe's right. You should be able to unsnap the saucer by pulling down around the edges.

I've repotted my tree (large clay pot) and trimmed the roots. I mixed potting soil (the exact kind the tree has been growing in for 2 years) with some peat and pine bark.

I want to leave it alone for a week or so to make sure it continues to thrive, and then I'll top the tree. I got chicken wire and wrapped it around the pot and base of the tree so that when I leave it outside during the sunny days, our dog and the squirrels won't dig in the pot, and the wind won't knock it over

Thanks again for all the help!
-Tom in Scranton, PA USA