Not that we know this already, but here's what's reported in Baltimore, Md

Source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bal-to.gardenq08dec08,0,1029236.story


Yes, citrus trees can be grown indoors
Garden Q&A

By Ellen Nibali and David Clement
December 8, 2007


Can I give blood orange, tangerine or other citrus trees as gifts, as long as they will be kept indoors?

Marylanders can successfully grow citrus trees as indoor plants, usually summering them outside. Each clay or wood container must be at least 20 inches by 30 inches with plenty of drainage holes in the bottom. Soil moisture is crucial, but citrus roots also need lots of oxygen. Water well when leaves begin to droop. Provide ample light. They do well in a southern-facing window or sunroom. In order to get fruit, hand-pollinate each flower with a small brush.

I saw discolored spots on my ornamental cabbage and found little fuzzy gray things under the leaves. Can this be from insects this time of year?

Unlike most aphids, cabbage aphids become active as weather cools. They huddle together, covered with a dusty wax coating, on ornamental or crop kale as well as cabbage. Spray with insecticidal soap. Consistent colder temperatures will stop them.

Ellen Nibali, horticulture consultant, works at Maryland Cooperative Extension's Home and Garden Information Center, and David Clement is the regional specialist. The center offers Maryland residents free gardening information. Call the center's "hotline" at 800-342-2507 or e-mail plant and pest questions through the Send a Question feature at hgic.umd.edu.

........"at least 20 inches by 30 inches ............hand-pollinate each flower with a small brush"

Maybe yes and maybe no, it all depends.

Millet - I do not remember seeing any of your plants growing in pots that big. Maybe our Maryland friends should read some of the posting in this forum.(How about our members in St Petersburg Russia). I have never hand pollinated my lemons or anything else. Maybe an elf is doing it for me!

Well, such large containers are to big for the windowsill...

I use 1 uo to 2 Gallon containers for the windowsill, made for hydroponic culture.
For my two large trees I use plastic buckets from the builders store. All containers have drilled holes and a thread in it, sealed with rubber sealing ring and a plastic screw.
Those buckets have usually 6 Gallons volume...

And all plants are grown indoors... and i do never polinate any flower, only at those, were I want to have seeds in, many seeds

....lol. Reminds me of something kinda funny. The cleaning people were here last week, and one of them was talking about my lemons trees in the house and how she mentioned them to another client, who told her "You can't grow lemons in North Carolina."

She said "I beg to differ, I've seen them."

LOL.

I have been growing my plants indoors for years in 10"/25cm wide pots. They appear to be happy campers even though they spend the cold Denver winter (there is 4" of snow on the ground) sitting in front of a sliding glass door that faces SW. My clementine which is about a foot from the door does not appear to mine a cold blast of air, it was only 32 degrees for the high today. It just got thru flowering and setting fruit. My lemons have been there for years .

It's funny...people will tell you that you CAN'T do something, but I've got living proof in my living room that Sambo, Eureka, and Meyer lemon trees do fine indoors.

Sure, there is some leaf dropage. To be expected. But nothing the plants have suffered from (I just crumble the dried, dropped leaves into the soil). I water and feed them as they need it, give them the light they need and they seem happy.

I looks as if I'm about the be rewarded with a nice crop of Meyer, Sambo and a few Eureka.

Oh yes....I've heard those words too.....

Extension agents here in Alabama are just waiting for my operation to fail...when I tell them what I'm doing & ask for help, they almost loose their mind.

In fact, I had one upper level agent tell me: (and this is a quote)...

"When you get it finished & producing, I want to come see it".

FAT CHANCE...I'll be making $$$ and laughing the whole time.

Jim&Beck - are you trying to start a commerical orchard? Or just a private group of citrus trees? If your friends at the extension service need any pictures, I can send them a picture of the snow outside my Eureka trees. My lemons that are ready for harvest and are as big as grapefruit, which are larger than my grapefruit. A SNOWY AND COLD CITRUS GROWER!

Well sunrise....it's like this.....

I already have a 20 X 72 cold frame that could accomodate at least 10-15 good size trees in the winter. They will have to remain in containers, due to heavy clay soil here. After that, I will see what my market is like.

There is a man in Alexander City AL that has 90, give or take, in 3-250' homemade cold frames. He produces roughly 200# per tree @ $2.00 a lb....and says it's "supplemental income".

I'll take that kind of supplement anytime.....

PS....might find a link to send you about him if interested.

Jim

Does that man in Alexandria have a 3x250 or 30x250. What varieties are you growing, how old are they? Do you have any heat source, ie water barrels.

Sunrise...

Thats 3 frames...each is 250' long....width is somewhere around 16'.

As for my current operation...my collection consists of 15 trees....
1 Meyer Lemon
1 Aoshima Satsuma
1 Meiagawa Satsuma
1 Mr. Mac Satsuma
1 Dobashi Beni Satsuma
1 LA Early Satsuma
1 Seto Satsuma
2 Early St. Ann Satsuma
1 Ponkan

Most of these trees have been in my possession not quite 3 yrs yet.

...all the above are currently in 20 gal. containers except 2.

Also included is 3 Flying Dragon & 2 Rubidoux Trifoliates in 25 gal. containers....this does not include my list of rootstocks waiting for the spring budding.

As far as heat goes....these trees sit on heat cables with a thermostat, that have just in the past few days been turned on. We had 20* & 23* nights back to back. I did use my turbo heater on those nights, with the thermostat set on 36*, only because there is additional plant material in the GH.
So far, my trees have been in my GH with a 3 oz. frost blanket tossed over them & no additional heat.

As far as water barrels go...it has been my experience that they provide only minimal heat retention. I still use them...dont get me wrong...just dont depend on them totally. When it goes to zero here...the water isnt going to help much.

Jim

As far as the water barrels goes, it all depends on the amount of water vs the cubic feet of the greenhouse. Another benefit (besides heat) from water storage, is its ability to assist in maintaining level temperatures, avoiding the constant high and lows. I my greenhouse I have approximately 50,000 pounds of water.

Do you plan on diversifying with other varieties, ie lemons, oranges or other variety of mandrins?

Well Sunrise,

The plan so far is....to build a small satusma collection, staggering harvest dates, (which at this time is from mid Sept. through Jan.) for selling fruit locally....& propagate as many as I can for plant sales. (Stan might retire one day...when he's 95, you know)

For now...let's keep it simple....satsumas & Meyer Lemons.....I'm not Joe with a 50 in 1 tree