New to the forum.

Here's what I want to do: Grow a lemon tree that produces edible lemons.

Constraints: No yard, just an apartment condo. Needs to be able to grow indoors.

Time: Would like to produce fruit ASAP.

I realize that it takes 10+ years for a tree grown from seed to produce fruit. I am thinking the easiest way to do this is to simply drive down to California and buy a potted tree, bring it back to Canada.

Can the tree grow under artificial light, effectively?

If someone can either let me know if this idea is completely crazy or if my plan could actually work, I'd appreciate it.

I'd think it would be far, far cheaper to simply order one in, Aegis. I'm not sure what sites would ship to Canada, but I live 19 miles from the border and I can get a 3 foot tall tree for $70 w/shipping. Expensive, but I'd think less so than driving to California. I'm not entirely sure if they'd let you across the border with a tree, anyway. You should check around at Lowes/Wal-Marts. I've known some Canadian friends to find Meyer/Ponderosa lemons (though these aren't true lemons, but hybrids) right there at Wal-Mart/Lowes.

As for growing inside... is there anyway you can take them out in the summer and then bring them in in the fall? That's what works best for me. I brought my trees outside in May and now I currently have 9 ponderosa lemons and 3 grapefruit growing.

- you'll want anything other than a plastic pot. Air pruning pots or terracotta along with a porous, free draining, soiless mix. 4 or 5 parts Coconut Husk Chips or Pinebark along with 1 part peat moss and 1 part perlite has worked well for me.

- West or southwest facing window. You'll need at least 6 hours of good sunlight. You'll want a good thermometer, too. A window in summer will get extremely hot.. you don't want the soil getting above 90. I've never used artificial light.

- A good humidifier.

- Patience. Citrus take a LONG time to ripen, no matter the size. A lemon generally takes from spring to fall from flower to ripe.

I'm not really sure about the lightning as I've never had to use it. I'm sure someone more experienced will come along to help you out.

If you want the sort of lemon you find in a grocery store you'd be looking for a Eureka or a Lisbon. I have no idea if either of those will grow well in a pot. Well, there is a sport of the Eureka that is supposed to grow well in a pot. It's a Variegated Pink Eureka. I just ordered one myself, so I have no idea how well it actually does. I just think it'll be a lot easier to find a meyer or ponderosa in your location.

A meyer lemon is a cross between a lemon and a manderin orange. It's slightly sweeter and less tart than your store lemons. It'll go from green to yellow to orange. You can pick it before it turns orange and it'll be a fine lemon substitute. Meyers are notoriously finicky though. A lot of the topics you'll find here are about meyers and leaf drop. My meyer is dropping leaves left and right, while my ponderosa is full of leaves and fruit.

The ponderosa is a cross between a lemon and a citron. It grows huge, grapefruit sized fruit that is also slightly "sweeter" than your average lemon. I've found this especially true if you allow it to ripen an extra couple of weeks. One ponderosa will give enough juice for a lemon pie.

If you want to grow something from seed you should consider a Key Lime. A key lime grown from seed will fruit in 2 or 3 years.

I don't think it is legal to take a citrus tree across the border in your car. I'm almost certain customs will take it. At the very least it will require a phytosanitary certificate and probably lots of other paperwork too. Most U.S. citrus suppliers won't ship a tree to an individual in Canada because, without a courier, the customs process is so long that the tree usually dies before it gets across the border. You can use a courier who is used to dealing with this issue at the border to speed up the process but it will cost a lot of money and is generally only practical for larger lots of trees.

I think the best bet is to start at your local nurseries and other stores that carry plants. You might be surprised. I live in a cold area too. My trees spend nine months indoors and three months outdoors. I find that citrus trees are only available in my local area during the early summer months and it may very well be the same for you. May is usually the best month to find trees locally since that is the earliest month they can be shipped from suppliers without freezing in transit. They are all purchased quickly and local stores don't order new trees again until the following year.

If you cannot find them locally I would look at other places in Canada like Vancouver. Several members of this forum live in the Vancouver area (gregn, Junglekeeper, Las Palmas Norte) and grow many citrus trees. I know they have been able to purchase some of their trees at local stores. They or other Canadian members may be able to tell you where to get them.

Lemons and limes are the easiest to grow indoors for several reasons. As CraigMF said, Lisbon and Eureka are the standard market cultivars and can be grown indoors. The fruit of the two are virtually identical but there are differences in the trees. Both varieties are among the most vigorous growing of all citrus varieties and may benefit from a dwarfing rootstock indoors in a container although the container itself restricts the vigor the most. Meyer and Ponderosa lemons are also popular indoors but are hybrids and not true lemons as CraigMF said.

HID lights are probably the most effective indoor growth lights but are very expensive, especially for a single tree. The cost of the light far exceeds the cost of a single tree and everything else you might buy. Fluorescent lights can be effective too but it usually takes a large number of tubes or compact bulbs placed directly above the tree to be effective. They are also very expensive. There are some outrageous claims made about LED lights for plants that I have a hard time believing. I doubt they are very effective. Personally, I would go with whatever natural light you have first. Citrus trees only need about 1/3 of full sun brightness to reach their maximum photosynthesis potential. The most important factor is the number of hours spent in the light per day. It should be at least six and preferrably eight to twelve.

Indoor lemons take about 9 to 12 months from blossom to ripe fruit.

Whatever potting mix you choose to put the tree in should be coarse and well draining. Standard potting mixes generally don't work well without at least some amendment. Coconut husk chips (CHCs), pine bark chunks, very coarse sand, fired clay bits, perlite, redwood or cedar shavings, and other coarse ingredients along with small amounts of peat moss are popular components of citrus potting mixes. Do a search on this forum and you will see many discussions on this topic. Citrus trees are susceptible to root rot from lack of oxygen so your watering practices are very important. Don't let your tree sit in a tray full of water for any length of time.

Citrus trees are heavy feeders so fertilizer is important, especially nitrogen. A 5-1-3 ratio of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potash are frequently reported here as ideal for citrus in containers along with micronutrients (including magnesium). Soluble fertilizers mixed in the water and slow release fertilizers placed in the pot are both very popular and effective.

This is not a step by step list of instructions nor is it everything you need to know but I've probably already written more than you or anyone cares to read. I am not one of the experts but I have learned everything I know about growing citrus from those who are experts on this forum. One thing I have learned is virtually every question I have ever had has already been answered multiple times on this forum. I always start with the search function first to find answers to my questions.

Aegis, welcome to The Citrus Growers Forum. Thank you for becoming a member. Everything you will need to know in order to properly grow a containerized citrus tree can be found on this forum. By reading through the post, you will gain a lot of knowledge. In my opinion, insuring that your tree is growing in a medium having good drainage, and adequate aeration is the most important consideration . - Millet (927-)

Meyer is the variety most readily available in Vancouver. Less so Variegated Pink, Eureka, Lisbon, and Ponderosa. I think your best bet is to find a local source.

> Fluorescent lights can be effective too but it usually takes a large
> number of tubes or compact bulbs placed directly above the tree to be
> effective. They are also very expensive. There are some outrageous
> claims made about LED lights for plants that I have a hard time believing.
I use fluorescent tubes, the ones for aquarium plants. It works very well. 17 hours/day.
I tried the red&blue LED lights: it doesn't work AT ALL!

>>> I absolutely don't want any fake lemons. I want real edible normal lemons only.

Don't get hung up on a lemon-hybrid or not. All the lemons mentioned above are "edible, normal lemons". I don't think that's what CraigMF really meant by it. The real question is what you meant by "real". As in any food or drink industry, there exists finicky folks, some with very sophisticated pallets, that prefer and can discern between slightly distinct flavors. If someone comes requesting names of "only REAL lemons please" then CraigMF answered correctly.

Your posts imply your interests are the same as mine: you want to eat good fruit, so you'll grow it yourself. You're putting the cart a bit before the horse if you do not yet know what your lemon preferences are. Let *your* taste buds be the deciding factor. I advise against investing time, money, and emotional effort into growing fruit (for several years btw) unless it is for a fruit you are sure you enjoy eating. That is esp. so for in-ground, but you''re using containers.

Before you order/buy any tree, sample as many lemons as possible and find out the variety (it's also interesting to know where they were grown). You should have plenty of time before the Spring citrus trees hit your local nurseries. Some of the better nurseries may be able to special order citrus trees for you (start talking to them now). When I first started I excitedly rushed myself to buy trees first, b/c I wanted to give them a chance to grow at home and I'll sample the fruit later. For container trees, that was a mistake. In my area, they grow much as good or better at a nursery so buying something earlier-than-later doesn't mean it will be bigger one year from now.

Many, if not all, lemons can be grown in containers. The question is exactly how difficult it will be to do so and produce enough (great tasting) fruit. You will have a challenge growing indoors with your environmental restrictions, but many people do.

As was said earlier, the folks on this board who live in your area will be able to give you further advice on local varieties and flavor for your area.

Good luck and pucker up! =)