Harvesting Limes In The Winter Time
Did you know if you live in a region where temps dip below 40 degrees you can grown and harvest limes and lemons indoors? It’s true and I’ve been doing it for years.
I have a potted lime tree and potted lemon tree that are both producing fruit right now. The trick is to put them outside as soon as the temperatures are above 40 and bring them back inside when they are below 40.
The fruit trees continue to thrive in the indoor climate and it doesn’t interrupt their fruiting season. I’ve learned over the years they are much easier to grow if I’m neglectful with the trees.
Neither one need much water and overwatering is bad, if this happens I don’t get the abundance of fruit. Whether indoor or outdoor I wait for the leaves to curl before I water and once they do curl I give them a good dose of water. Deep watering of 4 quarts or more and that gets them by for several months.
I’ve always been an overwater but I’ve finally learned to read the plant for signs of needing water. The easiest way to determine that is not by feeling the moisture content in the soil its by watching the leaves of these trees.
I’ve been able to find lime and lemon trees on clearance at places like Walmart for $1. Thats the time to pick them up and give them a go in your own garden or home.
In my climate, Michigan, these aren’t fast growing trees. I’ve had the same ones for years and they never seem to look any bigger but they do produce heavily.
The way to determine a lime tree from a lemon tree it’s to scratch and sniff one of its leaves. A lime leaf smells like limes and a lemon leaf smells like lemons. And the small white flowers it produces are so fragrant and wonderful smelling making it a welcome aroma in my home during the winter.
