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Should I bring my lemon tree inside?
Hi all,
I have a four year old young lemon tree grown from a supermarket lemon seed. It's been on my roof terrace since April or so and seems super healthy. It's about four feet high and has lots of foliage.
Now that temperatures (in London) are heading towards zero at night I'm guessing I should bring it inside. I have a small flat and there's nowhere that's not going to feel the effects of central heating. Should I bring it in at night and take it out again in the morning? Will it inevitable drop all leaves immediately? What about watering and so on?
Anyone with any experience or knowledge who can offer advice it will be gratefully received!
Best wishes, Andy
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Love that advice Philippa - thank you!
Unfortunately, I don't agree with the post above; cold and wet is a death sentence for a lemon tree. Putting them out too early in spring can lead to them dropping their leaves and struggling to recover, enough cold or wet and it will die. I can't imagine how hard you will have to work to keep the frost off of it with fleece and, I think, in vain.
I would always advise these be brought indoors in this country between October and April to avoid frost and rain. It should be fine in warm, dry, centrally-heated air. Always place it in a bright spot though not right next to a radiator to avoid too much temperature variation.
Thanks Bob. Hmmm...two opposing schools....
I agree with Bob. It's what I do. If I had a cold greenhouse my lemons would go in it but I don't. I leave them in front of a large SE facing window. They get a lot of sun but the house is really too warm for them.
Andy if it helps you, my mum grows her lemon trees successfully outdoors all year round. She has never had to bring it indoors. She simply pushes the pots right up against a warm wall huddled with other plants when it gets to zero. No fleece either. I think it is the usual, the more mature the tree, the better they cope and they can cope to -5 degrees. She is in London.
Totally up to you, but if you push any plant against a wall, you will have less water into your plants.
Thanks again to all. Still in two minds but now armed with more info. Cheers!
My lemon trees are too big to move into my greenhouse now so I have made a frame "glazed" with twinwall poly-carbonate. Mine are on a south facing patio against a wall, I am in London suburb they still loose quite a few leaves but this is much better than fleece when they used to loose all of them & spend most of the next year recovering. I have a good crop of lemons most years now.
Hope this helps