Grow Fruit Indoors With Indoor Fruit Trees

One of the latest popular additions to the gardening scene
is growing fruit indoors with indoor fruit trees.  These
small, suited-for-indoors fruit bearing trees are ideal for
gardeners of all levels of experience.  Even those with very
little living space can comfortably fit one of these
economical fragrant trees.

Indoor fruit trees are available in wide varieties.  Not
only are these handsome, fragrant trees ideally suited for
indoors, they yield regular size lemons, limes, grapefruits,
oranges, and more.  You can even own an indoor kumquat tree!
 If you're worried how tall they grow, don't be ... indoor
fruit trees top off at 10 to 12 feet maximum, and only reach
that height if they're never pruned.

How Do Growers Ship Indoor Fruit Trees?

Indoor fruit trees are usually shipped from the grower in a
standard container, anywhere from 3 to 7 gallon size.
Indoor fruit tree growers are able to ship all over the
United States at any time of year as indoor fruit trees are
quite hardy and durable.

Does An Indoor Fruit Tree Need Special Care?

Indoor fruit trees are perfect for a beginning gardener
because they are relatively low maintenance.  Two key
elements to help your indoor fruit tree thrive are making
sure not to overwater, and ensuring the indoor fruit tree
receives plenty of sunlight.

What Is The Fruit Yield From An Indoor Fruit Tree?

Typically, an indoor fruit tree will yield several pounds of
fruit annually.  Of course, this depends on the type of
indoor fruit tree and how well the tree is cared for.

Indoor Fruit Tree Miscellaneous

While it isn't completely necessary, indoor fruit trees can
benefit if they spend warmer months outdoors on a patio or
balcony.  When the temperature drops consistently into the
low 40's, bring the indoor fruit tree inside.  In terms of
watering, usually every 10-14 days is sufficient.  You may
also want to consider a time release citrus fertilizer for
your indoor fruit tree, which are available online or at
garden centers. - 13418

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Growing New Plants

Cuttings that have successfully developed into small plants
will need be transferred from small pots to 5 inch pots as
they grow. Ideally, this should be performed just as the
roots reach the side limits of the pot and before the plant
becomes "pot-bound".

Be very careful when repotting that you do not remove too
much of the soil around the root ball and that the plant is
placed straight and upright in its new pot. The plant should
then be treated as per repotted plants.

The use of a portable potting tray

A portable potting tray is very useful for people who do not
have a greenhouse or potting shed. It can be made from 6
inch boards: the ideal size is a base of 24 x 15 inches,
sides and back 9 inches deep and the front around 4 inches.

Seed raising of house plants

There are a number of house plants and in door plants that
are easy to propagate from seed. These include Aloe, a
succulent plant with medicinal qualities, species of
Asparagus, some of the Begonias, many examples of Cacti,
Clivias, Cyclamens, members of the Eucalyptus family,
varieties of Fuchsia, Grevilleas including G. robusta,
Opuntia, the Phoenix palm, Primulas, Ricinus, Rochea
(another succulent), hybrids of Saintpaulia and Solatium
capsicastrum.

The best compost

Seeds, including those above, can be sown in top quality
rich potting soil.

If you decide to use compost it should be sterilized by
heating it for approximately 10 minutes in a sterilizer at
around 180 degrees F, then allowing it to cool before use by
spreading it out on a level surface.

Cheshunt Compound sterilizer, which can be purchased at any
seed store can also be used to sterilize compost. It is a
powder that, when dissolved in water, can be lightly sprayed
over the compost either before or after sowing the seeds. It
is safe to use for both humans and the smallest seedlings.
You can also sterilize equipment such as seed boxes and pots
this way, rendering them pest free. A good compost for seeds
can be made by adding peat, sand and fertilizer to
sterilized loam.

Seed compost preparation

All ingredients to make the soils for repotting
houseplantsshould be carefully mixed after being sifted
through 1 inch mesh. Fill the bottom of the pots or seed
pans with the larger pieces from the siftings to cover
drainage holes before filling them with the finer compost.
It should then be pressed down slightly with the fingers and
then made moist by placing the pot in a water tray, making
sure that the water does not come above the rim (the water
has to come up through the compost). Once the surface of the
soil appears moist it should be taken from the tray of water
and allowed to drain for some time before any seeds are
sowed. Seeds should be sown sparsely then covered with more
sifted compost. Covering depth of the seeds is dependent
upon the size of the seeds; generally, the smaller the seed,
the finer the cover and larger seeds should have a coverage
in proportion to their largest diameter.

Once the seeds are sown and covered, panes of glass can be
used to cover them and sheets of paper can be used as
shades.

Tilting the glass to afford air

Turn the glass panel over each day to prevent condensation
dripping on to the soil as this can promote decay. Once the
seedlings appear, remove the paper shade and begin
ventilation. This can be achieved by raising one side of the
glass slightly ( a plant label between the panel and the pot
works well).Continue this until it is safe to remove the
covering completely.

Can't always get what you want, you can find what you need
on (http://www.plant-care.com) repotting indoor house
plants. Drop by today at http://www.plant-care.com.