If you’ve discovered the joy of growing an indoor fruit tree, you’re likely very pleased with their low maintenance. Just about anyone can grow these citrus trees in just about any living space. Their fragrant blossoms and sweet delicious fruit make them a welcome addition to any home.

Here’s five easy to implement tips to help your tree become its absolute best:

1. If you need to add soil to your tree container, never use soil from the yard or from anywhere outside. Get a soil mixture with perlite mixed in. You can buy this mix online or at most garden centers. The soil mixture should be an airy potting soil, and you should add soil up to the line on the trunk where discoloration from the dirt used by the nursery ends. Leave enough space at the top of the pot to water thoroughly.

2. These trees like regular watering. For the most part, every week to 10 days is plenty. When the soil is no longer damp, go ahead and water. Be thorough but don’t drench the soil. As for light exposure, a western or southern exposure is best.

3. Not only do indoor citrus trees like water, they like to be fed as well. Once a month, fertilize them with a specially formulated fertilizer made for indoor citrus varieties. If you don’t want to buy a specialized fertilizer, that’s fine. The key ingredients are zinc, iron, and manganese. Most good quality multipurpose fertilizers contain these ingredients.

4. For the most part, people hate humidity, but indoor citrus trees love it. If your living space is dry, particularly in the colder months, add moisture with a humidifier, or mist them frequently. Another good idea is to place your tree container in a tray filled with pebbles and water added to the top of the pebbles. Note of caution: Don’t put your tree directly in front of a drafty vent.

5. When it gets warm outside, give your tree a special treat and let it live outside on a patio or balcony. The outdoor sun will do your tree good, but acclimate it to full sunlight gradually. We usually place our three trees in a shady area for a few days first.

More Tips

Indoor citrus trees are known for producing quite a number of blossoms. Not all of these blossoms will produce fruit, but you can help encourage fruit production. Take a soft small paintbrush and brush the stamens of open blossoms from blossom to blossom. Basically, you’re helping the pollination process.

Finally, if your tree harbors pests, spray your tree with a good horticultural oil. Your most common pest is likely to be spider mites. Horticultural oil will smother the pests and should rid your tree of the problem.

Because your houseplants are living, breathing organisms, they are susceptible to countless diseases, just like us. If you suspect your houseplants are ‘coming down with something’ the following tips may help you diagnose symptoms and treat the illness before you you’re your plant.

Powder mildew is a common houseplant disease. If your plants are covered with a powdery substance that can be removed with a cloth, it’s likely they have come victim to powder mildew. You can help to prevent this disease by making sure your plants get enough water and enough light.

You can treat this condition simply by removing the mildew with a cloth and applying a substance known as mildew-cide. Place your sick plant in a place where it can get more light and make sure you prevent the soil from becoming too dry.

If the leaves on your plants develop brown spots, it may be a sign of under or even over watering. Leaves can develop a fungus that is caused by incorrect watering. Be sure to educate yourself on the watering needs of your plants and provide them with enough sunlight. This illness will typically correct itself without chemical treatment if you being a proper regime immediately.

If leaf spots are concentric circles, your plant may have a fungal infection. You should remove dead leaves and allow for adequate circulation. Don’t allow water to remain on leaves for very long, as this is breeding ground for fungus. And for additional treatment, use a fungicide. You can purchase this at any garden store.

Leaf spots may also be caused by a form of bacteria.

Yellow halos on your plant’s leaves may be signs of a bacterial infection. These spots will swell to a “blob” if the plant is kept wet. Dry versions create brown spots and the leaves will look “speckled”. Keep your plants in the right climate and give them room to spread and grow. You may also treat this ailment with bactericide.

Stem rot is another problem induced by watering error. In addition to rotten stems most overwatered plants like the Zamioculcas Zamiifolia plants show falling leaves and yellowish stem edges. Fungicide will give you quick relief but to prevent this problem from recurring, you should educate yourself on proper watering technique for that specific plant.

Excessive moisture in soil can cause root rot. Some plants like the zz plant exhibit telltale signs like browning leaves that don’t feel dry and wilting stems. Soil houses bacteria all the time, but if the soil they inhabit is chronically too damp, the levels of bacteria can grow to dangerous levels and attack the roots of the plant. The best treatment for this illness is preventions as very few plants recover from root rot. Most of them do eventually die of the problem.

Make sure your plants are healthy from the get go by educating yourself on the proper care for specific plant types. Use sterile soil and keep an eye out for budding (no pun intended) problems. If you do suspect an issue, treat it early and thoroughly.

The majority of your houseplants require year round care, but what indoor gardeners don’t consider is that the level of care provided may need to change with the season. Most houseplants actively grow and bloom in the spring and summer months, which tapers off as fall approaches and often ceases altogether as the winter months take hold.

These growing cycles are predicated on a few different variables. The main one is sunlight and the amount of that valuable resource that is available to them. This naturally lessens in the winter as the days become shorter, and the sky itself becomes more overcast in general. The second is simply continuing on the naturally growing cycle they experienced in the wild, which again was also influenced by the weather. Even though the ‘weather’ and temperature in your house is typically uniform and static no matter the season, this genetic disposition in the plant still holds some sway.

Here’s what you can do to take advantage of their natural growing cycles. Firstly a good fertilizer should be applied near the beginning of spring, as the plants are about to enter their growing spurt even in a desert landscape. This needs to be cut back in the summer, and then completely discontinue in the winter. If applied haphazardly, this extra feed can burn out a plant, causing root destruction and the plant’s untimely demise.

Watering habits should follow this same trend. In the spring and summer with the weather warmer and dryer, your plants will need more water to get by. Like with fertilizer though, an excess of water can also be harmful to your plants, so you need to cut back during the cooler months when your plants need, and can handle less sustenance.

Water not only helps with growth, but also works to keep the leaves and roots cool during those hot days. It can also be a good idea to lightly mist the leaves of your plants on hot days with a water bottle to further help in that regard.

Overwatering plants is the most common poor habit that indoor gardeners have, and this is magnified in winter, when plants can’t handle and digest as much water as they can in the summer. Always remember that no matter the unchanging conditions in your house, your indoor plant does change throughout the seasons based its own internal clock, and that you need to change with it.

Of course each plant species may require a slightly different approach, and in fact there are some houseplants that may work on a completely opposite routine. These are general rules that work with most houseplants, but be sure to take the time to familiarize yourself with each individual plant you own and discover any particular quirks it may have.

While apartment or condo living may have its advantages, and is all but a necessity in packed major cities and congested areas, one of the major drawbacks for someone used to living in a house or similar structure, aside from the lack of space, is the lack of an outdoor patch of green to call their own. Gardeners especially, who would be more than content with just a tiny patch of soil to churn and care for will feel out of sorts cooped up in an apartment. Short of offering your gardening services to the landlord, what is one to do?

Your burning gardening desire can be sated somewhat by working on an indoor garden. Sure it’s not quite the same as sitting on the soft earth with the hot sun beating down on your brow, but it beats the alternative, that being artificial plants or none at all.

There’s nothing wrong with having one or more plants in every room, so you could certainly have a good deal of work and future gardening upkeep ahead of you if you wish. Plants will add a charming touch to every room, improve the air quality, and can even provide a different fragrance for each room, one suited to that particular room and its atmosphere.

Choosing which rooms to place specific plants in will always depend on the room’s humidity, average temperature and amount of either direct or indirect sunlight. Be sure you in advance the kind of environment each plant on your radar will thrive in and place it in an appropriate environment. Apartments and condos will have rooms with largely similar environments, though full bathrooms will always be far more humid perfect for indoor plant care.

Beyond just plants, you can also get creative and add touches like dried plants or flowers to a room. Dried lavender for example provides a pleasant aroma that can last for weeks, and adds a unique look when tied in bunches and displayed.

Another unique touch is by adding a small herb garden to your kitchen. It may not quite make up for the lack of a vegetable garden, but it will add that perfect touch to your dishes and some will provide a nice aroma to your kitchen as well.

You have a lot of options when it comes to indoor gardening. It may slightly lack that connection with nature you get when gardening outdoors, but the process can be just as enjoyable and rewarding indoors.

Blooming houseplants are a wonderful way to add colour to your home. They can be difficult to grow, but are worth the effort. When taken care of, many of the plants discussed here will bloom for long periods.

Two common varieties of Anthurium, the Tail Flower and Flamingo Flower, have long, narrow, shiny leaves and red buds. Arthuriums need well-drained soil (add sphagnum) and plenty of heat, humidity and watering. Keep in partial sun at an east or west window and propagate by seed or division. More on anthurium plant care below.

Beloperone guttata are called Shrimp Plants for the pinkish-brown bracts surrounding their clusters of purple-spotted white flowers. They require rich, well-fed soil, warmth and plenty of sun and watering. Spray several times a week and take cuttings in autumn or when the plant gets overly leggy.

The Bromeliad family has over a thousand species, many of which produce spectacular flowers. Like their cousin the pineapple they have hard, spiky leaves. Bromeliads will grow in moderate sun but won’t prosper in a north window. They prefer 60-75 temperatures but tolerate variations. Use room temperature water when spraying or watering and avoid over-watering. Propagate by division.

With its lush, abundant flowers Cineraria is among the most beautiful houseplants. It should be kept cool and wilts if exposed to temperatures over 55. Propagate by seed but be warned: a practiced hand and greenhouse conditions are required. Cineraria are annuals and only bloom once.

Another beauty is the Cyclamen, whose masses of white, pink, or red flowers bloom above dense foliage. It should be kept humid at 60-70. Use warm (even hot) water, and water from the bottom. In winter reduce watering, keep cool and in good light. Repot in autumn, feeding it well until it blooms. Propagate from seed: it takes well over a year for new plants to flower.

Fuchsia likes it cooler than most of us keep our homes but otherwise its thick pink, red and purple flowers make it a perfect houseplant. Keep it well drained and in partial shade. In spring pinch its buds, water and spray it daily but avoid over watering in winter. Fuchsia is propagated by cuttings, and blooms all summer.

Heliotrope is grown mainly for its scent, though it bears tiny purple flowers. It likes warmth, direct sun and frequent spraying, but don’t over water. Though Heliotrope is a perennial, treat it as an annual by propagating new stock yearly. Take cuttings in summer for late winter blooming, or propagate from seed.

lmpatiens blooms pink, red or purple through winter. Originally found in Zanzibar, Africa, its seedpod breaks at the slightest touch, resulting in nicknames like snap weed and touch-me-not. Keep in partial shade during summer but give it as much sun as possible in winter. Impatiens likes plenty of water and should not be over potted; it flowers better with confined roots. Sow seeds in spring, or root cuttings in early autumn.

Lantana is a perennial with red, orange or yellow flowers clustered above oval leaves. Grow at room temperature close to a sunny window. It flowers in late summer and early fall but will bloom in winter if pinched back, watered sparsely and kept at 60. Plant Lantana in your summer garden and propagate by slips and seeds.

Marica is known as the Apostle Plant because its leaves, up to two feet long, grow in clusters of twelve. In late winter its violet and white flowers bloom, drop and bloom again in a period of weeks. Marica needs good sun but give them partial shade in your summer garden. Propagate by division or rooting flower-bearing stalks.