Growing Fresh Fruit Year Round
Dwarf fruit trees can successfully be grown indoors. Citrus such as lemon and lime, as well as fruits such as apple, avocado, nectarine, banana, fig, pomegranate and kiwi provide a lovely fruit. A self-pollinating tree is best, because otherwise you will need another tree of the same type to pollinate your desired tree in order for it to fruit. Happily, dwarf fruit trees produce regular-sized fruit, just not as much as on a standard-sized tree.
Lemon and lime dwarf trees in an indoor situation bloom throughout the year. They will produce three to four crops a year. They appreciate the warm temperatures that reign in your home. You will need much light for your citrus to be happy indoors.Grow lights and Grow lamps such as HID lights, which are used along with electronic ballasts or digital ballasts that control the flow of electrical current, produce light that is most similar to sunlight than other types of chrome dome light bulbs, and they are a great choice for indoor citrus.
There are other tropical trees that will bear fruit indoors. A Natal plum has white fragrant flowers that bear bright red fruit. Surinam cherry has white flowers that have fruit that starts green, moves to red and ends up dark purple. The stunning Barbados cherry starts with lavender or pink flowers that form bright-red berries. Dwarf pomegranate will get to three feet tall indoors, and can actually be used for bonsai because they are evergreen. The fruit is a bit smaller than what you might find at a supermarket, but the taste is wonderful.
Because we don’t have birds or bees indoors to pollinate our fruit, we have to help our plants along by transferring pollen from flower to flower by using a small paintbrush or a cotton swab. You will want to water your fruit plants thoroughly, and then let them dry out a little between the times you water. Any good-quality potting soil will work well, and you can apply an organic blooming houseplant food to give them the nutrition they need. Increase the indoor humidity by putting a tray with pebbles and water in the bottom near the plant, or running a humidifier in the room with the plants.
You will be happy for your indoor fruit when you pick a fresh lemon in the middle of winter.
Susan Slobac is an expert in indoor gardening topics such as hydroponic gardening, digital ballasts and hydroponic grow lights.
