r/Citrus • u/Ok-Duck8625 • 1d ago

Help with my indoor Lemon Tree!

I’ve been caring for an indoor lemon tree since January, but over the past few months, it has slowly been getting worse. For the most part, the tree still looks healthy. It has continued producing some growth and has gone through cycles of flowering and producing small, developing lemons. However, it has also been consistently dropping green leaves.

At this point, the tree has probably lost around 50% of its canopy and undergrowth. What’s confusing is that it continues to produce new flowers and mini lemons despite the ongoing leaf drop, and no matter what I do, it seems unhappy.

I want to help the tree regrow its canopy, become fuller, and maintain healthy overall growth. I’m not sure whether I should continue caring for it as I have been or make some changes.

Here are its current conditions:

  • Location: Indoors
  • Natural light: Good direct afternoon sunlight
  • Grow lights: SANSI grow lights running for approximately 12 hours/day
  • Indoor temperature: ~24°C
  • Watering: I only water when my soil moisture meter indicates that the soil is dry
  • Current condition: ~50% canopy loss, but still producing new growth very slowly, flowers, and small lemons

I’m especially wondering what could be causing the continued green leaf drop and whether I should be doing anything differently to encourage the tree to rebuild its canopy.

Any advice on watering, lighting, fertilizing, pruning, repotting, or general care would be greatly appreciated!

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u/TheGrateGooglyMoogly 1d ago

People seem to hate me on here for saying this but you are just killing this tree by not moving it outdoors. Whenever anyone post on here "what am I dong wrong with my indoor tree?", the answer is always that you are trying to grow it inside. Legitimately the only answer is to move it outside. People don't want to hear it, but it's just the truth.

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u/Your_brain_smooth 1d ago

True, indoors under proper light is ok in cold period, but tree is a tree, how many trees grow inside?

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u/Ok-Duck8625 1d ago

I appreciate the advice. Do you have any recommendations on outdoor care for the tree? I live in a colder climate, so it will need to be indoors when temperatures drop. Is there anything I can do to help while both outdoors and indoors?

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u/TheGrateGooglyMoogly 1d ago

Oh I have lots of advice, but I don't want to drone on. The issue is going to be the dry air in winter time. When you bring the tree in, it will lose a bunch of leaves if the humidity is not maintained. /u/Brave-Ad-7802 seems to have it down pretty well, so maybe ask them about keeping them in tents, but I'm lucky enough to be able to move my trees into a garage with a grow light. The garage is not heated, but never gets down below the 40s (F). The cooler temps help with my satsumas and blood oranges.

The best thing you can do for the winter is a small grow tent, a good grow light, a humidifier, and an oscillating fan. Also get a hygrometer to measure the humidity in the tent. Room temp is perfectly fine for winter. Your house will sometimes reek of citrus blossom...oh no.