Question
I live in North Carolina, and enjoy growing miniture citrus trees in containers.  When I move them inside in the winter, the leaves start falling off, and some of them die.  I try to give them plenty of sunlight. I do not water them as much, checking the soil for moisture as an indication.Any information you could give on the proper care in winter will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Mike Hodge

Answer
Mike,

Citrus trees are outdoor Florida plants. There in the winter they do not get a lot of water, the rainy season in Florida is in the summer, they do get lots of sun and they get cooler temperatures. In your home it is impossible to match the intensity of the Florida sun. At minimum you need your citrus trees sitting next to a large south facing window with no drapes or mini blinds. An enclosed south facing back porch is ideal for this purpose. You might even try hanging a 2 or 4 tube flourescent fixture above your trees.

They also do better with cooler temperatures especially at night, Again, if you have a minimally heated south facing enclosed porch it is perfect. At the very least turn your thermostat down 10-12 degrees when you go to bed amd back up in the morning.

Then do not water them more than once every 2 weeks. In sandy Florida soil they sit bone dry for weeks during the winter. Potting soil holds a lot more water than you realize, when the surface feels dry the roots are still wet. Try an experiment sometime, when the surface of the soil feels dry gently remove the plant from the pot and see how moist the roots still are.  Never, never leave a citrus tree sitting with water in the drain tray! The hate swamps! More citrus plants are killed by too much water than too little and I suspect that is what is happening to your trees.It is the most critical thing for your tree and the easiest to change. They can go bone dry and even if the begin to wilt, they will perk right back up when you water. Get them back out in the sun as early as possible in the spring. Good luck.

Darlene