Citrus trees love to be pampered by the sun in summer, without question. But, as you can probably imagine, exotic plants like these cannot tolerate our winter cold at all. The only question is what are the minimum temperatures that the citrus plant can tolerate and when should you bring the lemon tree in. We will explain to you how to overwinter the lemon tree so that it does not suffer any damage and what you should take into account regarding the winter quarters.
When does the tree have to go into winter quarters and which location is the best?
The above-ground parts of the plant are quite sensitive and run the first timeDanger of frostto suffer damages. For this reason, the plant should be brought into the warm beforehand.
Where should you overwinter the lemon tree?
So the lemon tree has to go inside. But which is the ideal location? Should it be dark or rather light? Does the plant like it warm like its home or does it prefer lower temperatures?
You can choose any location that is not at risk of frost. But be sure to pay attention to the following so that the lemon plant feels comfortable:
Provide the lemon tree with constant temperatures
- Most plants like cooler locations in winter so that they can go into hibernation. When it comes to citrus plants, you have the choice: it can be cool and dark or warm and bright, BUT not everything in combination! If the tree loses its leaves, it could be for exactly this reason. You should therefore avoid large temperature fluctuations.
- If you overwinter the lemon tree in the apartment or house, where you of course also heat and it is bright, then make sure that the room is consistently over 20 degrees. The living room or kitchen, where it is usually nice and bright, are ideal. The bedroom is usually kept cooler, so this room is less suitable.
- If you like the lemon treeoverwinter in the cellaror the garage, i.e. in a room where it is quite dark (not pitch black) and cold, then pay attention to temperatures between 3 and 13 degrees so that the plant feels comfortable.
A notice:Also pay attention to the floor to avoid temperature fluctuations. If it is cold, the cold is of course passed on to the roots and they fall into hibernation. However, when the above-ground parts are warmed (e.g. by direct sunlight or nearby heating), they awaken from winter dormancy and want to start growing. However, the roots continue to sleep and do not provide them with the necessary nutrients, so they dry out and fall off. Inexperienced people therefore believe that lack of water is responsible for this drying out. In desperation, they then water the tree more frequently, which in turn can lead to waterlogging and rotting of the roots.
Therefore the rule applies: The location is eithercool and dark or warm and bright. You can place the pot on Styrofoam or wood to insulate it from below.
Overwintering the lemon tree – care in the winter quarters
What winter care should look like depends primarily on how you overwinter the lemon tree:
- If it is bright and warm, it will continue to grow and thrive, so youwith careContinue in exactly the same way as in the warmer months - water regularly and fertilize moderately.
- In a cool and darker location, the plant goes into hibernation and just needs to be kept alive. For this purpose, watering is carried out very sparingly. The point is just to keep the roots from drying out.
In both cases there is a risk of pest infestation. Therefore, check regularly whether your lemon tree has been infected and, if necessary, take appropriate measures.
Is there a way to overwinter the lemon tree outside?
If you care for your tree on a balcony and there is not enough space in your apartment, you may ask yourself whether there is a way to overwinter the lemon tree outdoors. But unfortunately we have to disappoint you, becauseeven a winter protectionwould not be able to save this exotic plant, regardless of whether it was in the middle of the garden or hidden in a corner on the wall of the house on the terrace or balcony. All you can do is leave them outside for as long as possible and, as already mentioned, that is until the first frost.
When can you put the lemon tree out?
The plant got through the winter well. Now the question arises as to when we can go outside. Even in spring, it is the frost that you should observe before you decide to put the pot outside again. In principle:
- From March or April the temperature is high enough to put the lemon tree outside again.
- Frost still remains a big enemy. Therefore, put it back in at night until the frost period is over. If you don't have the time or desire to keep moving the tree, wait until there is no longer any risk of frost.
- Slowly acclimate the plant to sunlight again. This is especially true if it was dark in the winter, but not only. Initially just place them in a shady place for one to two weeks, then in direct sun for a few hours in the morning. Slowly increase the number of hours until the tree can stand in full sun all day again.
