I give them as much sun as possible - probably 10 hours. I paint my pots white. You can shade your pots with something.

same for me

All day. Black surfaces painted white.

Mines only get about 6 hours of direct sun anywhere in my yard except for on my roof...They do pretty good, but flowering and fruiting is still on the stingier side. The more sunlight, the more fruit!! The less, the more green leaves in which in my case and less fruit but still good growth...

Huh I see. So I'm putting them in too less sun. But they are new plants I got in december and since then I repotted it around early april. So for now, 5-6 hours sun is still ok?

Give them as much sun as possible.

People literally put them on their roofs to get them as much sunlight as possible. i would try it but I am not that graceful and would kill myself haha.

What the heck. That is insane lol. 12 hours and on roof closer to the sun!? How do the pots not overheat?? I mean even with white pots 12 hours is alot.. My conifers I grow in my pots are being slightly scorched.. Are citrus like sun proof or something?

I am not sure how many hours mine get because I've not tracked it (and some are in different locations around my yard), however, I would guess no more than 6...I have a big tree in the back and many are along my house. Some get morning and afternoon sun, others get more mid-day sun. I should track it more carefully. I do wonder if that part of the reason that they do not have such a shock when they go inside. The difference in the light is big, but not as huge as if they were in 12 hours of sun vs almost none when indoors....

Potted citrus do not need full all-day sun. I'm with Laura. Mine get maybe 6 hours tops. Also, I think they get less stressed in pots with a bit less sun during the hottest months of the year. I still get plenty fruit.

do really fine in a window sill for about 6 hours

Ok I guess six hours is enough. My sudachi is already fruiting and it gets about 6 hour sun too

Six hours sun for a citrus tree would be about the minimum to insure good growth.

Citrus should get at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day for healthy growth. That said, the tree will compensate for any lack of sun by producing more leaves. In short, citrus that get 6 hours of sun per day will end up being much shorter and bushier than trees that get full 8-10 hours of light which will be less bushy but taller and with a much broader canopy.

I have 7 potted citrus that get full son with no issues of any kind. We are having a week of 100* plus weather so they are getting more water than normal.

So is it pointless to try to grow my lime in a dark red pot here? Will it always struggle and look crappy? It faces north (like your south, I'm NZ), and gets full sun from mid morning until sunset. The wall on the left of the photo blocks the sunrise, the small roof overhang doesn't block any of its sunshine. The house is very white, the site is pretty sheltered, and there's also a lot of reflected light and heat off the gravel parking area (not in the photo as it just rained). So it can get really hot and glary. How do I tell if the roots are overheating?

That is enough sun. Measure the temperature in the pot with a thermometer. I have used an electronic kitchen thermometer. You do not want the temperature to exceed 95 F. If it does, you may paint the container or put something in front of it to block the sunlight.

Thanks for such a fast reply! That's a good idea, I will try it.

I think it's a balance thing, as with most aspects of gardening. The more sun you give your citrus while also taking care of its water, temperature, and fertilization needs the more fruit and flowers and growth it will give you. Honestly, I think this is why I hate fabric pots - I can only grow on my roof deck and I couldn't keep the trees cool / watered in those pots. Instead I grow my outdoor-year-round citrus in cedar containers to keep the soil cool and my indoor-outdoor citrus in terracotta colored plastic pots so I can heft them in and out (and check if they need water based on weight).