Here ya go Mike - or anyone else with experience. I purchased a ponderosa lemon a few months ago and it has grown like crazy. It's over three feet tall already and the leaves are pretty huge as well. It resides outside presently, in full sun and is watered every day. I will be bringing it inside shortly as the cooler weather arrives. I have a few questions:

1) does it need to be pruned? If so, how do you recommend doing it?

2) does it lake a large pot. The pot presently is about 8" diameter, but I feel it's too small for the plant. I'm thinking it doesn't want to be pot bound.

3) should I give it one last feeding for the summer? I use a granular slow release fertilizer. Are they heavy feeders?

4) Inside - less water? Spray the leaves to add humidity periodically? I will be near a window, so it will receive a lot of sun indoors too.

5) What else should I know or expect? The two branches appear pretty soft, so if it does manage to flower and produce a fruit, won't the weight of the fruit weight the branches down?

Thanks all - I want this to survive the winter and flower. Mike has told me how wonderful they smell, and I can't wait to see myself.

I also have a mock orange which I purchased which Mike convinced me to buy as well (I think he gets a commission from Logees!). It too will be coming inside shortly, but it's a fairly small plant at the moment, maybe only 9-10" high at the moment. Any special instructions concerning it also?

Thanks again.

Hi Bill, so happy to see you on this side)

Seems we have fallen short of great people here these days so another added to what we have left is a blessing.

1) does it need to be pruned? I would not unless you don't have the roon for it. They like to grow all different ways when that small. If you desire a tree, then keep butting back the lower branches.If so, how do you recommend doing it? I would have to see it again)

2) does it lake a large pot. When using a very good porous mix, they like a bigger pot. The pot presently is about 8" diameter, but I feel it's too small for the plant. I'm thinking it doesn't want to be pot bound.Exactly, no tree should be root bound.

3) should I give it one last feeding for the summer? I use a granular slow release fertilizer. Are they heavy feeders? Yes, heavy feeders and another drink of fertilizer would not hurt it until the last day you bring them inside in fact.

4) Inside - less water? Yes, only when the soil mix almost dried out Spray the leaves to add humidity periodically? You do not have too. If looking for more humidity, if you can use a humidifier it would be perfect, but no need. I will be near a window, so it will receive a lot of sun indoors too.

5) What else should I know or expect? Make sure to treat them for pest before bringing them inside. I would use a good horticultural oil. That is what I use. Start now, at least spraying three times before bringing them inside, once every other week. The two branches appear pretty soft, so if it does manage to flower and produce a fruit, won't the weight of the fruit weight the branches down? NO. The fruit will force the branches to harden or you will just get fruit that hands. The branches like mine can take the weight. They just bend.

Thanks all - I want this to survive the winter and flower. Mike has told me how wonderful they smell, and I can't wait to see myself. I can't wait until you smell the blossoms on both my friend.

I also have a mock orange which I purchased which Mike convinced me to buy as well (I think he gets a commission from Logees!). LOl. Yeah, once that blooms you will want to buy another. Even more fragrant than citrus. It too will be coming inside shortly, but it's a fairly small plant at the moment, maybe only 9-10" high at the moment. Any special instructions concerning it also?

Bill, make sure to get the tree use to lower light levels before bringing it inside and if you plan on growing them in a heated room, then bring them inside before the temps drop below the fifties. If you plan on a cool room, no worries about the temps. Invest in a good day light since when the winter days are long and dark, it will help a great deal

Keep a bottle of pest control at all times on hand and plan on good growth since I consider this ponderosa tree the easiest to grow indoors even in less than ideal conditions.

With the mock orange, provide lots of light and air movement.

Thanks Mike. I have a second chemo session tomorrow (had one this morning too. Today was 5.5 hrs and tomorrow should be about the same. Makes for a long boring day! ) but depending on how I feel, I'll try to get a picture tomorrow and post it. That was a great idea of getting it acclimated to the inside now. I'll be bringing it in sometime next month. I try to stretch the GH as long as possible even though it's not heated. I'll take pictures of both for you, and thanks again for putting me on to these plants and for the info.

Bill, chemo??

Send me am e-mail or a text preferably letting me know what is going on ok.

You must be tired buddy. I hope it's only up hill from here.

Yes, once you get a chance, take them.

Bill. Here is a picture of mines. Was only a little 4 inch high thing. It’s grown a lot. Going to grow mine like a bush. Bonsai style. It's about 2 feet high now)

I'll post a Pic of mine tomorrow. Today was a bad day for me. After two sessions of chemo Monday and Tuesday, today I was working in the yard repotting a plant. I grabbed a handful of Pearlite and as I went to pour it into some soil, the wind came up and blew it directly into my eyes! As you know, it's like volcanic glass, and immediately cut my corneas. Completely blinded, I stumbled into the house, and my son, who fortunately was off work today and was working on a project in my garage heard me calling him. Flushing my eyes with water and drops did nothing. He rushed me to a Patient First facility and they numbed my eyes and continued to irrigate them. The corneas are pretty badly cut but I can see now, just a little blurred. I need to wash them out every two hours with this numbing solution they gave me, so I'll take some pics tomorrow, but as I mentioned, today was a horrible no good very bad day! (BTW, that's a title of a kids book).

(or maybe I'll just stay in bed all day, it'll be safer! 🤣 🤣 🤣) maybe.... 😁

Mike, now that I can see, here are a couple ics of my ponderosa lemon. It's a little over 3' tallk now.

That's a 10" diameter pot it's sitting in and I think it's too small already!

It always amazes me to see such huge fruits on such small plants..., I can't think of another Citrus that produces such an enormous fruit on a small plant. Ponderosas are a hybrid between a citron and a pomelo. It gets its size from the pomelo. I also have both of this hybrid's parents. The pomelo I grew from seed of a store bought fruit, but it has not fruited yet. The Citrus medica is currently fruiting. Will post pics tomorrow as long as it's not raining.

P.S., Thanks for the heads up on the perlite, use it all the time, did not realize the potential risks, omg!

Margaritaville, I've been exposed to CS gas, tear gas and several types of irritants during my time in the service, and I can now say first hand, that Pearlite was the most painful and instantly debilitating thing I have ever encountered! Be extremity careful of the dust as it's not at all forgiving!

My eyes are fine today, but I'm still putting the numbing drops in for another day.

Take care and g-d bless.

P.S., I don't think I will be purchasing perlite anymore.

I've used it for years and never had an issue. This was just some freak occurrence. Just be aware of how damaging it could be and take precautions. Next time I use it, I'll dampen it down somewhat in order to keep the dust down. That should work. Be careful is all.

Stay well and best of luck to you....

Make sure to wet the Perlite before pouring or using it. Keeps the dust down.

Margaritaville - WOW! I am suitably impressed!

BIll, I told you that you would love the Ponderosa tree))) So easy to grow, grows fast, and is not as fussy as others even in winter!

So sorry to hear about the eyes and then your sessions..Gee, makes you almost want to give up on certain days and yet you keep plugging forward and finding what joy you can taking care of things and just living life. Very proud of you after all you have been through and after all the service you have done. Bless you is right!!

Margerit, you are right. I have huge fruit on one of my trees as we speak. So amazing!! They grow so fast too. What I like is that not even winter slows them down, not even a cold porch!!