How strong should lighting be on citrus indoors?

2 years ago

last modified: 2 years ago

Indoors during the winter only. In the past years I had these trees, I’ve never used any supplemental lighting and I suspect that is the reason why my mandarin is stressed and gets some scale. They also haven’t fruited properly(flowers alot though) for a couple years.

This room is south facing but as you can see the trees are already taller than the window so it doesn’t get adequate sunlight especially on the top part of the tree. How many watts should supplemental lighting be? I hear anywhere from 400 to 1000 w. The whole floor will not have any heat turned on over the winter so it will stay pretty cool(45-60 F) so maybe light requirements change with that.

Featured Answer

garybeaumont_gw

2 years ago

For me, the easiest way to tell if a plant needs watering is to lift the pot. If it is light, it will need to be watered. If it is still heavy, no water is needed. Be careful with the drainage tray on the bottom. It should never have extra water in it. If the drainage tray gets water in it, take it out using a towel. Water in the bottom tray will over saturate the pot leading to root rot. They are needed to prevent getting the floor wet, but should be emptied each time you water.

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Comments (15)

poncirusguy6b452xx
2 years ago
They need a lot more light. Here is mine
Ken B Zone 7
2 years ago
If you give them enough light that they will be actively growing you need to keep the roots above 60 degrees.
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Heruga (7a NJ)
Original Author
2 years ago
Poncirusguy, how many watts light are each of those lamps? Or does it even matter if you have that many lights on?

Ken, so since the room is usually much cooler than that, there is no need for any supplental light?
Howard Martin
2 years ago
Can I start my citrus seed in a sponge
Ken B Zone 7
2 years ago
If you want your trees to actively grow over the winter give them all the light you can but make sure the rootzone is warm if you are keeping them in a cooler area you want them to go dormant so you want less light . If you give them too much light but the rootzone is cold they won't be able uptake water.
poncirusguy6b452xx
2 years ago
Heruga Each bulb is 9 watts. My room is kept around 60F. Enough light to keep leaves healthy with a little growth.

Howard Martin You can start seeds in a sponge
Howard Martin
2 years ago
Those trees look great ok will that work for citrus seeds
Heruga (7a NJ)
Original Author
2 years ago
Oh that’s it? I have no idea why some people use 1000 watts on it then. Seems excessive.

So I’d like to know at what temp can you get away with not providing any supplemental lighting? My room will usually be 55 F and under. It does get south sun but obstructed by window frames and the sun doesn’t hit the top of the tree.
poncirusguy6b452xx
2 years ago
At 55F It is important that your tree gets NO sunlight unless your window is a Low-E newer window. The tree still needs light. A few daylight LED bulbs of 700 lumens is fine.
Heruga (7a NJ)
Original Author
2 years ago
Ok, when they get hit by cooler temps and go dormant would you still water the trees once they get dry? Or can they stay dry for a long time possibly through the whole winter? I’m worried if I give it any water in their dormant phase when they aren’t absorbing much sunlight it may cause root rot.
Ken B Zone 7
2 years ago
I actually prefer having water in my drainage tray for a little help with humidity but I make sure the pot is elevated above the water so it can't wick up
Howard Martin
2 years ago
And too much light can cause stress and under stress plant don't produce well anyway that how it is in corn so you might need to cut some of the light back then the fruit levels could pick up but I no expert
Ken B Zone 7
2 years ago
If bringing them inside for the winter than you could grow any type of citrus you like, they can all survive a Maryland summer.
poncirusguy6b452xx
2 years ago
Changsha mandarin Changsha USA Mandarin starts to ripen so early. Fruits can be found from September to December about, but tend to hold well on the tree for several months.
It usually blooms during Spring It is much easier for a tree to ripen fruit outside under sunlight than indoors under lights.