Question
QUESTION: I have recently adopted a 2 year old lime tree. It has been growing indoors and is approx. 5 feet tall. It was getting about 4 hours of direct sun a day and produces edible limes. Now that it is in my home, I don't get hardly any direct sunlight and am looking into buying a light to ensure it still grows and keeps producing limes. Can you recommend a type of light bulb and how long I should leave on for each day.
Thank you for your time, any suggestions are helpful.
Amy.

ANSWER: Hi Amy,

Unfortunately, there is no adequate substitute for direct natural light for your lime tree. The best source of artificial light for indoor plants is a fluorescent light fixture that is placed about 12-18 inches over the plant and left on for about 12 hours per day. That will be enough to keep your lime tree alive and healthy, but not enough to get it to produce fruit. Special grow-lights are not adequate to produce fruit and they are very expensive. I don't recommend them.

Is there as sunny window anywhere in your house where you can locate the lime tree?

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Unfortunately, I do not get any sun in my house, I am very shaded by trees and a tall house next door. Do you think it would help if I took the tree outside on the deck during the summers where it could receive full sun? How many hours should it receive then? It could get about 8-10 hours of sun a day for about 4 months of the year then I could put it under a fluorescent light the rest of the year. Would this be better or should I just leave it inside the whole year? I live in Southern Alberta, Canada so it gets quite cold but also quite hot. What sort of temperature range could it handle? What if it gets windy? Maybe would I be better off finding a better home for it? Or would it flourish even just as a non-fruit bearing tree?
Thanks again, your first response was very helpful!
Amy.

Answer
Hi Amy,

You could summer it outside, but not in direct outdoor sun, which is many times more intense than indoor direct sun. So outside it would have to be in a protected spot - protected from direct sun, intense heat (above 90 degrees), and strong winds that might topple the tree over.

Moving it outside for the summer might be enough to produce some fruit, but I cannot guarantee it.

If you don't have a protected outdoor location for it, then your best bet is to find another home for it, I am sad to say.

~Will