I love growing fruit trees indoors, but be aware that not all fruit trees can be. For one, you’ll most likely have to grow a dwarf variety of the tree. Also, citrus or exotic fruits tend to grow best indoors. Try growing fruits like lemon, lime, or even bananas.
One of the most important aspects of growing a fruit tree indoors is to make sure the pot is high quality. You want a planter with good drainage; the soil needs to be well taken care of to have a healthy fruit tree inside. If you already have a cute pot with bad drainage, you can plant the tree in a well-drained pot and then stick that in the nicer pot.
For the soil, do NOT just grab some dirt from out in the garden. That’s not going to work for an indoor fruit tree. You want light and airy soil. It drains well and maintains the nutrients your plant needs. If possible, get soil with perlite mixed in because that’s even better for the tree.
Plant placement is also essential for a healthy and vital fruit tree indoors. You want to put it somewhere it can get bright and direct light. Most people agree southern or western exposure is the best.
Never let the soil dry out for an indoor fruit tree. That will always be detrimental to the plant. Especially if you have a citrus tree, you want to do regular watering so the soil is always nice and moist. Don’t put the tree in front of a vent or else it can quickly dry out the plant and make it wither.
Because the tree is in an isolated environment, you are in charge of making sure it gets all the nutrients it needs. That means you’ll probably need to add fertilizer to the pot. Once a month, add a chelated mix of manganese, iron, and zinc. Most fertilizers have these minerals.
If you pay attention, you’ll realize that most fruit trees thrive in humid environments. Because of that, I suggest getting a humidifier for around the plant. If you don’t want to do that, then consistently mist the plant. Either option works.
For best results, you’re probably going to want to hand-pollinate your indoor fruit tree. Brush the stamens of an open blossom and repeat this around the whole plant. It will help increase how much fruit is produced.
