Lemon Trees - Ask Extension
I know this might be quite a peculiar of a request but what we do for the people that we love, . My mother is a 78 year old active senior residing in ...
Knowledgebase
Lemon Trees #925506
Asked March 06, 2026, 8:52 AM EST
I know this might be quite a peculiar of a request but what we do for the people that we love, . My mother is a 78 year old active senior residing in NW Baltimore City and has a Forrest in our house. She loves her plants and her trees that she has been growing.
However, she has run into a wall with the care of some of her lemon trees that she has been growing for years and that have not produced fruit and appealingly have a failure to thrive. I’ve seen her almost in tears because of it. But she is holding on.
I was wondering if it was possible if in your network you knew of a Botanist/Arborist/Horticulturalist that was knowledgeable about Lemon Trees that I could perhaps pay and come to our house and give my mom a crash course on how to care for her lemon trees so it they can be fruit bearing?
I know this is a bit strange, but I didn’t know where else to reach out to. Thanks so much.
Jeff
Baltimore City County Maryland
Expert Response
While we unfortunately are not able to offer site visits, you may be able to get local help via the city Master Gardener group; they can't do one-on-one on-site consults, but a local plant clinic event can be one avenue to ask questions, and if the plants themselves are too large to bring out for any feedback, photos are very helpful. (Pictures that show any plant symptoms, or, in this case, also the growing environment with regards to how much light they get, how large the plant is in relation to the pot size, etc.)
Our Growing Dwarf Citrus page may be helpful. Citrus trees benefit from being grown outdoors during the summer months, but if that is not feasible in her living situation, then the plants need to be exposed to bright light while indoors. A sunny window might not be enough (depending on the size of the window), and many indoor gardeners find that adding grow lights can help with plants that need high light levels. (There are a plethora of grow lights on the market. If you wanted to dive into learning what differences to look for, we have a blog article 4-part series about that.)
Like other long-lived houseplants, citrus trees also benefit from periodic repotting, both to give the roots more room in a larger pot (if they are getting too cramped in their current pot size, although they tolerate crowding reasonably well), and to freshen the potting soil itself by replacing some or all of the old soil with fresh soil. Over time as it ages, potting soil degrades into finer particles, and these are harder to keep well-watered without waterlogging, and they also can retain minerals from tap water and unused fertilizer, which as they build up can stress or damage roots.
How often are the plants being fertilized? While fertilizing in winter isn't needed, during the growing season, potted plants can run low on key nutrients, which may affect leaf color, growth, and flowering/fruiting.
Have the plants been blooming but not fruiting? If so, the issue may be lack of pollination, and hand-pollination in this case would be needed since the trees don't have insect pollinator access being indoors. If the lemon trees have not flowered, that suggests they aren't getting enough light (they need to make and store enough energy to support flower formation) or other environmental triggers to bloom. Citrus appreciate somewhat cool temperatures in winter (not chilly, but cooler than what some houseplants prefer) and moderate humidity levels (hard to achieve in many heated homes that have dry air). If the trees' foliage looks good, that's a good start, since it suggests they are reasonably well-nourished and not suffering from a pest problem that is weakening them. Depending on information you can provide about the questions above, we might be able to narrow-down what to try next, or you can follow-up with local MG volunteers.
Miri
Our Growing Dwarf Citrus page may be helpful. Citrus trees benefit from being grown outdoors during the summer months, but if that is not feasible in her living situation, then the plants need to be exposed to bright light while indoors. A sunny window might not be enough (depending on the size of the window), and many indoor gardeners find that adding grow lights can help with plants that need high light levels. (There are a plethora of grow lights on the market. If you wanted to dive into learning what differences to look for, we have a blog article 4-part series about that.)
Like other long-lived houseplants, citrus trees also benefit from periodic repotting, both to give the roots more room in a larger pot (if they are getting too cramped in their current pot size, although they tolerate crowding reasonably well), and to freshen the potting soil itself by replacing some or all of the old soil with fresh soil. Over time as it ages, potting soil degrades into finer particles, and these are harder to keep well-watered without waterlogging, and they also can retain minerals from tap water and unused fertilizer, which as they build up can stress or damage roots.
How often are the plants being fertilized? While fertilizing in winter isn't needed, during the growing season, potted plants can run low on key nutrients, which may affect leaf color, growth, and flowering/fruiting.
Have the plants been blooming but not fruiting? If so, the issue may be lack of pollination, and hand-pollination in this case would be needed since the trees don't have insect pollinator access being indoors. If the lemon trees have not flowered, that suggests they aren't getting enough light (they need to make and store enough energy to support flower formation) or other environmental triggers to bloom. Citrus appreciate somewhat cool temperatures in winter (not chilly, but cooler than what some houseplants prefer) and moderate humidity levels (hard to achieve in many heated homes that have dry air). If the trees' foliage looks good, that's a good start, since it suggests they are reasonably well-nourished and not suffering from a pest problem that is weakening them. Depending on information you can provide about the questions above, we might be able to narrow-down what to try next, or you can follow-up with local MG volunteers.
Miri
