Lack the garden space to grow a fruit tree, or fancy the aroma of sweet orange, lime or lemon around your home? It can be done with fruit plants, and indoors too. Almost all plants have dwarf species that are perfect for indoor fruit gardening.
Discover the Benefits of Growing Fruits Indoors
As opposed to outdoors, indoor fruit growing is much easier. More so when you start with an established plant. The fuller the plant is when you buy it, the sooner it’ll produce fruit.
Being indoors, it’s easier to control temperature, humidity, and watering. A cumulative advantage to those is that the plants you grow will be less susceptible to pests and diseases, and the fruits will be free from exposure to outdoor pollutants..
A huge plus is having fresher fruit and possibly, higher yields if you get the conditions perfected.
Know this though…
Some Fruits Need Help with Pollination
When choosing easy-to-grow fruits for indoors, know that some need help with pollination.
Outdoors, insects tug the process along. Indoors, there are fewer insects to help with the natural process.
With indoor plants, depending on whether you’re growing a self-pollinating plant or a cross-pollinator (requiring two plants), you may need to learn how to pollinate indoor plants.
For example, Meyer Lemon Trees are self-pollinating, whereas certain varieties of dwarf apple, cherry or plum trees need to be grown in pairs as they require cross-pollination. Indoors, you’d need to give it a helping hand by manually cross-pollinating, otherwise, you’d get no fruit.
For ease of getting started, grow fruits that are self-fertile. That way you only need to focus on nourishing one plant.
Choosing the Right Fruits is Fundamental to Growing Indoors
Most fruiting plants have two types. The full-size fruit trees, and dwarf varieties.
Dwarf varieties are the best options for indoor growers because they take up less space.
Within the dwarf varieties of fruiting plants, some are easier to grow than others. Beginners are best to start with the simplest varieties, gain experience maintaining them, pruning and harvesting, and then expand to more challenging types.
The easiest fruit plants to grow indoors are:
- Berry plants (Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries),
- The Meyer Lemon Tree
- Lime tree
- Dwarf Apricot (Prunus armeniaca) tree – specifically, the Moorpark’ and the “Goldcot’ varieties
- Dwarf Peach Tree
- Miniature Olive Trees (Arbequina and Picholine are good choices)
- Satsuma or Mandarin Orange trees
- Calamondin Trees… This is a cross cultivar of mandarin and kumquat that produces fruits with a sweet aroma and a bitter taste. It’s better suited to making a cooking sauce from the fruit.
Pivotal Considerations Before You Get Started Growing Fruits Indoors
Plants have different requirements. Some do great in full sun, others require shade. Some grow upright, others are trailing or climbing/vining varieties better suited to trellising or growing in a hanging basket where they can trail from the ceiling or the top of a bookcase, or shelf.
Check the growth tendency of the plant, and consider what growing requirements it needs to produce fruit.
Things to pay attention to are:
Sunlight
Any type of berry plant can grow ok in the shade. The larger the fruit the plant produces, the more light it’ll need.
Dwarf citrus plants such as Persian Lime trees, Satsuma Orange trees or the Dwarf Meyer Lemon tree are full sun plants. These types of plants do best indoors when they either get positioned near a south-facing window or have the light supplemented with grow lights.
Space
Dwarf varieties can still grow quite tall. Check the height of the plant you plan to grow because while you can prune to keep the size in check, restricting growth will restrict the amount of fruit the plant produces. If you have limited space, grow small fruiting plants like berries instead of satsumas.
Climate control
Most fruit trees require higher humidity indoors, and don’t do well with cold drafts. Humidity can be raised by grouping plants, or with a room or plant humidifier, or by regularly spritzing the plant with a spray bottle.
The Essential Equipment Needed to Grow Fruit Indoors
Containers to suit your plant
Plant pots are not your only option. You can get indoor raised planters for vertical gardening, and hanging baskets can be used for small berry plants.
Most fruit-producing plants do best in containers that are 18-20 inches (45 to 50 cm) in diameter.
Drainage holes are pivotal
Drainage holes in your containers prevent your potting mix from becoming water-logged. As water will be pouring from the base when you water it, you’ll need a layer of drainage material on a saucer or tray under your plant. Gravel and pebbles are ideal and give you the advantage of increasing humidity levels.
Pot Material
The heavier the material, the harder it’ll be to move. Avoid terra cotta pots, stone, and ceramic. Opt instead for lighter containers made of plastic, or fiberglass. You may need to move them into sunnier and shadier spots.
Soil
Use potting soil and avoid topsoil as that becomes compacted. Potting soil or potting mix is for container growing and is designed to avoid compaction. The best type to start with is a mix that’s enriched with nutrients to nourish the plant.
Fertilizer
Check the label of the fruit you’re planting for guidance notes on what to feed it and the quantities. Or, research it online. Some fruit trees, such as citrus plants do better with acidic soil, whereas other fruits prefer a balanced pH.
Acidic fruits such as lemons and limes may need the potting mix acidified a little.
For small, easy-to-grow fruits, such as berry plants, you could probably get away with some simple homemade fertilizer for plants, but for others that produce larger fruits, a fertilizer with a specific NPK ratio may be required – NPK is the chemical symbols for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K).
Lighting (if you don’t have a south-facing window)
Fruits grown indoors do best when positioned near a south-facing window. If you don’t have full sun for 6 to 8 hours of the day, artificial lighting can be used to mimic the growing conditions that fruit plants need.
Key Takeaways
- Start with the most mature fruit trees for faster harvesting
- Grow dwarf varieties
- In containers that are 18 to 20 inches in diameter and with drainage holes
- With nutrient-enriched potting soil (not topsoil)
- Preferably near a southern-facing window where they can get full sun for 6 to 8 hours daily, or – supplement the lighting with grow lights.
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.