My dwarf Meyer lemon tree..... I have had this tree for almost 4 years....
I have never grown anything indoors with a light other then with sun in a window for the lemon tree when I bring it in for winters so sorry if these are dumb questions...
I am in SE Michigan so I have to bring my lemon tree indoors every winter, past few years I just put in south facing window but would never get fruits due to lack of enough light... So I purchased a yield master 2 with a 600w HPS bulb....
https://www.amazon.com/Sun-System-Reflec ... d_sxp_f_pt
the setup is going to be in my basement which is wide open so it's not gonna in be a confined area
do I need to get a inline fan to cool the light?
How far from my tree should I place the light?
How long should I have light on per day?
thanks for the help
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Your set up looks great. You have sun and wind so it should be happy. As long as the light is close enough it will work but you will have to look at the instructions for that.
If the temperature is fairly cool in the basement (I have no idea but I imagine underground it would be) I would give it less than full summer sun, like maybe 12 hours at most. Our winter time sun only lasts for about 10-12 hours so our lemon trees go into a mildly dormant state without any new growth. Surely this is important as a seasonal growth stimulator in spring?
In spring you can bring the light up to the same level as outside before putting it out.
If the temperature is fairly cool in the basement (I have no idea but I imagine underground it would be) I would give it less than full summer sun, like maybe 12 hours at most. Our winter time sun only lasts for about 10-12 hours so our lemon trees go into a mildly dormant state without any new growth. Surely this is important as a seasonal growth stimulator in spring?
In spring you can bring the light up to the same level as outside before putting it out.
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My recommendation is leave it in the south facing window and rig up the light system there. You still can't match with light what the sun can do. The higher the watt the better IMHO. If you use LED or fluorescent bulbs they run cool so you should have them as close as possible. The further you put them away the less power ends up in the leafs.
Keep the tree fertilized with a citrus blend. It is important as a lack of trace minerals can cause a lack of flowering or flower drop.
Don't worry FYI it can take a few years to get fruit. Is your tree grafted ?
Keep the tree fertilized with a citrus blend. It is important as a lack of trace minerals can cause a lack of flowering or flower drop.
Don't worry FYI it can take a few years to get fruit. Is your tree grafted ?
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OK I hesitated to post a reply to this thread because I haven't been able to get my Meyer lemon tree to the point of fruiting -- I.e. growing successfully. And the set up OP posted about is completely different from what I'm working with. If it helps, my set up DOES result in blooming tree. It's what comes after that with which I have no experience and can't offer any advice.
FWIW, I started my own thread asking for instructions on how to go about getting the tree to fruit production phase and successful harvest here: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 44#p316644 I do describe the kind of lighting I'm using, but whether that is correct or not remains to be seen.
FWIW, I started my own thread asking for instructions on how to go about getting the tree to fruit production phase and successful harvest here: https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 44#p316644 I do describe the kind of lighting I'm using, but whether that is correct or not remains to be seen.