HOW TO GROW BASIL

Fresh basil is a wonderfully sweet, and aromatic herb, and if you have ever had the opportunity to taste a few freshly picked leaves straight from the mother plant you will understand why it is one of the most popular of all the culinary herbs.

Luckily - given the right conditions basil is easy to grow from seed, but because Basil needs a reasonably high and stable - temperature to initiate germination. With that in mind, it is always best to sow basil seed indoors - irrespective of whether it will end up being planted up outside or not. Fill a seed tray almost to the top with a moist seed and potting compost, and then thinly sow your basil seeds over the surface. Give them a light covering of compost and gently water in before transferring to a bright, warm room. Try not to allow the compost to dry out, but equally, do not over water. You can consider placing a plastic cover over the top of the seed tray to help maintain moisture and humidity, but this must be removed as soon as the new seedlings emerge to prevent fungal infection.

Once the seedlings have emerged through the compost keep them in a light position but out of direct sunlight. Once the second set of true leaves have fully formed, transplant each seedling into 3 inch pots allowing no more than four plants per pot. After a couple of weeks - when the young plants have had time to establish - they can be gradually made accustom to outside conditions if that is to be their final position. Harden them off for a couple of weeks or so before planting outside, but only do so one the threat of frost is over. Choose a sunny, sheltered site for bestresults allowing 12 inches between each group of plants. The young tender leaves can be harvest any time so long as the plant is big and strong enough any time from May until September. As the plants continue to grow, remove any flower buds as they arise as this will signal a change in the flavour of the basil, making the leaves bitter and even unpalatable for some people. Flowering will also cause a significant reduction in the growth of new foliage, reducing the amount which can be used for cooking.

HOW TO GROW COURGETTES FROM SEED

Although considered to be a vegetable, courgettes - otherwise known as zucchini - are actually the immature fruit of a marrow squash more specifically, the swollen ovary of the female flower. Courgettes can be yellow, green or light green, and generally have shape similar to a ridged cucumber, although there are a few cultivarsavailable that can

produce a rounded or bottle-shaped fruit. Like all summer squash, courgettes can trace their ancestry back to the American continent, however the varieties of squash typically known as courgette were actually developed in Italy - many generations after their introduction from their country of origin. The first records of courgettes in the United States date back to the early 1920s - almost certainly brought over by Italian immigrants.

How to start courgettes off indoors

In order to achieve an early crop - and yet have protection against late, spring frosts - courgettes can easily be started off indoors. Courgette seed can be sown any time from mid March through to late May. Using a good quality soil-based compost such as John Innes Seed and Potting, fill 3 inch pots to within inch of the top of the pot. Sow two seeds per pot on their sides - placing each seed an inch deep. . Temperature is important when it comes to germinating courgette seed and so once they have been watered in they will need to be placed in a warm, bright position at a temperature of between 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Alternatively they can be placed in a heated propagator. Once the seedlings emerge, the weaker one can be removed from each pot. Harden off the young plants by putting the first sowing into cold frames at the end of May. Plant them out after about two or three weeks once the risk of late frosts have passed. Remember to water the pots well before planting out, and avoid holding the plants by their stems as they are easily bruised causing irreparable damage. If the weather is cool, cover each plant with a cloche for the first week or so, to give them a little extra warmth and protection. Alternatively, use half of a clear plastic 5 litre mineral bottle. Cut the bottle into two halves in order to make two excellent cloches. The top half - whilst giving good protection against the weather will also allow air and moisture to circulate through the neck of the bottle. TOP TIP. To prevent flying insects entering through the neck of the bottle, cover with a small piece of fleece and secure it in place with an elastic band.

How to start courgettes off outside

Courgettes prefer heavier soils, and will always do best in a sunny, sheltered position - away from cold winds. When it comes to preparing the ground, it is well worth adding plenty of well rotted farm manure before hand in fact, this can be done as early as the previous autumn. .If you intend starting early, you can protect an early planting with cloches. It is a good idea to put your cloches in place where you plan to plant your courgette plants a couple of weeks before you need them as this will to help warm up the soil below. Doing this will greatly increase your early planting chances of success. .If you are going to sow your courgettes from seed directly into the ground then you can do this any time from early May onwards around about the time of the last late frosts. With cloches you can sow courgette seed up to three weeks earlier. .

The trouble with courgettes is that they like lots of moisture around the roots, but ironically the plants can rot off if there is too much moisture around thebase of the plant. To try and overcome this, courgettes are often grown on ridges in order to improve drainage how to make a courgette ridge is outlined as follows. .Begin by digging a small trench about 4 inches deep, then fill the bottom of thistrench with well-rotted farm manure until the trench is refilled back to its original soil level now dig over thetrench so that the compost and soil is nicely mixed. Now dig a second trenchnext to this first one placing the soil along to top of the original trench so that you a have formed an elongated mound. This will form a ridge into which the courgette seeds can be planted into - 3 ft apart. Alternatively, if you are only growing a few courgette plants, just make one individual mound per plant roughly 1ft 6in square. These mounts do not need to be too high - no more than a few inches at most. . When sowing courgette seed outside, sow two seeds per planting position covering with in of soil. Eachplanting position should be about 3 ft apart. When the seeds have germinated they can be thinned out by removing the weaker of the two vigorous seedlings. If you are transplanting courgette seedlings, then they should be planted into the ridge at the same depth as they were in the pot. Courgettes require plenty of water so that they are able to grow and fully develop so soak the roots thoroughly and regularly. However, try to keep as much water as you can away from the foliage to help prevent the incidence of fungal infections.

HOW TO GROW LAVENDER FROM SEED

Lavender is without doubt one of the most popular of all hardy shrubs, and why not? Tolerant of drought, heat, poor soils and most pests and diseases, not only does will lavender flower its heart out, it is a fantastic source of nectar for pollinating insects!

However, purchasing lavender plants can end up being expensive. But fear not! Lavenders are very easy to propagate. Both from cuttings and from seed.

Growing lavender from seed

Lavender can be sow at any time of year so long as you have the use of a propagator. Otherwise, sow lavender seed from April onwards making sure that they are kept in a warm place to maintain an optimum temperature of 15-18 degrees Celsius. To begin with, lavender seed can be sown in trays, pots or modular trays. Choose a good quality seed compost such as John Innes 'Seed and Cutting', but you may wish to mix in some horticultural grit or perlite to improve the drainage further. Moisten the soil until it is damp, not wet, and then place the seeds one at a time on the surface. Now give the seeds with a light sprinkling of compost, making sure that all the seeds are covered. Remember not to pack the soil down on top of the seed. Once the seeds are sown it is essential that they are kept moist. Striking the balance right between over watering the seedlings and under watering will make all the difference to the success of your plantings. Using aspray bottle is the best way to achieve the right balance.

After sowing, either place into a propagator kept at 15-18 Celsius or seal your pots/trays in a polythene bag and leave at also at 15-18 Celsius. Keep them in a bright position, but out of direct sun during the hottest part of the day. It can take from between twelve andtwenty-one days for germination to occur, but if nothing has happened after three weeks then placethe seeds back in to a refrigerator - not the freezer, for a further 3-6 weeks. After this cold period is completed they can be placed back into their warm, light environment the recommended germination temperature. However, examine regularly whilst in the fridge and remove immediately the seedsshow signs of germinating. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant them into 3 inch pots using John Innes 'No 2' compost. Use a dibber and avoid disrupting the root system as much as possible. Grow on in a cold frame and plant outside in to their final position the following spring.

HOW TO COLLECT AND PREPARE STRAWBERRY SEED FOR PROPAGATION

Perhaps the simplest way to grow strawberries from seed is to plant one of the matured, dried off fruits.This can either be planted directly into the ground or preferably potted on into John Innes seed compost with a light covering of compost or horticultural grit on top. However, the best way to grow strawberry from seed is to do a little research first to find out which is your favourite variety or varieties. There is good reason for this because - as with many cultivated varieties any seedlings produced will be the product of cross pollination (natural hybridization) and the resulting progeny will not grow true to type. Put simply, if your seedlings are at the very least a hybrid of your favourite chosen varieties then once they fruit - you can select which plants suit your taste most and discard any of those which don't. Alternatively, only grow seeds from species strawberries and known to grow true from seed or choose F1 hybrid seed. When the fruits are fully ripe you can tell this as they will be mushy and well past their best for eating - remove 4-5 healthy berries and place them in a blender together with a litre of water. Set the blender to its lowest speed and allow to run for 10 seconds or so. Once the mix has settled remove any floating seeds as these wont be viable. Pour the remaining mixture into a sieve and rinse the pulp through until you have mostly seeds left. These seeds can now be lightly sown onto a seed tray filled with John Innes seed and potting compost. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of compost and gently water. Transfer the seed tray to a cold,greenhouse or even a well lit room to germinate and this should

take anywhere between 2 and 8 weeks. Once germinated the seedlings can be gently lifted and potted on into 9 cm pots. Come the following autumn they should be ready to transplant outside ready for fruiting the following year. If you dont have the use of a blender try these other methods for seed extraction. The first is to allow the fruit to dry naturally outside over the summer period and then when ready, rub it with your fingers allowing the seeds to fall into a suitable container. The other is to press the mature fruit pulp gently through a sieve, and then wash the seeds clear of any remaining pulp while they are still in the sieve. Although you will not get the separation of viable and non-viable seeds it doesnt stop you from sowing them. If you intend to store the seeds then they must be allowed to dry thoroughly. You can tell when they are dry as they will no longer stick to each other and will move easily within their container. When they are ready, place them into a labelled envelope and keep them in a cool dry place until they are ready for sowing.

HOW TO GROW ARTICHOKES FROM SEED

Artichokes are at risk of becoming one of the gardeners worst kept secrets. Still considered to be a true gourmet food, artichokes once commanded such high prices that only kings and members of the aristocracy could afford to eat them. Today things are a little different with hundreds of varieties available - even to the passionate, amateur gardener - with many of them suitable for growing as an annual or perennial crop - even in the cooler northern European climates. If you are prepared to do a little research you can still buy a few of the old historic varieties such as 'Violetta di Chioggia', and 'Gros Vert de Laon'. . The unavoidable fact and so called worst kept secret is that artichokes plants are just so easy to grow from seed. While they will not all grow genetically true to the parent plants, because they are so easy to germinate it is just a matter of growing a few extra plants so that any rogue specimens that turn up can be removed later on without the worry of losing some of your future crop. . Artichokes can be started from seed in a greenhouse,conservatory or even in a well lit, warm room by the windowsill. Starting anytime from around late February, plant a couple of seeds into 9cm pots using a good quality soil-based composts such as John Innes Seed. You may wish to mix in a little horticultural grit or perlite to help with the drainage. Give the seeds a further, light covering of compost, then water in well - placing them in agreenhouse or warm room once the excess water has drained off. Water as necessary from that point on, but at no time should the compost be left sodden or be allowed to completely dry out. . The seeds should germinate between 2-3 weeks but they will need to remain in their protected environment right up until the threat of late frosts

are over. Wait a couple of weeks after germination before removing the weaker artichoke seedlings from each pot. They can now be placed outside, but they will still need 2-3 weeks to harden off before planting out into their final position, so try to keep them under some sort of cover such as acold frame or plastic tunnel. Starting them off early in a protected environment like this is a vital step in producing artichokes during the first year, whether they are grown as an annual or as a perennial. . Artichoke seedlings need lots of nutrients as they develop, so feed them once a week with a good quality liquid plant fertiliser. They will be ready for planting outside once the soil has warmed up and - as said before - once the danger of frost is over. Typically the transplants should be around 8 to 10 inches tall, with stocky stems and two sets of true leaves. Because they grow quite large, they should be planted at least 4 feet apart into a rich, deep, free-draining soil. For best results place them in a sheltered position where they can receive full sun for most of the day.

HOW TO GROW ASPARAGUS FROM SEED

When buying asparagus plants for a newly created asparagus bed, most plant retailers will only offer a small range of one or two year old plants. Although they will always look healthy in the pots, there is always a risk of failure when it comes to transplanting - around 10%-15% for one year old stock and as high as 20% for 2 yearold stock. When paying full retail prices - particularly with regards to 2 year old stock - this can end up being an expensive lesson.
Asparagus seeds

Growing asparagus from seed - either in pots ordirectly into the beds gives the best viability, with asurvival rate of around 100%. In addition, with direct sowing there is no transplanting or root shock to delay valuable root development. The best time to sow asparagus seeds is around mid-April when the ground is warm enough to initiate germination. A good tip is to soak the

seeds in water for a couple of hours before planting. You will find that this will help to speed up the germination process considerably.

Direct sowing
Once the bed has been prepared raked over the top layer into a fine tilth, then sow the seed into thin rows down to a depth of about 2 inches. Depending on how many plants you intend cropping each subsequent row should be between 12 and 18 inches apart. Water them in well if conditions are dry. The new seedlings should emerge in about 3 weeks, and as soon as they are large enough they can be thinned out to about 2in apart. Then, once the seedlings reach about 6 inches high, they can be thinned out again to around18 inches apart. For the rest of the year you just need to keep the beds weeded and the plants well-watered. If you have bought seed varieties that produce both male and female plants, you will need to remove any female forms as soon as they become identifiable - normally from their berries.

Sowing indoors
. Some asparagus varieties like the popular 'Connovers Colossal' are best sown indoors and this can be done any time between February and March. Again, try soaking them for a couple of hours, then plant them into individual pots containing moist John Innes seed compost. Place them in a warm room at approximately 15-18 degrees Celsius then, once germinated, move to to a cool, light area such as a windowsill, but keep them out of direct sunlight. Once the threat of frosts are over they will need to be gradually accustomed to conditions outside - this known as 'hardening off' and can take between 2-3 weeks. Once they are ready to be moved out into the asparagus bed proper, they can to be planted fairly deeply leaving a couple of inches of soil above the level of the compost. Keep them nicely watered over the summer period

and - as always - keep the bed free of weeds, especially perennial weeds which will compete with your seedlings roots for nutrients. Growing your own plants can delay establishment of your bed by an additional year, but it does ensure that you are starting with new crowns that have not lost none of their vigour through being lifted, stored and shipped. However, not only will you have a larger selection of varieties available to you, if you choose your varieties wisely you will still be able to harvest in their second year.

OW TO PLANT AND GROW ARTICHOKES

. If you have never tasted the sublime delights of an artichokes heart then you are definitely missing out on a treat. Step back through the centuries and this once forbidden fruit was only afforded by Kings and the wealthy aristocracy.Today its a different matter with hundreds of varieties to choose from including some of the old historical favourites. Easily grown by seed - or bought in the spring from any good plant retailer -artichokes are surprisingly straightforward to grow, but for best results they need to be grown and harvested quickly. To begin with, positioning is all important so try to choose a rich, free-draining soil - preferably with a pH of around 6.5 to 7.0. However, the most important aspect with growing artichokes is to make sure that they receive as much sun throughout the day as possible, so you are looking at a South to South-west facing position. Artichokes also have a high nutrient requirement and so - if you are able to - try to prepare your site a month or so before planting. Dig the soil deeply adding plenty of well-rotted manure, you may also wish to mix in some horticultural grit to improve the drainage. In fact you can even go as far as adding some general pelleted fertiliser such as poultry manure or Growmore to the soil in order to help encourage further vigour. Dig a hole bigger than plant so that the soil mark on the stem sits at the same level as the soil surface. Back-fill the hole around the root-ball, adding some compost along with it to help with the initial root development. Gently firm the plant in and then thoroughly water. It's important to keep an eye on the watering at this crucial stage in their development, ensuring that they don't dry out over the summer. In hot weather it's wise to give your young artichoke plants a good, regular, moisture-retaining mulch. Remember that Artichokes will need plenty of available water in order to produce those big, succulent buds which during hot dry spells - can be as much as three times a week while the buds are forming. Of course, water so much that the roots are left sodden for extended periods of time and you can expect them to rot off. With their large, delicately cut, silvery foliage, artichokes also make great architectural statements in theornamental garden, but be aware of the plants around them as - with an overall height of and width of up to 6 feet - they can easily shade out smaller, more delicate specimens. Also, maintaining these damp conditions while the

plants are still young can make them an easy target for slugs and snails so make sure that some kind of slug deterrent is put in place. Although a native of the regions around the Mediterranean, there are some varieties suitable for the colder climate, but if temperatures start to regularly dip below -4 degrees Celsius during the winter period, you can expect some root damage. To help avoid this,make sure they get a heavy mulching to act as cold protection, and consider some kind of protection to keep the cold and wet off the soil. In very cold climates the outer skin of the artichoke can blister, turning whitish in colour, although his will make them look unattractive it will not affect the eating quality. During the plants first year, they will need to direct all their energy into making foliar and root growth, so remove any flower-heads as they form. In the second year, the edible heads can be allowed to fully develop for harvesting later on in the summer. These edible buds will develop at the tips of 1-inch-thick stalks, while the terminal bud the top-most bud on the centre stem - is normally the largest and the first to mature. Harvest the artichokes before the buds start to open - while they're still green and tight carefully slicing through the stem with a sharp knife just below the bud. If a few buds escape your knife, they will open into spectacular, purple-blue, 6-inch thistle-like flowers. However, allowing the buds to flower may reduce the plants vigour for the following years crop. Prepare and eat the artichoke as soon as possible or refrigerate to ensure their freshness.

HOW TO GROW SWEET POTATOES IN POTS OR CONTAINERS

Although the sweet potato is an exotic, tropical root crop from South America, it is becoming an increasingly common sight in our local supermarkets. Nutritious and easy to grow, you can plant it just about anywhere so long as the soil is free draining and the plant gets plenty of sun. Generally pest free in the northern European countries, the only problem that you likely to get with growingsweet potatoes is slug damage, and this is why the practice of growing them in containers is becoming a far more popular method. Being grown in a pot has other benefits too because not only will it provide better drainage than it would otherwise get in the ground, it will also afford warmer soil temperatures as the pot can transfer heat from the sun directly into the root environment. Both of these factors help to create improved growing conditions. To make the most of the growing season your crop can be started off indoors by planting slips (rooted sweet potato cuttings) or tubers into as large a pot as you can physically move around. This will need to be done approximately 34 weeks before the last frost - which in the United Kingdom will mean planting from the beginning of April onwards.

They will require a rich, free-draining compost and you can create this by using good quality garden topsoil, horticultural grit and well rotted farm manure mixed together using a 1:1:1 ratio. Slips should be planted at the same depth that they were lifted from, while tubers should be planted on their side at a depth of about 6 inches. To give you a rough idea of spacing you can plant 3 slips/ tubers in an 18 inch diameter pot. Being a semi tropical plants they require at least 110 days to mature. They are vigorous, and once they start growing, will readily spread. You can choose to control the vines by growing them vertically up a wigwam ortrellis or allow them to trail naturally along the ground. They can be lifted from the end of August, but it is usually better to leave them until the leaves begin to yellow and die back. In fact, you can leave them in the pot for as long as you can so long as they are not damaged by early frosts. Once lifted, the new tubers will need to be allowed to mature for a week or so in the warmest area you have in the house - something like the airing cupboard will be fine. This will allow the skins to ripen and the flavour to sweeten and become true to type. They are now ready for use in cooking and will store quite happily in a cool dry place for a month or so.

HOW TO GROW AN ORANGE TREE FROM SEED

Growing orange trees from seed is surprisingly straight forward, and something that anyone can do if they have a warm, sunny windowsill. Getting the seed is probably the hardest part; you can either buy on-line through a specialist supplier or if you only want a few collect your own from shop bought fruit.

Once you have cut open the fruit andexposed the seed, remove the seed and wash off any fruit residue. You should always clean seed collected from within fruiting bodies as they will contain chemicals which actively prevent seed germination. Place the clean seed into a glass of water and discard any that immediately float to the surface as these will not be viable be aware that smaller seed may rise as air bubbles form on the surface of the seed coat. If you have a variety of seed sizes you may also wish to discard any that look undersized as these are unlikely to have a large enough store of energy required for successful germination. Once you have selected your seed it can be dried off and stored in an envelope until required. . Orange seed like all citrus have a natural dormancy period and so will require a period of cold temperature in order to initiate germination.

Luckily, most citrus fruits are transported using a cool- chain system so they have already been 'pre-chilled' before they reach you. If not, this can be overcome by placing the seed into the vegetable compartment of any household fridge and left for a few weeks. First, secure the seed into a paper towel by folding the towel it back on itself a couple of times, then place into a plastic bag or sterile food container before leaving it in the fridge.

After approximately three weeks - although they can be left in there for a month or so should they need to be they can be removed from the fridge ready for potting on. Soak the seeds for a couple of hours or so beforeplanting them into 2-3 inch pots. Only sow 1 seed per pot using a good quality, free draining soil based compost such as John Innes seed or No1, then water in.. If you can, place the pots into a heated propagator at a temperature of 16 degrees Celsius, otherwise transfer them to a warm, bright position such as a kitchen windowsill. Water periodically so that the compost doesn't dry out, but make sure that the compost is never left waterlogged either. . Germination should occur any time from 4 6 weeks, but dont worry if it takes a little longer as orange seeds have been known to take several months before they show. . The newly emerged seedlings can be left in their pots for a further 3 6 months depending on how they develop but once they get to about 4 or 5 inches they can be potted on to the next size pot using a John Innes ericaceous mix or No2 potting compost. So long as there are no frosts predicted the young orange plants can be put out side to harden off over the next two to three weeks. During the growing period they can be regularly watered and feed with a water soluble fertilizer once a week. You can often get yellowing of the leaves with orange plants due to chlorosis but this can be dealt with by feeding an acidic plant food.

Tip out the seedling depending on whether you are growing your orange plant as a bush, wall shrub or standard, or you can leave it alone - allowing it to take on its natural shape.

Unfortunately oranges are not particularly cold hardy although they will tolerate temperatures as low as 4 or 5 degrees Celsius for short periods without to much trouble. For northern European countries it is best to keep all oranges under protection during the winter periods, but once the threat of frosts are over they can then be hardened off for a couple of weeks before spending the rest of the growing season outside in full sun.

WHEN TO PLANT LAVENDER?

Strictly speaking, if you have purchased a pot grown lavender that has been kicking around your local plant retailer for a decent length of time, then you can plant your cherished shrub at any time of year so long as the ground isn't so cold you can't dig a hole into it.

So soft and lovely lavender - not hardy!

Unfortunately, life isn't that simple. Why? Because come the spring - when most people want to startgetting on in the garden - there is still the very real risk of over-night frosts. Now, lavender are pretty hardy when planted into free draining soil, and clearly I have just said that - physical barriers aside - they can be planted outside at any time of year. But here lies the problem. Lavenders are undeniable gorgeous when they are sold to you as a soft, dense and fluffy mound ofsucculent, bluishwhite foliage. They are only a few pounds a pot and given a bit of sun you can sell 'Danish trollies' full of them over a decent weekend - as I have done so many times in the past. To get this lovely fluffy look, Mediterranean growers produce pot lavender under the protection of glass, and as such

have not been hardened off. So put these plants outside and they are going to receive a nasty, cold shock. Drying winds and frost damage will knock them back severely. Get it completely wrong and you can lose the plant altogether!

You have one of three choices

1. Harden them off for a week or so before you plant your pot lavender into its final position 2. Buy your pot lavender once the threat of frost has past. 3. Buy some of last years stock that has already hardened off. It won't look as pretty, but at least it won't get damaged by late frosts.

How to Grow Lemon Trees Indoors

Tending a small lemon tree in your home can be a delightful aromatic experience. While the thought of growing a tree inside a house or apartment may seem daunting to beginners, it is not as difficult as it may sound. Give the roots of your tree plenty of room to grow, and keep its soil and branches moist and warm. All you need to do is give your lemon tree a little TLC, and in return, it will give you a fresh-scent and delightfully sour yield of fruit time and time again.

EditSteps

Preparations
Choose the right type of lemon tree. Meyer lemon trees are the most common for indoor growing and produce small to medium fruits with a strong flavor. Pink variegated lemon trees are another good option for beginners and produce lemons with pink flesh.2 Purchase a good specimen. Shop at a nursery for a tree between two and three years in age. Planting a lemon tree from seed can be done, but is not recommended, since trees planted from seed may take a long time to grow and produce fruit.

Select a large container with drainage holes. A 10 to 15 gallon (40 to 60 liter) container should give your tree plenty of room, and under average conditions, a lemon tree can grow up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) in a container that large.

If the container you choose does not have any drainage holes, drill one or two into the bottom. Prepare an all-purpose soil mix. A store-bought, soil-based mix that is slightly acidic works best. Mix sand into the potting mix to allow for better drainage. A potting mix with a base of peat moss can also work and presents a soil less alternative. These artificial mixes work even better when they contain compost.

Planting
Find a saucer that is large enough to fit beneath the bottom of your container. Place a few pebbles or gravel on the saucer and add a little water before placing the container onto the saucer and the pebbles. The water-filled saucer will help maintain a trace amount of humidity around your tree. Lay a layer of landscaper's cloth over the bottom of the container. This cloth will prevent soil from draining out of the container's drainage holes when you water.

Place a layer of gravel or broken pots inside the bottom of the pot. The gravel will promote better drainage, preventing the roots of your tree from drowning or rotting. Fill your container halfway with potting mix. Pack the soil in so that it will create a sturdy base for your tree to stand in. Slip the lemon tree out of its nursery pot. Rub its roots slightly to help them spread out before placing the tree into the pot.

If you purchased a bare root tree, create a mound of soil and place the tree into the pot with its roots spread over the mound. Pack soil around the tree. Press the soil down firmly to remove excess air, creating a denser, sturdier set-up to support the tree. Do not allow any roots to remain exposed, and do not cover the trunk. The trunk will begin to rot if kept covered.7 Water the tree immediately. Give your tree enough water so that excess drains out into the saucer. Empty the saucer once the soil finishes draining.

Care and Harvest

Keep the soil moist. Periodically check the top 2 inches (5 centimeters) of the soil. When the top 2 inches (5 centimeters) are moderately dry, give your tree a thorough watering until excess water drains out of the bottom of the pot and into the saucer. Empty the saucer.

If using hard tap water, you may need to drop the water's pH before giving it to your tree. Adding 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) white vinegar to 1 gallon (4 liters) of water will usually do the trick. Mist your tree using a spray bottle. This should be done on a frequent basis, if not daily. Misting your tree mimics the natural humidity that your tree misses out on by being indoors. Keep the room humid by using a humidifier. If your lemon tree does not seem to be doing well even in spite of frequent misting, you may need to go a step further in keeping it moist by running a humidifier in the same room for a few hours a day. You can monitor humidity levels by using a hygrometer, and the relative humidity level should be around 50 percent during the spring and summer. Manage the temperature of the room you keep your lemon tree in. These trees do best in rooms with an average temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21.1 degrees Celsius) by day and 55 degrees Fahrenheit (12.8 degrees Celsius) at night. While temperatures that dip below 55 degrees Fahrenheit (12.8 degrees Celsius) will not kill your tree, they will cause your tree to go into dormancy and stop growing. Place your tree in a south-facing window . Lemon trees need full sun, meaning 8 to 12 hours of sunlight a day. Supplement natural light with artificial lighting. Place a 40-watt fluorescent grow light several inches (10 to 20 centimeters) above the top of your tree. Keep the light on as long as necessary until your tree has soaked in a total of 8 to 12 hours of light. Pollinate your lemon tree by hand. By keeping your tree inside, you prevent bees and other insects from pollinating it. Some trees can produce fruit without being pollinated, but pollination greatly increases your odds of a plentiful yield.

Perform the process early in the day, preferably in the morning. Pollen can be killed by the heat or dryness of a warm afternoon.

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When your tree flowers, gently rub the antlers inside each flower with a paintbrush or cotton swab. The antlers are the yellow tips of the five stamens that stick up from the center of the flower. Rubbing the antlers gathers a dusty yellow pollen onto the brush. Rub the pollen onto the sticky lobes of the pistil. The pistil is the center stalk that rises above the other stalks in the middle of a flower. Gently apply the pollen you gathered on your brush or swab onto the lobes, or stigma, until the pollen sticks. Allow the plant to take over from there. The plant should finish developing from that point without further assistance. Feed your tree with a balanced fertilizer. Select a fertilizer with high levels of nitrogen and moderate levels of phosphorus and potassium, such as a 12-4-4 fertilizer. The numbers refer to the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, respectively, so the first number should be highest. Many plants would experience a decrease in fruit and flowering with a high-nitrogen fertilizer, but citrus trees are heavy nitrogen feeders and need a higher dosage than most plants for rapid growth. Fertilizers that also include minerals like iron and zinc will help your tree to absorb the food better. Apply your fertilizer once or twice a month according to package directions. Prune with caution. Pruning too many leaves will reduce your yield, but occasional pruning can be helpful. Remove dead, broken, and diseased branches, and thin to control the height and spread of your tree as space allows. Root-prune only as necessary. Your tree should remain root-bound in order to keep its size in check, but some potted lemon trees will stop producing fruit if their roots get too out of control. When a tree stops growing, root-pruning becomes necessary.

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Remove your tree from its pot. Expose the roots and keep them moist by spritzing them with water from a spray bottle. Use pruning shears to remove the largest roots that circle around the root ball. Shave 1/2-inch to 1-inch (1.27 to 2.5 centimeters) of the roots around the exterior of the root ball using a sharp knife. Repot the tree and prune approximately 1/3 of its foliage to balance out the pruned roots. Watch out for pests. Pests are rare for indoor trees, but small infestations can occur. Spray the pests with soapy water to kill them off. If this does not work, apply neem oil. Keep a look out for signs of disease. Fungal diseases are especially common, but bacterial diseases can attack as well. Look into possible anti-fungal and anti-bacterial remedies to determine what might work best to treat the specific disease your tree has. Thin out clusters of lemons. Once a cluster of small lemons appears on your tree, remove 2/3 of them to allow the remaining 1/3 a chance to mature to full size. Typically, lemons take between 7 to 9 months to ripen.

Twist ripe lemons off the tree. You may also use shears to snip them off, but truly ripe lemons usually drop with a fair amount of ease.

Tips

Do not use fertilizers containing alfalfa meal or cottonseed meal. A fungal disease known as anthracnose frequently infects both alfalfa and cottonseed, and fertilizers containing these products may introduce the fungus to your tree. While it is not necessary, you may wish to move your lemon tree outdoors during the summer so that it can pollinate naturally and receive more light. Just be aware of the fact that you will need to slowly acclimate your tree to its new environment each time you move it. Otherwise, it could go into shock. Consider growing other citrus trees indoors, as well. Acid fruits tend to be easier to manage than sweet fruits, so beginners should stick with highly acidic citrus trees like Calamondin Orange, Persian Lime, Eustis Limequat, and Nippon Orangequat. More advanced growers can consider sweeter citrus fruits like Valencia Orange, Clementine Mandarin, Oroblanco Grapefruit, and Moro Blood Orange.