Virpi’s first citrus trees died—then she discovered how to make them bloom and bear fruit

Virpi Lindholm lives with her family in a sturdy Finnish house. Its large living room windows face south and sparked her interest in citrus about four years ago.

“My sister was into citrus before I was. She thought they’d be perfect for our windows. I wasn’t immediately thrilled with the idea, but when I found an inexpensive Meyer lemon on sale, I bought it. Even though I did everything I could, I couldn’t get it to thrive. My second Meyer didn’t survive either,” she says.

Virpi doesn’t give up easily, and those initial challenges only encouraged her to study citrus more thoroughly. She realized that, in Finland’s conditions, citrus trees absolutely need supplemental light in winter, even by a south-facing window. Adequate light is one of the most important prerequisites for success. Perhaps she had also been watering them too much.

Nowadays Virpi knows that especially in winter, watering should be done sparingly, and you should let the pot’s surface soil dry before watering again.

Gradually, new members of the Citrus genus have found their way into the Lindholm household, bringing the total to more than ten different varieties. Virpi prefers grafted citrus trees, because their trunk doesn’t grow taller—only the crown of these small trees gets bushier.

“I don’t have the patience for growing from seed [in Finnish]. It would take about 15 years before you see flowers and fruit. However, I have bought Sorrento lemons at the store with a small piece of branch attached and taken a cutting from that. It starts flowering much sooner than something grown from seed.”

Many enthusiasts see Meyer lemon as the easiest citrus, but that’s exactly where Virpi first had problems. Wrinkled lime is considered difficult, but it has done really well in her home. In Virpi’s view, the plant’s size matters more than the variety—larger citrus trees are easier to care for. She believes this is because of their extensive root system, which keeps them in better balance than smaller seedlings.

In general, citrus trees are easily upset. Even minor movement or even just turning the pot can make them drop all their leaves—Virpi’s Rangpur lime has shed its leaves three times. Virpi leaves her plants where they are on the window from fall until early summer, when she carries the pots outside.

“You really work up a sweat hauling the pots in and out, and there are steps on the way too. Time outside is crucial. That’s when citrus trees grow plenty of new leaves, their fruits begin to gain color, and the flowers open quickly.”

Virpi has bought citrus trees from garden centers and hardware stores, but they rarely offer very large plants. If she does find a big one, the price can be steep. Her largest plants come from foreign online shops.

“I’ve always been lucky; the plants have had thick trunks and been in good shape, though I’ve heard different experiences from other enthusiasts. A large citrus tree costs about 70 euros in Germany, for instance, but shipping can add quite a bit.”

Flowering is the highlight of the citrus hobby, according to Virpi. When her plants bloom indoors, she gently dabs the flowers with a small paintbrush to encourage pollination. Outdoors, pollination takes care of itself.

If all goes well, your next treat is watching the fruits gradually ripen. Citrus fruits take about a year to mature. However, the trees often drop their young fruits if they feel there isn’t enough light.

“I’ve rarely gotten to taste the fruits. I squeezed my first lemon onto a salad.”