Like Citrus: What Other Tropical Trees Will Succeed if Brought Indoors for the Winter?

General Fruit Growing
#21

I myself use about 1/2 cup of hydrogen peroxide per gallon of water, never seen a gnat since.

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#22

I’ve had my lime and lemon fruit occasionally in the winter, but the fruits were set outside

I’d really rather have limes in the summer

#23

I did the hydrogen peroxide. Did not work. I thought I heard the gnats laughing :slight_smile:

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#24

I know I had some a few years ago and dealt with them by putting sand over the soil. I think it somewhat worked. But more recently, I’ve ignored the problem and either it has gone away or I’ve stopped noticing :slight_smile:

If I did notice them again, I’d take the electric flyswatter and swing it around a bit…That’s what I did with fruit-flies a few months ago.

#25

Wow, worked for me the first time I tried it, never seen one since. Every year I have over 40 plants in the house (for over 40 years too), not one gnat. I do use it every time I water at the start of the indoor season, as it takes a few applications. Kills eggs too. I would guess the HP you used turned to water before it was used.

#26

Drew,

I wish I worked for me but it did not. Do you dilute it? I don’t know if high ph well water we have in our town lessen HP efficacy or not. The ph is bad enough that I gave up on growing blueberries.

Sand has worked well so I stick with it.

@BobVance, I could not ignore those gnats. They were in thousands and disgusting-looking en masse.

#27

Passiflowers do well indoors. Spider mites can be an issue.

Bamboo over winters indoors too.

I had a pineapple guava that survived 2 winters indoors, but I lost it last year.

My bay laurel was 4 years old but I was remiss in watering it and I the top 6 feet died last winter. Happily it resprouted and is once again about 3 feet tall.

My lemongrass is about 5 years old and it spends half the year in my basement

Scott

Ps. I have a Meyer lemon and a finger lime which live indoors during winters as well,

#28

Curious what you do with your passionflower and bamboo.
I harvested most of my lemongrass, but am experimenting leaving some out ‘mounded (with dirt) and mulched’ to see if it comes back. Am also rooting a few just in case. (Made delicious lemongrass chicken last week.) Also trying this with some ginger and galangal since our ground temp doesn’t seem to dip below 45 deg at 4-6" depth over winter.

#29

I have a Passion Flower going on two years from seed.The vine grew some this year,about six feet,grown in a pot,but no flowers.
The plant will be cut back to about two feet and be brought inside,with some filtered light,until warm days next year.
I’m also trying a Sapodilla and Lemon Guava.The Guava put on some new growth,but the other one is still sleeping. Brady

#30

Anne,
Please let us know If they survive. Lemongrass is so easy to root with just a glass of water.

I keep dwarf cavendish banana plants survive through the winter but we don’t have enough heat and moisture in the house for them to continue to grow and fruit.

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#31

Everyone works with different constraints. If a plant can be kept alive and productive outside, that saves space inside and certainly less work hauling/digging. I have kept other roots outside for storage over winter (carrots, beets, daikon) So not much risk w/ginger and galangal (I’ve just not tried it yet), or even lemongrass since I’m confident the roots will survive. The issue is with the ground warming up soon enough to get going again for a decent crop. So I’ll do it both ways and the end of the season will tell that.
I killed a curry leaf plant that I underestimated the amount of protection needed, but roots are different. The ground temp is more stable and generally higher than the air temps in the winter. (I’ve propagated more curry leaf plants so I may try one again next winter with other strategies.)

#32

I killed the whole clump of lemongrass plated in ground a few years ago.

I protected around the base of it with mulch but that was not enough. I have a feeling that you are a lot more methodical and thorough than me. I wish you success

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#33

I’ve got 6-7 different passifloras just because I like the flowers. A couple give me fruit regularly. A couple are in the ground, most are not.

I freuqently have flowers through December

I have a 1 to 7 light adaptor. I have 4 red-blue led (50+) and 3 white led bulbs. My citrus are preparing to bloom again. I will reduce the blue/red as the winter progresses.

Lemongrass just needs light, water and consistent fertilizer.

Scott

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#34

I’m rather curious about the bamboo too. Do you harvest that for eating?

#35

I’ve eaten some of the passion fruit, but fruiting is erratic.

I’ve once harvested sprouts from 1 of my bamboo. As many of my bamboos are potted, they don’t produce very thick shoots. The ones I bring in are less cold hardy, and to be honest I’m not even sure if the sprouts on the temple bamboo is even edible. A quick Google search says Semiarundinaria is edible, but I generally use shoots from this one as stakes in the garden.

I have a Phyllostachys nigra in the ground holding its own. Never harvested shoots from this one either.

Scott