Citrus mitis, the dwarf orange tree

Citrus mitis is an indoor orange tree very well suited to living inside our heated homes.

Core Citrus mitis facts

Name – Citrus mitis
Family – Rutaceae (Rue family)

Height – 3 to 6 ½ feet (1 to 2 meters)
Exposure – luminous indoor
Soil – soil mix

Foliage – evergreen
Fruit formation – November to March

Caring for it is easy, and repotting, watering and pruning, are all good practices that will help you to have a good-looking orange tree.

Planting, repotting Citrus mitis

Potted Citrus mitis

Soil mix with added fertilizer is usually recommended for planting Citrus mitis.

• The pot must absolutely be holed at the bottom to avoid having the roots stagnate in water.
• An ideal solution is to pour in a layer of gravel, clay pebbles or rocks to ensure that excess water drains well to the bottom.
• Make this layer about 1 to 2 inches (3 to 4 cm) thick.

Anticipate repotting in a pot that is slightly larger than the previous every 2 or 3 years on average.

• Repot in spring or at the end of summer.
• Follow our tips on how to repot your citrus mitis

Citrus mitis planted directly in the ground

It can only grow directly in the ground in Mediterranean-type climates or tropical climates.

If this is the case, mix soil mix into your garden soil and ensure that your soil drains well.
If it doesn’t drain well, dig a hole that is slightly deeper, and layer gravel, rocks, sand or clay pebbles along the bottom.

• Propagate your Citrus mitis through layering.

Pruning and caring for Citrus mitis

Pruning isn’t really needed, but, to rebalance the silhouette of your citrus mitis, prune lightly after repotting, in spring.

• Repotting should be expected every 2 years.
• Repot at the end of winter or in spring after the blooming and fruit formation…

How to have nice fruits and magnificent leaves?

Adding citrus-specific fertilizer will considerably increase fruit and foliage quality.

Watering Citrus mitis

Indoors, water regularly but not too much as soon as the soil is dry. No need to water too much, it would make your citrus mitis suffer.

• Nonetheless, you can increase the amount of water in spring and summer, especially in warm weather.
• In winter, wait for the soil to have dried on a full inch (a couple centimeters) before watering again.

Diseases and parasites that frequently infect Citrus mitis

• The most common pest is the mealybug or scale insect. Strange fluffy clusters appear on leaves? Scale insects must be eliminated.

• Reinforce the resistance of your Citrus mitis with regular fertilizing.

Learn more about Citrus mitis

Citrus mitis, also commonly called calamondin, is a small fruit shrub that produces edible fruits, but they’re so acidic that they’re hard to digest.

Indoors, simply set your citrus mitis in a well-lit spot but avoid direct sunlight during the hottest hours.
Also avoid setting it right near a radiator.

If you can, it is good to bring your Citrus mitis outdoors after any risk of freezing has disappeared, from spring until the end of summer, either on a balcony, terrace, or garden deck.

Read also:

• Citrus plants: all the advice and care

---