Gearing up the nursery involves a lot of tough choices. After all, you and your baby will be spending a lot of time in there. You want it to be as healthy as possible for your little one, but also comfortable and decorative. There's no better way to achieve all of that than houseplants. Houseplants are nice decorative accents, and are well known for improving air quality, as they produce clean oxygen from their leaves.
Choosing the right plant for your child's room is important. You want something that will be safe, non-toxic, and thrive in the nursery environment. Dwarf citrus trees are a good fit for the job. They actually require a lot of the same environmental conditions as babies! Like infants, citrus trees prefer a room that's 65-70 degrees F, without sudden fluctuations in temperature. They like a lot of sunlight (around 8-12 hours a day if possible), and grow best when placed in front of a south or southwest facing window, casting a nice dappled shade into the room.
Busy moms, fear not! Citrus trees only need to be watered once or twice a week. They can also let you know if the air humidity in the room is right for your baby's health. If they are requiring more water than recommended, then the air is dry. If there's dew collecting on the leaves, its a sign that there's too much moisture in the air and you should turn your humidifier down. Generally, citrus trees like a moderately humid environment, like what's recommended for baby's room. Many dwarf citrus trees on the market have no thorns, barbs, or spikes. Their leaves have dull edges and the entire plant is non-toxic to humans. However, like many houseplants, some citrus species are toxic to cats and dogs. It's always important to keep your houseplants out of reach of any pernicious pets who are prone to sampling leaves.
Dwarf citrus trees look like babies themselves, but the truth is that they are mature plants specially designed to be grown indoors. Their dwarf rootstock prevents them from growing taller than a few feet. A properly grown dwarf tree from a good vendor will never outgrow your space, so you can watch your little one get taller than his tree.
