Grow nutmeg in a pot that drains, and keep it warm. Where winter freezes, the pot is what you move under cover.
Grow it in a pot that drains, and keep it warm
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Pot | A container with drainage holes, large enough that the roots are not circling | Do not use a pot with no hole |
| Mix | Soil, composted manure, and sand, in a mix that still drains | Do not use a mix that stays soggy |
| Warmth | About 68 to 86°F, with shelter from harsh afternoon sun | Do not leave the pot out in a freeze |
| Water | Moist mix that still drains | Do not leave the pot standing in a saucer of water |
nutmeg in a container still wants about 68 to 86°F, soil that drains, and shelter from strong afternoon sun and wind. [1] Use a rich mix that drains, with composted manure worked in, the same idea as a field hole filled with topsoil and manure. Sand in the mix helps water leave the pot. [2] The mix should stay moist without waterlogging. This is a warm, humid tree, so a desert-dry room is a hard place for the leaves. [3] In the ground the tree can reach about 70 feet. A pot will not grow that tree. Treat it as a smaller plant you can carry. [4]
- Choose a heavy pot with drainage holes. Start with a size the roots can fill, not a tub the root ball rattles in.
- Fill it with soil, composted manure, and enough sand that water runs out the hole.
- Water until moisture runs out the hole, then empty the saucer. Water again when the top of the mix is barely damp, not when the pot is still wet.
- When roots circle the pot, move the plant into a larger container with the same mix. Do not bury the stem deeper than it sat before.
What mix should I use for nutmeg in a pot?
Soil, composted manure, and sand, in a pot with a drainage hole. Do not leave it sitting in water.
Before a freeze, move the pot somewhere warm
Catalog hardiness for this tree is zones 11 and 12. A freeze is outside the warmth it grows in. If your nights leave the 68 to 86°F range, move the pot before the cold arrives. A greenhouse, a sunroom, or a bright room is the cover. Do not expect a full crop indoors. Fruit still needs a female tree, a male nearby, and years.
- Move the pot under cover before a freeze, while you can still lift it.
- Give it morning light. Keep harsh afternoon sun off the leaves if they scorch at the glass.
- Keep the mix moist and draining. Do not let a heater bake the pot dry, and do not stand it in water.
- Move it back out only when nights stay warm again. Do not set it out for one mild afternoon if a freeze is still in the week.
Can nutmeg stay outside in a cold winter?
No, if your winter freezes. Zones 11 and 12 are the hardiness on this plant. Move the pot under cover before the freeze.
Use a pot that drains, keep it warm, and move it under cover before a freeze.
FAQ
Will a potted nutmeg make fruit?
It might, if the plant is female, a male is nearby, and the pot stays warm for years. A seedling in a small pot may never fruit. Do not expect spice in the first year.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] PlantVillage, Penn State -
https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/nutmeg/infos - [2] FAO — nutmeg cultivation -
https://www.fao.org/4/x5047E/x5047E05.htm - [3] World Agroforestry -
https://apps.worldagroforestry.org/treedb/AFTPDFS/Myristica_fragrans.PDF - [4] UF/IFAS Extension Leon County -
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/leonco/2015/10/02/nutmeg/
This note is part of Myristica Guides.
More container notes by plant live in Container Growing Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors