Lemon tree not looking too healthy!

[ampere]

We were, slightly to our horror, given a 18" tall lemon tree in a pot for Xmas. I have no experience of citrus in the UK.

It's currently in an unheated, SW facing conservatory. Temp got down to zero in there! It came with 3 lemons, all now picked and is forming one new lemon.

I am mindful of not overwatering it; I have begun feeding it with citrus feed at the recommended intervals (in rainwater) and it seemed to be OK- it's got blossom on it- BUT now the leaves are dulling, in places yellowing a bit, even curling and all in all it doesn't look that happy.

I guess I need to move it outdoors but is it safe to do so with possible frost still forecast or are its chances better out there in a sunny sheltered spot that in a possibly overheating conservatory?

Any advice please!

[GrendelsMum]

I suspect it's frost damage rather than overheating - lemons seem to show the damage a while after actually getting it. In East Anglia at least, it's still getting down below freezing at night even without frost visible, so I wouldn't put it outside at night for quite a while. I'd leave it in, accept the leaves and blossom will fall off, and wait for them to regrow (they really will, but it takes time).

[TwentiethCenturyHeffa]

I used to keep my lemon tree outside and it wasn't really very happy despite our garden being a suntrap. I moved it into our bathroom and it's flourishing. The bathroom is pretty humid so I assume that's what it likes. We haven't had fruit from it yet but it's still very young (my Dad grew it from seed).