How to Grow a Lemon Tree

Lemon trees are quite livable, even when grown in hot climates. You should create the most favorable environment for the plant by figuring out when to bring the potted plant indoors and watering it a lot to prevent it from drying out. When the tree is 2-3 years old, each year you can harvest 10 to 30 yellow lemons!

Table of Contents

Create the ideal environment for plants

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Grow plants outdoors if you live in a mild, warm climate. If the night temperature does not drop below 5 degrees Celsius, you can grow lemon trees in pots placed outdoors. When the weather turns inclement, bring your plants indoors for safety. ^{[1] X Research Source}

For areas where the sun shines year-round for at least 8 hours a day and the temperature never drops below 5-7 degrees Celsius, you can plant the plant in the ground outdoors.

Do you know? Lemon trees thrive in small forests in regions such as India, Italy, California, and Florida.

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Grow lemon trees indoors during the cold months. When temperatures start to drop and frosts appear, bring the plant indoors and place it in a sunroom, patio, greenhouse, or other room where it still gets plenty of sun. Frost will kill lemon trees, so you need to closely monitor the weather forecast to bring the tree indoors in time. ^{[2] X Research Source}

The dwarf lemon tree variety will be very suitable if you plan to bring the tree indoors when it is cold. This lemon variety is fruitful but does not grow so large that it cannot be moved. The tree can grow to a maximum of 1.5 -2 meters tall, but you can prune to maintain its small size, if desired.

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Maintain an ideal temperature between 10-21 degrees Celsius. During the summer months, the plant will have no problem if the temperature is higher than 21 degrees Celsius during the day as it will be cooler at night. If you grow lemon lime indoors, you should pay attention so that the temperature does not drop too low or rise too high. Especially in the winter months, when the air is drier, it’s important to keep the plant from overheating. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

If you live in a particularly dry climate, it’s a good idea to use a humidifier when you bring your plants indoors to keep the humidity at the appropriate level of 50%. In areas where lemons can be grown outdoors, you won’t have to worry about moisture.

Fertilize and water the plants

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Choose a well-draining pot that is 25% larger than the plant’s root ball. The root ball of a tree consists of the tree’s roots and the surrounding soil. If you bought the plant from a nursery, it’s likely already grown in the right sized pot – but you should ask the seller to be sure. If you need to replant in another pot, you should find a 20 liter pot for 2-3 year old plants or a 40 liter pot to look bigger. ^{[6] X Research Source}

Pots larger than 60 liters will be difficult to move.

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Use fertile soil with good drainage to cover the plant’s root pot. Choose sandy or loamy soil for easy drainage. Avoid using clay or alkaline soil. Cover the root pot with soil (the roots and surrounding soil) and stop when the soil reaches the base of the plant. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Lemon trees are quite hardy and can grow in many types of soil, but loamy soil is better. If you have the opportunity to test the pH of the soil, choose a soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5, optimal growth conditions for lemon trees.
If the soil is too acidic, you can add alkali by adding compost or manure to the soil.
If the soil lacks acid, you can add limestone fertilizer.

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Fertilize only in the ground so as not to disturb the roots. Fertilize plants every 1-2 months in spring and summer, and every 2-3 months in fall and winter. Use fertilizer specifically for citrus and apply only on the ground; Do not mix in the soil. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Spring and summer are the growing months; Fall and winter are the dormant months of the tree.

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Water the plant every 10-14 days. Water while counting slowly to 20. Stop when you see water running out of the bottom of the pot; If after 20 seconds the water still hasn’t come out, keep counting and water for another 10 seconds. If the climate is particularly dry, you should pay attention to the soil and leaves. If the soil feels dry to the touch or if the leaves are drooping, water more. During the hottest months, you may need to water 1-2 times a week. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Do not water the plant when the soil layer is at least 5 cm thick on the surface that has not yet dried.

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Place the plant in a place where there is no standing water. Although it requires a lot of water, lemon trees do not tolerate waterlogging. If you place your potted plants outdoors, you need to choose a location where rainwater flows away instead of to, such as on a wall around your garden or on top of a slope. ^{[10] X Research Source}

If it rains heavily in your area, you may need to bring the plant indoors or leave it under the porch until the rain stops.

Harvesting and pruning

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Pick lemons when the fruit is hard and reaches a size of 5-7.5 cm. Choose unripe berries if you prefer a more sour taste; The yellower the lemon, the sweeter it will be. Lemons will continue to ripen even after they have been picked from the tree. ^{[11] X Research Source}

The lemon may remain green when it has reached its maximum size, and this is normal. The size is more important than the color of the fruit.
Lemons left on the branch for too long will become mushy.

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Gently twist the lemon until it comes off the branch. Hold the lemon firmly in your hand and twist it around; it will come off pretty easily. If you want, you can also use garden scissors to cut the lemons off the branches. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Avoid plucking the lemon, as this will hurt the branch, even falling off the tree.

Do you know? Yellow lemon is not only used to process food and drink! You can put lemons in the garbage disposal to deodorize the sink, rub lemons on the faucets in the sink and tub to make them shiny; Dab lemon juice on acne and blackheads to treat acne.

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Prune lemon trees from March to May to keep them healthy. The best time to prune the tree is after the fruit is harvested but before the new buds start to flower. Depending on the climate where you live, you can prune sometime from late winter to early spring. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Pruning is essential for maintaining healthy plants and stimulating new shoots.

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Use clean scissors to cut half the length of the new shoots. Cut branches at a 45-degree angle, and absolutely do not cut the entire length of the branch to close to the trunk. Concentrate on pruning the longest, most tangled branches and leaving the large, sturdy wings. Trim off low-growing branches and hang them to the ground. ^{[14] X Research Source}

You also need to spend time picking up dead leaves from the branches and picking up fallen leaves from the ground whenever you see them.

Advice

It is advisable to plant a mature lemon tree that is available at the nursery. Lemon trees grown from seeds can take up to 2-3 years to begin to bear fruit. And so you will have to take care of it for a long time.
If you grow a lemon tree indoors, you will have to manually pollinate the tree to produce fruit. However, this is usually not necessary if you grow your plants outdoors.
Lemon trees can suffer from many diseases. You need to learn the symptoms of these diseases and treat them.

Things you need

Humidifier (optional)
Plant lights (optional)
Good drainage pot
Humus
Fertilizer for citrus
Garden scissors
Pesticides or horticultural oils (optional)

Steps

Create the ideal environment for plants

Fertilize and water the plants

Harvesting and pruning

Advice

Things you need

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