A Garden Lemon Tree: Growing Lemon Trees The Right Way
Written by bstanley in Tree, lemon, vegetable garden
Growing lemon trees whether outdoors or indoors in containers (like an indoor herb garden) can be fun as these lemon plants yield beautiful fruits and their blossoms send out a lovely fragrance too. Though lemon tree planting and caring requires a little patience it is worth the effort when the fruits start appearing.
Lemon Tree Plant – Types
There are different types of lemon plants with most of them producing fruits only from their third year. Some common varieties are:
- Meyer lemon plants: The fruits of these growing lemon trees are less acidic and often used as a lemon substitute. The lemon tree plant is small with fruits resembling oranges.
- Eureka lemon tree plant: First grown in California this is a large tree with lemon clusters.
- Dorshapo: These are the lemon plants grown in Brazil much like Eureka.
Which lemon tree plant is the best is obviously a question of how sweet one would like their lemon to be and where they are growing lemon trees.
Positioning The Lemon Tree Plant
A garden lemon tree is best grown in tropical and sub-tropical climates as these citrus fruits require adequate sunlight. Frost is not at all tolerated by the growing lemon trees and in colder climates it is better to grow lemon plants in a container which can be placed indoors or in a warm greenhouse when winter sets in.
Right Soil To Grow A Lemon Tree
For growing lemon trees the soil must be well drained and with an ideal pH between 5.5 to 6.5. An acidic soil may be treated with lime to make it suitable for growing lemon plants. To grow lemon tree a hole should be dug in the soil, slightly shallower than the root length. After lemon tree planting in this hole, the remaining soil around the hole should be replaced and smoothed down firmly.
Watering The Lemon Tree Plant
The growing lemon trees should be well watered and once the plant has nearly dried it should be watered again. One should carefully watch the lemon tree plant so that it does not dry up and become a dehydrated plant. The lemon plants should be well soaked or they will shed flowers and leaves.
Lemon Tree Planting – Pests & Diseases
The good news with lemon plants is that diseases affecting them are mostly not life threatening. However, careful scrutiny of the lemon tree plant will ensure that common pests and diseases are away. Additionally, a garden lemon tree should be protected from
- Young tree decline: Affected lemon plants wilt with symptoms such as reduced growth and sparse foliage.
- Greasy spot: Yellowish brown blisters, often on the underside of leaves caused by a fungus infect the plant sometimes.
- Snails: Chew into the leaves of the growing lemon trees often spoiling the fruit. They should be removed when sighted.
With some care and patience one can easily grow a garden lemon tree that can yield refreshing lemon juice and be used as a flavoring agent. Moreover, a single lemon tree yields many fruits.
References:
- Kitchen Garden: Lemon Tree – The Telegraph
- Lemon Tree Planting Tips – Online Tips
I need help badly!!!! I have a young tree that is about 4 years old and 18″ tall from the soil level. The leaves began to wilt and drop off (while still green!!!) so I replanted to a larger container 2-3 weeks ago, added fertilizer pellets and kept watering as usual (though a little more since the container is larger). Not only did this not stop the wilting but increased it. I’m down from 60 or so leaves it had in the spring time to about 5. Not only that but The tops of the branches are shriveling and becoming brown. At this rate the tree will be dead in a 3-4 weeks. I sprinkled some Epsom salt on top of the soil because I heard that this can add needed nutrients but have seen no changes. There are also some small flies similar to fruit flies but thinner that live in the pot. They seem to ignore the plant so I ignore them. The tree stays inside but gets sun through an open window.
Please help!!! I’m very desperate!!!
Hi Vasko,
I’m sorry your plant is not doing well and I wish I could have a look at it so I could give you a proper “diagnosis” but since I can’t, I’m going to try to give you some suggestions that may help.
Water frequently but be careful not to overwater becayse containers tend to hold more moisture so don’t let the soil become soggy. Even if it seems dry on top, make sure u check whether the soil is dry at the root level.
Organic fertilizer is best for lemon and other citrus plants.
The plant must get enough sunlight every day (about 7 – 9 hours). Try to keep the plant in a wind-free zone as well.
I would also suggest taking in your plant to the local nursery because they might be able to give you a better idea of what the problem might be.
Can I send you a photo?
Hi. I have a lemon tree that is producing a lot of lemons but the lemons are not very juicy at all. They have very thick peels. I just picked a relatively rounder one, (though both roundish and elongated lemons grow), and it has a diameter of 3 inches The peel is JUST below a half inch, like 7/16ths.
Is there anything I can do to fix this? Does my description indicate a problem with soil ph, nutrient value, or something else? Weather averages 60-73 here in San Francisco.
Thanks for your help.