How to plant and grow lemons

How to grow a lemon tree from a seed

When life gives your lemons - grow a tree! No seriously, that’s how easy they are to grow.

Supplies

• 1 x Organic lemon, deseeded
• Potting soil
• Pot 1 (approx 60cm x 30cm)
• Pot 2 (approx 15cm x 15cm)

Method

1. Fill Pot 2 with soil, allowing for a 1.5-inch gap from the top.  
2. Make sure you don’t wait after you’ve deseeded your lemon. With the seeds still wet plant place one seed in the centre of the pot, pushing down with your finger to it is about ½ inch deep.
3. Cover with soil and spray the soil to make it damp.
4. Using plastic wrap, cover the pot sealing it with a rubber band. Poke holes in the top with a sharp knife or pencil. Leave in a sunny spot for two weeks, ensuring that the pot doesn’t dry out.
5. Once the seed has sprouted (in approximately 2 weeks) remove plastic and leave in a sunny position.

The best climate for lemon trees

Lemon trees thrive in warm climates, place your lemon tree in a sunny position either indoors or outdoors where it will get around eight hours of sunlight a day. Provided the right climate and conditions lemon trees can grow up to four meters in height.

Watering lemon trees

When your plant is just a seedling it is important to keep the soil damp, as it matures it requires less water. Water your tree weekly during summer, and every 10-14 days in winter. They are hardy plants that tolerate frost and drought but if you want it to thrive water regularly.

Troubleshooting Lemon Trees

 

Am I watering my lemon tree too much?

Overwatered lemon trees may suffer from crown and root rots.

 

Am I not watering my lemon tree enough?

Trees that are not watered enough will shed blossoms and won’t produce as much fruit.

 

Why are my lemon tree leaves going yellow?

This is a sign that your tree is undernourished, it might be time to fertilise.

 

Feeding lemon trees

 

Feed your lemon tree two times a year with a citrus food, once in February and again in August. For the best results follow the directions on the packet and water the soil well both before and after you apply the fertiliser.

 

Pruning lemon trees

The best time to prune your lemon tree is between late winter to early spring, just after you’ve harvested your lemon crop. Younger trees need to be pruned to establish a good shape, so make sure you remove any sprouts or weak limbs so the plant can focus on growing a strong canopy.

Prune any crossing limbs, tangled branches or dead wood to help create a strong tree. The main branches should be staggered, so aim to maintain eight once the plant is fully established. It might sound crazy but aim to prune 20 per cent of the canopy each year, focusing on longer, protruding branches that affect the desired shape of the canopy this will help your tree thrive. Thinning out of branches as trees age allows light to penetrate more areas of the tree encouraging fruit production inside the canopy as well.

Harvesting

It will generally take between 2-3 years for your lemon tree to bear fruit. Lemon’s are very easy to harvest when the fruit has developed and is its vibrant yellow simply hold, twist and pull the fruit to remove from the tree.

Where to buy?

You can buy lemons from your local grocer or Woolworth's store, or alternatively, buy a tree from your local Bunnings or garden centre.

Types of Lemon Trees

Lisbon Lemon Tree

Producing their main crop in winter, the Lisbon variety is one of the most tolerant to the cold and grows between three and four meters.

Meyer Lemon Tree

Is one of the best indoor varieties as it grows to around two meters tall. Lemons are less acidic in flavour and will produce lemons all year round.  

Eureka Lemon Tree

The Eureka lemon tree produces most of its crop in winter and smaller crops in the warmer months. Growing up to four meters in height the Eureka has very few seeds and the tree has next to no thorns.

Here are a few of our favourite lemon-y recipes

Lemon Marshmallow Slice