Tips For Growing The Perfect Lemons

Growing lemons should be a total cinch!

We see them in yards everywhere, yet they are fussy plants that need some nurturing. Being able to produce this fruit in abundance is a real treat for health benefits, for you cooking and for cleaning as well. For me, I love having bowls full of lemons for all of these reasons, and I also need it for a sneaky Gin and Tonic!

Let me share with you a couple of tips to help you grow the perfect lemons...

Choose a sunny spot

Lemon tree plants will tolerate dappled shade, but a sunny spot in the garden is always best. If your lemon tree plant cannot get full sun 9at least five hours a day for fruiting), planting it against a north facing wall should do the trick.

Plant the tree correctly

When planting your lemon tree dig your hole twice as wise as the size of the roots and gently place it in. Fill the hole with soil while holding the tree upright. Once filled with soil, water it - you want the ground to be soaked! Add mulch around the plant whilst being careful to not let the mulch touch the trunk, as this will cause the bark to rot.

Fertilise your tree

A healthy lemon tree should have dark green glossy leaves, so be sure to fertilise your tree at least once a year (using citrus food or compost). Gently pour the fertiliser on top of the mulch.

A happy lemon tree is ....

An infrequently watered lemon tree! These tree benefit from infrequent, deep watering and need good drainage.

Pruning is not necessary

For the tree to fruit well they do not require pruning. However, I always feels that some gentle pruning is always nice every once in a while to keep the desired shape of the tree. 

Treat the tree with love and care and you should be able to see some growing lemons after one year from planting. But it may take yo to ten years for the tree to be supplying the whole neighbourhood with lemons, so stick with it because it is so worth it!