Lemon trees make a superb addition to almost every backyard and if you get the growing process right, you’re ensured a daily , plentiful crop.
Varieties
The most common lemon varieties grown in Australia are Eureka, Lisbon, and Meyer. Eureka produces its main crop in winter with smaller crops in spring and summer. Eureka lemons have relatively few seeds and therefore the tree is virtually thornless growing to around four meters tall.
Lisbon is thornier and produces its main crop in winter, however is tends to be more cold tolerant. It grows around three to four metres tall.
Meyers features a milder, less acidic flavour with a smooth, thin rind. It’s main crop is produced in winter but it can crop continuously throughout the year. It’s alittle tree growing to around two metres tall , making it the perfect lemon to grow during a pot.
Climate
The preferred climate depends on the variability of lemon, however, most had best in warm climates. They tolerate drought and are sensitive to frost.
Aspect
Lemon trees require an edge full sunlight that’s shielded from winds and frost. If you’re growing a lemon during a cooler climate, plant it on the brink of a brick wall so it can utilize the radiating heat.
Soil
Lemon trees can tolerate a variety of various soils but they mostly prefer slightly acidic well-drained soil.
Planting
You can plant lemon trees at any time of year in warmer climates, as long as you water regularly. In cold regions plant in spring to guard it against late frosts.
Citrus will thrive in large containers. Choose a pot with a diameter of 50cm or more, with many drainage holes, and fill with a premium quality potting mix. Place your potted citrus during a sunny place within the garden, and confirm the plant is kept moist in the least times. you’ll got to feed with a Citrus Fertiliser regularly.
It’s an excellent idea to face your pot on a trolley so you’ll easily move the pot to a sunnier or more protected position with the changing seasons.
If you’re planting a lemon within the garden, start by digging a planting hole twice a good and as deep as pot your citrus comes in. Remove the pot and inspect the roots. Untangle any that appear to be circling around or people who are tightly packed into the form of the pot. Plant in order that the first soil level within the pot is level together with your garden soil. Backfill the opening with the removed crumbled soil, and work compost or well-rotted manure into the highest 10cm of soil. Add a mulch of straw to the soil surface, but keep this faraway from the trunk.
Water immediately after planting and from then on keep the soil slightly moist.
Water
Lemons grow best in soils that are moist but not soggy. Water your tree every seven to 10 days during the summer, providing it with 4 to six inches of water monthly. Allow the soil around mature trees to partially dry between waterings. Overwatered lemon trees may suffer from the crown and root rots, while those not watered enough frequently shed blossoms and don’t produce the maximum amount of fruit.
Feeding
Citrus produce a lot of fruit! All that flowering and fruiting may be a big consumer of energy so confirm you feed up your lemon to make sure further crops. you’ll tell if your tree is undernourished by poor stunted growth or yellowing leaves. Feed twice a year with citrus food, once in February and again in August. Follow the directions on the packet and water the soil well both before and after applying the fertilizer. Getty Images
Pruning
Pruning lemon trees is vital for growing healthier and more plentiful fruit.
It’s best to prune your lemon from late winter to early spring, right after harvest. Young trees should be pruned to determine an honest shape, remove any sprouts or weak limbs therefore the plant can specialise in growing a robust canopy.
As the tree grows, prune any crossing limbs, tangled branches or dead wood. Main scaffold branches should be staggered, aim to take care of eight once the plant is established. Prune subsidiary shoots off these scaffold branches. Aim to prune 20 percent of the cover annually , that specialize in longer, protruding branches that affect the specified shape of the cover . cutting down of branches as trees age allows light to penetrate more areas of the tree encouraging fruit production inside the cover also .
Skirting is additionally essential, this process involves pruning the branches and limbs that hang right down to the bottom as this enables for better air movement under the trees and reduces fungal problems and bug infestations. Prune this low growth to lift the ‘skirt’ to around one metre high.
Harvesting
Lemon trees generally take around two to 3 years to touch fruit and harvesting depends on the variability of the plant. Eureka’s produce fruit two to 3 times a year while Lisbon’s fruit once a year.
Lemons are able to harvest once they have developed full colour and flavour. Harvest lemons when their peels are yellow or only a green tinge, with a rather glossy appearance. The longer the fruit stays on the tree the sweeter it’ll become so some suggest picking and tasting your fruit to work out how the crop is developing.
To pick lemons, use the twist, tilt and snap method. Take the the whole fruit in your hand and twist it gently, tilting and pulling away until it breaks free.
Propagation
To propagate a lemon it’s best to a cutting in late spring, early summer. Choose a 15-centimeter piece of a healthy young branch without fruit or flowers and a minimum of two to 3 nodes at the bottom. Us a non-serrated, sanitized knife to chop the stem at a 90-degree angle. Wrap cuttings during a moist towel to stop dehydration.
Remove bottom leaves therefore the cutting has only three approximately leaves at the highest and mud rock bottom with a hormone-based rooting powder. Plant the cutting during a large, well-draining pot with seed starter mix and canopy it with an outsized clear bag to make a warm, humid environment. Use chopsticks, wire or dowel to stay the bag from resting on the cutting. Keep the soil moist
Once roots develop, remove the plastic covering. After a couple of days move the cutting outside during a sheltered location. Once the roots of the plant nearly fill its pot its time to plant it during a larger pot or garden.
Problems
Scale insect: Found on stems and leaves, they need a waxy brown shell. Spray these sap-sucking insects with organic eco oil.
Leaf Miner: Tiny burrowing mites causing silvery trails and twisted leaves. They attack only fresh new leaves, so spray the new growth once a fortnight with eco oil until the leaves have matured and turned a dark green colour.
Stink bugs: May appear in large numbers form October. Knock them off the branches and squish them underfoot, but wear protective goggles as then bugs can squirt a painful liquid into your eyes.
Sooty mold: A black crusty coating on the leaves indicating the presence of a sap-sucking insect lurking above, like aphids, scale, or mealybugs. Treat the insect above and therefore the sooty mold will clear up by itself. The mold isn’t harmful, it just looks yucky.