How to Grow and Care for Lemon Trees

Andrew Hughes is a certified arborist, member of the International Society of Arborists specializing in tree heal care, and reviews tree content on The Spruce’s Gardening Review Board. He founded and runs Urban Loggers, LLC, a company offering residential tree services in the Midwest and Connecticut.

FULL SIZE FRUIT. FULL SIZE FLAVOR.

Four Winds Growers specializes in semi-dwarf citrus trees. Trees can be grown in a container, no yard needed! No matter how you grow you’re going to get full size fruit with full size flavor!

ON SALE NOW

10% off Mandarin Trees and Planters

We now have

Pre-order Fruit Trees Available

Browse Our

Mediterranean Selection

These includes a selection of fig, olive and pomegranate trees as well as grape vines.

Browse Our

Berries

Check out our selection of blueberry, raspberry and blackberry bushes

Browse Our

Tropicals

These include a selection of avocado trees, guavas and passion Vines.

Browse Our

Best Sellers

Improved Meyer Semi-Dwarf Lemon Tree

Bearss Seedless (Tahitian/Persian) Semi-Dwarf Lime Tree

Australian Finger Lime Semi-Dwarf Tree

Eureka Semi-Dwarf Lemon Tree

Washington Navel Semi-Dwarf Orange Tree

Variegated Pink Semi-Dwarf Lemon Tree

Valencia Sweet Semi-Dwarf Orange Tree

Moro Blood Semi-Dwarf Orange Tree

Fukushu Semi-Dwarf Kumquat Tree

4 GENERATIONS OF

FAMILY GROWN TREES

In 1946, a curious soon-to-be nurseryman named Floyd Dillon decided there was a need for a California version of the dwarf apple and pear. He chose citrus as the ideal candidate.

How to Grow and Care for Lemon Trees

Sienna Mae Heath is a gardening expert with over five years of experience in gardening and landscape design. She grows her own food and flowers in her native Zone 6B. Sienna Mae runs The Quarantined Gardener blog and encourages the Lehigh Valley to develop victory gardens for sustainable, garden-based living. Her work has been featured in The Weeder’s Digest, Gardening Know How, GrowIt, and more.

Andrew Hughes is a certified arborist, member of the International Society of Arborists specializing in tree heal care, and reviews tree content on The Spruce’s Gardening Review Board. He founded and runs Urban Loggers, LLC, a company offering residential tree services in the Midwest and Connecticut.

Lemon trees (Citrus limon) grow best in tropical and semi-tropical climates so if you live in USDA zones 8 through 11, you can grow your own citrus fruit. The tree’s reddish buds develop into mildly fragrant white and purple flowers in solitary or small clusters of two or more blooms. Be aware there are often sharp thorns on the twigs of the tree. Plant your lemon tree in the spring after the danger of frost has passed and you can expect it to be established within three years. Lemon trees are toxic to animals.

Types of Lemon Trees

There are three main types of lemon trees grown in the warmer parts of the United States. In zone 8, plant a cold-hardy variety such as Meyer, which produces nearly seedless fruit and a plentiful harvest on even a small plant. Try Lisbon and Eureka in zones 9 through 11.

• Eureka lemon trees (Citrus x limon ‘Eureka’): Along with the Lisbon lemon, this is the most widely available lemon in supermarkets across the globe and a popular homegrown variety.
• Lisbon lemon trees (Citrus x limon ‘Lisbon’): This variety produces a juicy, fleshy fruit with few to no seeds. They are slightly less sensitive to the cold than other lemon varieties and have a more upright growth habit than the spreading Eureka.
• Meyers lemon trees (Citrus x meyeri): Sweeter, or less tangy at least than the other varieties above, they are actually a hybrid cross between a mandarin orange and a lemon. They have a compact form that doesn’t require heavy pruning and are a little more tolerant of cold when compared to true lemon varieties.

Harvesting Lemon Trees

It’s natural for the flowers to develop into fruit and still take a year to mature to yellow and be mature for harvest. Leave the lemons on the tree to ripen. Like other citrus fruits, they will not ripen off the tree.

Each fruit packs citric acid and plenty of vitamin C. Welcome lemons into your garden and you’ll have nutritious, cheerful fruits to last a lifetime. They are perfect for adding to meal recipes and even as an environmentally friendly cleaning option.

Pruning

The different lemon tree varieties have different growth habits, and this can impact pruning requirements. Regardless of variety, prioritize pruning long lateral branches for fruit growth or main leaders for aesthetics. You want a wide canopy to maximize fruit growth.

Pinch foliage to control the shape and encourage bloom. Prune young trees to encourage good branch structure. The upright growth habit of the Lisbon lemon tree means it needs more regular pruning to maintain a strong canopy and good food production.

Propagating Lemon Trees

Of all the citrus fruit trees, lemon trees are one of the easiest to propagate from cuttings. Semi-hardwood cuttings can be taken from late spring to early summer when a tree is in active growth. Then take these general steps to propagate your lemon tree.

1. Cut a cutting that is 3 to 6 inches long. Make sure the cutting comes from healthy, new growth that has not yet produced fruit or flowers.
2. Remove all but the top two sets of leaves from the cutting and dip the bottom end of the stem into rooting hormone powder.
3. Pot the cutting in a 1-gallon container that is filled with well-draining, moist medium.
4. Keep the cutting warm and ensure the humidity level by putting a clear plastic bag over the pot.
5. Place the container in a bright location and keep it moist by misting it every so often.
6. In about two months, check for roots by gently tugging at the cutting to see if it resists your pull.
7. Remove the plastic bag and keep it sheltered in a bright spot until the spring when the plant is ready for its permanent home.

Growing Lemon Trees From Seed

Though it is typically discouraged from propagating a lemon tree from seed because of very spotty and disappointing results, it can be done. You will need to be patient and have lower expectations about the quality of the tree or fruit it will produce. Here are the steps:

1. Extract a few seeds from a mature lemon and clean them off with water.
2. Soak the seeds in a bowl of water for 24 hours to soften the outer coat.
3. Toss floating seeds (they are not viable) and remove the seed coatings from viable seeds.
4. Plant surviving lemon seeds in a small container filled with potting soil. Put them about 1/2 inch to 1 inch deep in the soil.
5. Water the pot and place it in a bright and warm space that hovers around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and keep the pot moist but not soggy.
6. Look for germination in a few weeks and keep warm until you can plant the seedling in a more permanent spot.

Potting and Repotting Lemon Trees

When potting any type of lemon tree, choose a large 5-gallon or larger container. Make sure it is at least 15 inches tall. There should be numerous drainage holes in the container. Take these steps:

1. Fill the container halfway with a potting mixture made for citrus trees.
2. Take the tree out of its original pot and begin to manually fluff any matted roots.
3. Place the tree in the new container and begin to fill in the sides of the tree with potting mixture. Do not go above the crown of the roots. Gently press the soil as you fill in the container.
4. Water the tree immediately. Pot-grown trees will require more frequent watering than their in-ground counterparts.

Overwintering

If you’re bringing the lemon tree indoors, place your plant in a well-lit location that is not too warm. In winter, low indoor temperatures similar to early spring will actually encourage flowering. Bring it outdoors in late May to encourage natural pollination and let the fruit grow in the warmer spring and summer temperatures. Return the plant indoors in September.

Lemons are not fans of dry air, indoors or outdoors. If you are concerned, misting or using a humidifier could be beneficial.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

The downside of a lemon tree is that it does attract a host of pests and plant diseases.

Pests, such as the citrus leaf miner, aphids, and various types of scale insects and mites, are all frequent visitors of lemon trees.

Many diseases that can affect a lemon tree and leave yellowing leaves or disfiguring marks on leaves, flowers, and fruits. Here are five common ones to watch for:

• Citrus canker: One of the most common plant diseases is citrus canker, which presents as pinpoint spots on leaves that enlarge and develop a yellow halo. A tree in full sun, along with fungicide treatments, can help the lemon tree survive.
• Melanose: Sunken lesions that then become raised, rough to the touch, then crack, is a symptom of melanose, another fungal problem that occurs during rainy conditions.
• Citrus scabs: Corky growths on leaves, stems, and fruit may be citrus scabs, which are controlled by a copper-based fungicide.
• Greasy spot disease: Yellow spots that turn into brown blisters on leaves indicate greasy spot disease, which is a fungus. This disease occurs during humid, very wet weather.
• Citrus greening: Citrus greening, a bacterial disease, results in yellow blotchy leaves and disfigured fruit.

How long does it take for a lemon tree to bear fruit?
Expect a lemon tree to bear fruit between three and six years of age.

Given the right conditions, plus enough water, a lemon tree may be easier to grow than you think, both indoors and out. It also helps that lemon trees are self-pollinating, which means they do not need another tree to produce fruit.

Lemon trees prefer to grow in mild winters and warm to hot dry summer heat, which is why they are successfully grown in the sub-tropical “citrus belt” of the United States, which ranges from California along the Gulf Coast to Florida.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. Lemon. ASPCA.
2. Lemon. ASPCA
3. Lemon Growing in the Florida Home Landscape. University of Florida Extension Office.
4. Growing Citrus Seeds. University of California Agricultural and Natural Resources.
5. Field Identification and Management of Greasy Spot Disease.University of Florida Extension Office.