Hot and bitter lemon adds flavour to every cuisine. With all the information you need in this article, learn how easy it is to grow lemon trees in pots!
Do you want to grow lemons but have limited space? So planting lemon tree pots is a good idea. Plant it on your terrace or even indoors, it will emit fragrant flowers and soft citrus yellow fruits. In the balcony can also be planted! See how easy it is to plant a lemon tree in a flower pot!
The Best Varieties of Lemon Tree to Grow in Pots
Planting lemon trees with seeds is a bad idea because it can take up to 4-5 years to bear fruit. Instead, check if your local nursery has dwarf varieties suitable for potting.
The most suitable varieties for containers are Modified Meyer, Lisbon Lemon and Dwarf Eureka. However, lemon trees do not grow very large, so almost any variety can be grown in pots.
Buy a healthy lemon plant that’s a minimum of 2-3 years old therefore you do not have to be compelled to watch for it to bloom.
How can you grow lemon tree in a pot?
Choose a pot that is 25% larger than the root ball of the plant. The clay pot is ideal because, unlike plastic, it is porous and the water evaporates from the side. This will help the lemon tree grow well because it doesn’t like it.
The quality and type of potting soil is also an important factor. Use well-drained potting soil and a lot of organic matter, and deposit fertilizer for high-yielding plants.
For any other small spaces, take care of your thorns and place plants in the corners.
Also Read: 7 Common Lemon Tree Problems & How to Fix Them
Requirements for lemon tree to grow in a pot
Location
All citrus plants like full sun and need 7 to 8 hours of sunshine. If you grow lemon trees indoors, place the pot near a sunny window. You can also replace the missing direct light with artificial light.
Soil
This plant prefers neutral to slightly acidic soil. You can also use garden soil, coconut peat and compost in equal parts.
Watering
Lemon trees need constant watering to produce healthy fruits. Too much or too little water will cause flowering and fruiting in autumn, sometimes plants die. Before watering, make sure the top 2 inches of soil is dry. More frequent watering and slightly moist soil are needed on hot and windy days.
Humidity
If you grow a lemon tree indoors, it needs a certain amount of humidity to grow-50% is ideal. You can place it on a gravel bowl or use a humidifier to keep it moist.
Repotting
According to the scale of your tree pot size must be maintained. Avoid pots that are too large or too small; please note that you need to use a container that is one size larger than the pot you used before.
Lemon tree care
Planting potted lemon trees in USDA Zones 9-11 does not require you to be so careful in severe cold, but you need to be extra careful in these areas during severe winters. Temperatures below 30°F (1°C) are fatal to lemon trees, aside from the Meyer lemon variety, which may face mild cold up to 24°F (4°C).
Low temperature will kill citrus plants. The best temperature is 10°C to 28°C (50°F to 82°F). When the temperature is below 35°F, put the plant in an indoor pot or greenhouse for the winter (2°C).
Pruning and pinching lemon tree
Pinches can promote lusher growth-pinch the plant tree to grow at the beginning of new growth in spring (February to March) and in fall best or late winter in a frost-free area.
Be careful before pruning, and only cut off diseased or dead branches, or branches that reduce airflow, because lemons will store excess food in the leaves, and excessive pruning will cause the quality of the fruit to decrease. In addition, please keep looking for the suction cup and cut it as soon as you find it.
Fertilizers for lemon tree growth in a pot
All plants in the Citrus family eat a lot. Lemons need fertilizer to produce juicy fruits, lush leaves and fragrant flowers. Use a specific citrus fertilizer for each kinds of citrus plant; if not please use slow release fertilizer containing NPK 12-6-6 or 20-20-20.
Look for fertilizers that contain trace elements, especially iron, manganese, and zinc. If you do not use slow-release fertilizers, please apply water-soluble fertilizers once a month during the growing season to improve your lemon tree. Sprinkle chopped compost or fertilizer on the plants from time to time.
Also Read: How to Grow Lemon from Seeds
Pests and Diseases
Pests such as spider mites, aphids, mealy bugs and scales are periodically attracts towards. Apply neem oil or pesticides, insecticidal soap when you observed the infestation.
Harvesting
It depends upon the varieties which are growing and the climatic conditions. It stops ripening once cut off from the tree. To determine the fruit is ripened observe the fruit colour, weight and softness.