A lemon tree is a beautiful addition to any garden. The pale blossoms against shiny, dark green leaves are a pleasure to behold, the sent is magic and you get fruit too!
Citrus trees are reasonably hardy plants and will fare well in a range of conditions. A little care, though, will go a long way, so help your tree live a long and healthy life with these lemon tree care tips.
Where to Plant Your Lemon Tree
If you have the luxury of starting from scratch, plant your lemon tree where it will get plenty of sun and be protected from frost in the colder months.
Ensure the soil is well drained in your planting area.
Mulch in a ring around the tree. This helps keep moisture in the ground, but more importantly prevents grass and weeds, which lemon trees dislike, from encroaching on your plant. Care should be taken, though, not to mulch right up to the trunk as this can promote collar rot.
Watering
The shallow root system of a lemon tree can become dehydrated during dry periods so water regularly. If flowers, leaves or unripe fruit begin to drop it’s a good indication that your tree is too dry.
Pruning Your Lemon Tree
Lemon trees can be left pretty much unattended as far as pruning goes, just cut out dead wood every so often and prune away lower branches to aid the circulation of air throughout the tree structure.
Feeding
The most important aspect of lemon tree care is feeding. Generally, lemon trees like a lot of nitrogen, so use a fertiliser that’s high in this element. Blood and Bone (if you can stand the smell) and Thrive are good options. One of the reasons mature leaves turn yellow is nitrogen deficiency (though there are many others).
If leaves turn yellow but still have a green skeleton structure running through them your lemon tree probably needs iron. To remedy, add iron chelates or similar to your fertiliser.
Magnesium deficiency, indicated by yellowing leaves which maintain a green wedge at their base, can be treated by feeding with Epsom salts.
Lemon Tree Pests
Inspect your lemon tree for pests regularly. Early detection minimises pest damage and makes it much easier to deal with an infestation. Look out for:
- Citrus Leaf Miner – if the leaves of your lemon tree look distorted and have silvery trails running through them you’ve probably got a citrus leaf miner infestation. These pests live inside the leaf, so treat by cutting away the affected areas. You can also spray with white oil preparation.
- Sucking insects – mealy bug, scale and aphids can create a black discoloration on leaves. Aphids can be hosed off with a strong stream of water. Mealy bugs and scale will require a systemic insecticide, the gentler the better – remember, you’re going to eat that fruit.
- Gall wasp – these nasty pests lay their eggs in stems and branches which then swell and become lumpy (these deformities are known as galls). Cut out the galls before September, when the insects hatch, and destroy by burning.
Happy Lemon Trees
A lemon tree that is well watered, adequately fertilised and protected from pests will return the favour year after year with it’s beauty and an abundance of zesty fruit.
Tags: citrus trees, gardening
This blog post on lemon trees was very informative. Thank you for the tip about not mulching all the way up to the trunk. Thanks for sharing.
Hi, My lemon tree is in a large pot with drainage. It has lost alot of leaves and doesn’t seem to grow healthy branches. It’s a young plant just a metre in height. There doesn’t seem to be any infestation of bugs and i’ve sprayed it and put citrus around the base. What’s wrong with it do you think? Its not looking healthy
Thanks heaps 
My gift of a lemon tree was wound around a frame, badly. I have untied it but it is very song and ‘whip-like’ with flowers at the very tip. can I prune it back and will it grow on from side shoots?
I have a lovely little potted citrus tree which I purchased from a home-improvement center. I have kept her in my sun porch (which has windows with screens and an overhead fan) during the winter. Now she is covered in gorgeous buds, and although the weather here is quite warm, I have left her where she is. I am so afraid that moving her outside will make her drop the blooms. So I am opening the windows and using the fan. She gets plenty of sunshine where she is. Am I being cruel to keep her inside? It is also rather hard on my back to carefully move her.
My lemon trees have dark colored leaves and fruit. My lime trees have fruit too, but the leaves are yellowing quickly. May I use Epsom salt on my lime too. If so, what is the amount to use on my trees and should I wait until the fruit is done?