How to Grow a Lemon tree in a Pot
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How to Grow Lemon Tree in Pot
After a visit to Sorrento Italy in April of 2000, we were immediately smitten with all the wonderful lemon trees adorning the Italian coastline. All throughout Amalfi and Sorrento we saw gorgeous scenes of Sorrento lemon trees in terra cotta pots adorning house fronts, store fronts and cobblestone alley ways.
We knew right there and then we wanted something equally picturesque in our backyard. So, we planted a lemon tree in a container and want to show you how to grow lemon tree in pot.
We really wanted to bring back a Sorrento lemon tree to the USA, but because we didn’t feel like smuggling anything into the country, we opted for the next best option possible – a Eureka lemon tree. This Eureka is studded with fruit and it’s extremely happy with its home in the urn shaped container. In winter, when the cool weather beckons the fruit to ripen, the lemon tree is an absolutely gorgeous scene to the garden.
This little lemon tree is our reminder of our trip to Italy and we’re happy to have it on our garden family.
Choose A Glazed Pot
Growing this lemon tree has a few challenges because the heat of the Summer season can quickly dry out the pot. If the tree is older and root bound, they’ll definitely dry out quicker, especially in the rustic looking terra cotta pots. They frequently will sweat out water which a glazed pot will retain. We’ve since transplanted it into the glazed pot seen in these photos and it is much happier. It takes consistent watering during hot Summer weeks to make sure that the tree stays hydrated and happy. Unfortunately there were a few occasions when we forgot to water our little lemon and the fruits became soft and dehydrated. The glazed pot helps but it can’t amend for neglect.
Watering Your Lemon Tree
To keep it consistently watered, we added a drip irrigation line to the pot. Now the lemon tree is in full fruiting cycle again because it’s getting the consistent water it needs to stay healthy. Another added step we’ve found to help keep in the hydration is to mulch the top of the pot. We use about 2″ of leaves which were left over from trimming our hedges. If you don’t have a way to put an automatic drip on the pot, then you have to be consistent in hand watering. What ever you do, make sure the lemon gets consistent water.
A word of warning on pot selection: if you ever think you may transplant out of the pot you are choosing, do not get a pot which tapers in at the rim like the one our Eureka lemon tree is in. It will be very difficult to take the plant out without damaging its roots. Luckily this pot is large enough to be our Eureka’s permanent home.
Feeding and Fertilizing
Make sure to feed your lemon tree with a good organic fertilizer. Think of all the baby lemons the tree needs to nurture, so make sure to give your tree great food and nutrients. Citrus need nutrients and since there is nowhere for the roots to go outside the pot, it is even more important in citrus planted in pots.
One key feeding tidbit we’ve found, citrus can’t absorb zinc and phosphate at the same time. We were getting yellowing in between the veins of the leaves, usually a sign of nutrient deficiency (commonly either zinc or manganese in our area). Most fertilizers didn’t seem to help until we found this knowledge from a university’s research. After checking labels and finding a fertilizer which didn’t have phosphate but did have zinc and manganese, the tree almost immediately starting looking better. They still do need some phosphorus (phosphorus is the element – phosphate is a salt containing phosphorus – you’ll see them both used in labeling), but we’ll make sure to vary the feedings at least 6 weeks apart.
Full Sun or Part Full-Sun?
We found that placing the lemon in full Southern California sun all day long, especially in Summer, is too much. Our citrus we have planted in the ground can handle the full day sun, but it was too much for this potted lemon tree. The heat is intense and stresses it out. So we moved it to a section of the garden that gets sun for about 2/3 of the day, then remains in shade. This combination worked best because the tree still was able to get great morning and afternoon sun until 2pm, but was able to avoid the intense late afternoon sun.
!! Check with Your Local Nursery. Can you even grow citrus in your area?
The best advice we can give you is to consult with your local nursery. Every growing region is different and growing zones can change rapidly even within 10 miles of each other. So head to your local nursery and check to see what variety of lemon tree grows well and ask for their advice on how you can best grow it for your area.
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This post was originally published in 2010 and republished in 2016 with updated information and tips. Have Fun when your grow lemon tree in pot!
When mulching, do you mulch all the way to the stem of the tree?
We usually leave a couple inches of breathing space around the trunk.
Make sure that the seeds you use, if growing from seeds, are from organic lemons! The ‘regular’ ones are almost always treated with something that disables it from bearing fruit although it might grow and be a beautiful tree. Also, those seeds can be GMO or hybrids which won’t produce fruit.
Nancy, I too, wish that those from colder states would weigh in. I live in Oregon. Our winters are usually frequented by several low (think 16*-19*) cold periods that can last up to two weeks, and summers that usually get upward into the 100’s. …. Quite a range! It would be nice to have some help regarding these climates when reading such a post, but it is quite hard to cater to everyone in every climate possible. As the writers have stated many times: check with your LOCAL nursery for the best guidelines.
Hi Carol,
I live in Bend, and brought home a lemon tree from Tucson. I kept it inside over the winter, and have it in my yard during the summer. It has lemons on it now, and its also getting more blooms. I’m hoping that this winter the lemons will be ready to pick.
I grew one from lemon seeds. Just soak for a few days and plant (several – since you can’t be sure which ones will take root). BOOYA!! The End.
How long from when the flowers first come on till the lemons are ready to pick. I have had fruit on my lemon tree since September & it is only just turning yellow but not ready to pick yet. It is in a pot in the front garden, I am near Bundaberg Queensland. I have had mulch around the top of the pot & when is the best time to re-pot?
Usually it seems like it take 6-8 to go from flower to ripe fruit. Not sure if there is necessarily a best time to replant. Probably at least not when the weather is particularly hot. Here’s some info on transplanting. Hope that helps. Good luck!
my lemon tree’s lemons are green and have been for months. is this normal or did the nursery screw up and give me a lime tree by mistake. we got it at the end of summer and it bloomed, fruited and has not changed since. it is now march. when do I pick these fruits. im new to this as you can tell
It takes at least a few months for the fruit to go from green to yellow. If the fruit size and shape is correct, you should be fine. If you scratch the rind it and smell it, it should give you an indication of which fruit it is too.
Not to be disparaging, but I grew up in San Diego county. How hard could it be to grow ANY citrus there? We had everything growing in our yard; it wasn’t rocket science. Now that I live in Iowa, I’d like to know any suggestions from people who don’t live in the perfect citrus-growing climate of California or Florida. Anyone from the Dakotas having great success? You are the ones we need to hear from.
I need help.i have 11 years old calamansi tree from philippines ,it s a family of lime,lemon tree ,but I never get any fruits yet.i live in Illinois .i put in the winter I’m growing them in the pots they 2 tree at
Lease 7 foot tall .pls. Help me I love gardening .thanks I’m advance
I’m about to grow a Eureka in a container – a 17 gallon washtub, which I figure should be big enough, but will it be too shallow? Proper containers that size cost a fortune! I plan on covering the bottom (which I’ll drill holes in) with gravel and using a good quality potting mix. It will be on my balcony which has about a 12′ ceiling. How big can I expect it to get? I have to be able to move it when I move (I’m a renter).
Sorry, we don’t know quite enough to give you a proper answer. Our guess is you’d be fine. We started a semi-dwarf in a pot when we were renting and it only got to about 4′ in the 3 years we were there. Easy to move when we bought our first place. The shallowness, we don’t have an answer. Best to ask an expert, maybe someone at a local nursery or on a good gardening forum. Good luck.
My lemon tree leaves have little white bugs on them and the leaves turn black. I’ve sprayed it with Sevin Spray hoping that will get rid of the insects. Any advice??
I’d take a leaf or two into your local nursery and have them look at it. The white bugs sound like white flies. Start by giving your tree a good strong hose down.
this is gorgeous, we’re the only house on the street, without a lemon tree in the yard, and I would love to do one on the deck! thanks for the inspiration
My husband pulled two sprouted lemon seeds out of our compost pile last year and planted them. They have flourished, are about 12 inches tall and one has a bud at the top of the plant. As the seeds were from lemons bought at the grocery I’m guessing they are from commercial, standard trees. I live in zone 7 so will have to bring them inside when the temperatures drop. Do you know if they can be pruned and when this should be done in case the plant gets too large?
Since you’ll probably be keeping them in a pot, that will restrict their size some, but you’ll probably still want to prune to keep them to a manageable size. We’ve read that citrus don’t like a hard pruning (doing a lot at once), and you can prune just about anytime. Here is a good discussion on pruning citrus – click on link for discussion.
I have a question that I hope you can answer. I have a Meyer Lemon tree on my patio. The lemons always seem to want to grow heavily on one side and the tree wants to topple over. I’ve tried staking it but the stake just isn’t strong enough in the container and it also leans that way. Any ideas?
You might have to prune the heavy side of the tree back to help even it out, just don’t do too much at once, particularly this time of year or else you may shock the tree. Sometimes we’ll support a heavy branch with a thick stake directly under the branch so it can rest on top of the stake. That’s the best I can think of at the moment. Hope it helps.
T
About four years ago my daughter (3 yrs at the time) wanted to plant lemon seeds from a store bought lemon. I did it to humor myself, please her and just see what would happen. We ended up with four small trees. Lost one this past winter, but today I moved the larger of the remaining three to a larger pot and kept the other two in the other pot. We live in Iowa, so the trees go outside in the summer and inside in the winter. We’ve never had blooms or fruit. Will we ever? I love the scent of the leaves when I rub the leaf between my fingers. It gives off a wonderful lemon scent!
FYI…I ran across your site from a Pinterest post. 🙂
It is hard to say for certain if it will fruit or not. Usually they should be blooming by now, but it might need another year or so. Make sure to fertilize. We’ve had great luck with liquid kelp/seaweed extract. The trees all seem to love it. Good luck.
You might have bought a lemon from the ‘regular’ store, and it is basically a neutered plant: incapable of bearing fruit even though it grows well. Try using an organic seed: these will usually bear fruit as they are not hybrids or GMO seeds and will fruit. Good luck
Is it normal for the Eureka and Myer new fruits to fall off? FEW of mine does…and if it isn’t, then, what did I do wrong. I start a Calamodin from a seed and they are all growing in the pots. How long would it start flowering and bear fruits. Thank you!!
Rutth
Usually our citrus will drop fruit if not getting enough water or if in a pot and the soil is getting depleted of nutrients. Make sure to water and mulch well. As far as the calamodin, we don’t have an answer. We’ve bought ours in a 5 gallon size at the nursery and it was already fruiting. I think a lot will depend on your growing conditions and care.
Hi, I was wondering were you got your seeds. Did you just get them out of a lemon at the grocery store? Or did you buy them?
Also, do you leave it out through the whole winter, or do you bring it in? And if you leave it out, what zone do you live in?
It would be really helpful! Awesome idea!
We didn’t grow ours from seed, but bought it at a nursery in the gallon size. We are in Southern California, so there is no need for us to bring it in. Those who bring it in do so to protect it from freezing. Bring it in before the first frost and take it back out after things warm up again. I know some people will give it some “fresh air” during the winter on days it warms up and then bring it back in again at night, but it depends on how convenient that is for you.
Hannah, I saved the calamondin seeds from the fruit itself. I put it in a plastic cup with 1/4 cup of water to root…then plant it in small pot. I just transplanted into a bigger pot later. I live in Florida and I just cover them during hard feeze. My citrus in a pot are in my covered Lanai. Goodluck if you decide to grow it from a seed. I enjoyed seeing it grow…I dont know how long I have to wait to see it bear some fruits.
I was wondering where is the best place to purchase a lemon tree? I really want to grow one!
Thanks,
Bre
If you can find a good local nursery, that is where we recommend. We have a few down here in So Cal we love.
Is there any chance you would consider sharing your favorite nurseries? I’m also in So Cal (east Ventura County), and would love to check ’em out!! Thanks for your thorough, informative, encouraging blog!
When I lived in California I became familiar with citrus trees from Four Winds growers. Their trees were in all the local nurseries. Since I moved to Tennessee the nurseries don’t carry citrus, so I sent for a kaffir lime from them and it arrived perfectly, grew very quickly, and I got fruit the 2nd season (even though it was the leaves I wanted). I have had a potted Meyer lemon for years here, and just bring it in the house during the winter. I place it in a sunny location and prune it back to make it more manageable in the house. Last year I had about 50 lemons. It is flowering right now for the next crop of fruit and makes the house smell nice. I just use the dry citrus/avocado food and it works fine.