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!
I live in south Georgia and have a Meyer lemon tree in my back yard that I purchased from Walmart. When it was new it was about four feet tall and full of blossoms. It had about 14 lemons that year. Every year since the plant gets pruned and now it is about two feet tall, the leaves are yellow and it bears no fruit. I put Jobe’s fertilizer spikes in the ground but it looks terrible. What?
Too much Fertilizer or fertilizer too strong for the young tree can kill the tree. Only way to save your tree is changing the soils and give it a lot of water mix with B1 .
Recently I’ve read that if you are growing lemon trees from seed DO NOT use the seeds from regular lemons from your local grocery store because they won’t produce fruit. Using “organic” lemons is the only way to get the proper seeds. I have started a few trees (49 actually, its become a hobby haha), they are about 2 months old, and I used seeds from non-organic lemons. Was wondering if I am wasting my time growing these???
Good luck Mike. In regards to the seeds, that isn’t our area of expertise, but maybe someone else can chime in. What a great hobby!
We grew our lemon tree from a pot as well, we’ve had it for about 2.5 years now, I need to add some fertilizer on the top layer to help keep it moist. I was curious where you grew yours, but we are in OC as well so now I know ours will be ok in this crazy heat!
Thanks so much for this info!
I have 2 baby lemon trees and I am wondering when to start pruning them. One is 2 feet tall and has a main stem and a few off-shoots at the woody base that are 2 feet high as well- I’m not sure if these are fully grown suckers or just branches. Thanks for your help!
I love this!! – Where did you get the pot from? I am wanting something very similar ! 🙂
It was from a local nursery/garden store which went out of business a couple months ago. Locally we’ve seen similar pots from Rogers Gardens in Newport Beach, CA.
I just hate buying lemons in the store, but I’ve never had luck with a lemon tree in the ground. Maybe a large pot is the way to go.
Can you actually grow lemon tree from a seed. If you do where and how?
Sure. We usually buy young plants already started, but it is easy enough to grow them from a seed or a cutting. It just takes a bit longer.
Here’s a link for growing a lemon tree from seed.
And another for growing a lemon tree from a cutting.
Have fun.
T & D
My Mom started a lemon tree over 30 years ago from a seed. As it grew she transplanted it into bigger and bigger pots and trimmed it regularly. Eventually it got so big my Dad had to build a sort of wagon to wheel it in and out of the garage for the winters. (They live in South Dakota and winter is not a pleasant time for man nor citrus tree!) It now bears fruit regularly. Actually the year my mom passed away it had over 70 lemons on the branches. It’s beautiful and a real traffic stopper when it’s got fruit on it. People will stop and ask if it’s real. I’ve never known anyone else to have a lemon tree in S. Dakota. But would love to hear if there is.
We live in Yankton and just purchased a lemon tree (his name is Cletus) this summer. It has plenty of fruit – hoping it continues to grow. When do they start changing from green to yellow? Thx!
Don’t forget about Mexican Lime trees! For the beer drinkers these small trees are a hit.