Have you been dreaming during the cold winter months of ways to add some life and color to your houseplants? If so, a lemon tree might be perfect!
Lemon trees can be grown in a variety of locations, but it is very important to choose the right spot. Try growing your lemon tree in a garden, an orchard, or even indoors! Make sure the location has enough light, is warm enough, has the right humidity, and provides the tree with enough water.
Read on for all the info you need to choose a great spot, plant your lemon tree, and enjoy it for years to come.
Why You Should Plant A Lemon Tree
Lemon trees may not grow just anywhere, but lemons are a fruit enjoyed all year long around the world. People love to grow lemons themselves so they can enjoy not just the fruit, but also the tree that bears those yummy lemons.
You can use lemons to make lemonade, of course, but they are also great for baking pies and tarts, seasoning fish dishes, and just refreshing a plain glass of water.
Whatever your reason for planting a lemon tree, we have some tips to help you get started, so keep reading for ways to choose a location for planting and the actual steps for how to plant your new lemon tree.
Types Of Lemon Trees
Like most trees, lemon trees have multiple varieties. Some varieties do better in different types of environments and some are tolerant of colder temperatures.
Some types of lemon trees are smaller than others, and some types of lemon trees are harder to take care of than others.
It is important for the health and success of your lemon tree that you choose wisely when you purchase your lemon tree.
Here is a quick reference table you can use to determine the type of lemon tree that is right for you.
| Desired Characteristic | Type Of Lemon Tree To Plant | Type of Lemon Tree To Avoid |
| Grows well indoors in heat and humidity | Any type | None |
| Easy to care for | Variegated pink lemon tree | Ponderosa lemon tree |
| Grows in locations with colder temperatures | Verna lemon tree or primofiori lemon tree or Genoa lemon tree | Avalon lemon tree or Dorshapo lemon tree |
| Fast growing | Bearss lemon tree or Meyer lemon tree | Dependent on sunlight and water |
As you can see, there is a type of lemon tree for almost every situation.
You can grow some indoors and some outdoors, even in colder climates. You can grow some in containers and some produce fruit in as little as two years. You can choose a variety that is very easy to care for or you can choose one that requires a little more effort.
No matter what you choose, the following tips will apply to almost every lemon tree when it’s time for you to choose a planting location.
Planting A Meyer Lemon Tree
Let’s focus for a moment on one of the most popular types of lemon trees that amateur gardeners like to grow, particularly indoors: the Meyer lemon.
Meyer lemons are very popular, though you may be surprised to learn that you don’t see them as often in supermarkets as you may think. Meyer lemons are very small, so they don’t usually get piled into the grocery store shelves the way other, larger lemons used more frequently in kitchens do.
According to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension, Meyer lemons were brought from China in the early 20th century.
Does A Meyer Lemon Tree Need Anything Special?
Meyer lemon trees are popular because they are small and easy to grow in pots, meaning that people who live anywhere can grow them, not just people who live in tropical climates.
According to the Penn State Extension Office, you can grow Meyer lemons indoors in a pot easily with the right care and preparation as long as you can put the tree in a spot that gets several hours of sunlight each day.
Also, unlike lemon trees that are planted outside, an indoor Meyer lemon tree will need fertilizer or to begin with fertilized potting soil. According to the University of Maryland Extension, indoor plants need extra nitrogen, which fertilizer will provide.
Places To Plant A Lemon Tree
Most lemon trees like heat and sunshine, as they are native to tropical regions, but there are some types that grow in much cooler places, so don’t think that you cannot grow a lemon tree just because you do not live in Florida or somewhere like it.
To choose a good location for your lemon tree, first think about the purpose of your tree.
Do you want the tree as decoration? Do you want to use the lemons? Do you want to have a statement piece in your garden, or do you want to add some color and life to an indoor room or sunroom?
Whatever the purpose, knowing what you hope to get out of planting a lemon tree will help you choose the right location.
The following tips will show you three great options for places to plant your new lemon tree, then we will examine the exact steps for planting. So let’s get started!
Plant A Lemon Tree In A Garden
Lemon trees of any size can make great additions to gardens, whether planted in the middle of a flower bed or as a corner piece for a decorative pathway through your flowers. To plant a lemon tree in a garden, you must first consider the outdoor environment of the lemon tree.
While there are some trees that flourish in cooler temperatures, it is unlikely that a lemon tree will do particularly well in super cold areas that experience extended months of freezes and snows. If this applies to you, you might want to skip down to our tips on growing a lemon tree indoors.
Plant A Lemon Tree In An Orchard
If growing multiple trees is what you’re after, whether that be all the same type of lemon tree or multiple varieties, planting an orchard is a wonderful idea if you have enough land and space.
First, you will need to consider the climate of your proposed orchard, just as if you were planting a lemon tree in a garden.
If your climate is too cold, you might need to consider a different type of orchard like one that grows apples, for example. But if you have enough sunlight and warm weather, a lemon orchard might be in your future.
To scout the location of your orchard, consider the number of trees you wish to plant. Then think about the variety of lemon tree you have chosen, as some lemon trees grow to be much larger than others.
If you want to plant multiple lemon trees but you do not have a lot of outdoor space, you can consider switching to a dwarf variety of lemon tree. Then you can plant multiple trees in a smaller area of land.
Dwarf trees also have the benefit of sometimes growing faster and producing fruit sooner than their standard-sized counterparts.
Plant A Lemon Tree Indoors
This might be the most popular option, particularly for those who have never grown a lemon tree before. Growing
a tree indoors has a number of advantages. Growing your lemon tree inside your house allows you to control the temperature in which the tree grows, and this is perhaps the most important factor, as temperature is key in growing lemon trees.
Growing a tree indoors also allows you to control the water that the tree gets and even the humidity of the tree’s environment, as there are several ways to change that even inside.
How Can I Ensure My Lemon Tree Has The Proper Humidity?
You can mist the leaves of your tree for humidity, you can place a container full of water under or near your tree so that the water’s evaporated mist goes straight to the tree.
You can even use an electric room humidifier to add moisture to the air around your tree!
Planting a tree indoors is a little different from planting one outside, so we have included some information about both methods.
Read on for the steps you need to plant your lemon tree, either outdoors in your yard or in a container that can move between indoors and outdoors.
How To Plant A Lemon Tree
Lemon trees are easy to acquire. You can find them at your local home improvement store, garden nursery, or even online, like this Brighter Blooms Meyer Lemon Tree that comes in a pot and is already a few feet tall.
Once you have purchased your lemon tree and have decided whether this variety is best grown indoors or outdoors, choose the appropriate method from those below and get to planting!
Planting A Lemon Tree Outdoors In Your Yard Or Garden
Planting a lemon tree outdoors is not very different from planting any other type of tree except that you might have to take more consideration of sunlight than with some other types of trees.
Your lemon tree needs at least six hours per day of full sunlight, preferably in the morning hours.
You can scout outdoor locations ahead of time by observing on a sunny day which areas of your yard or garden get the most morning sun. You can literally time the sun to make sure it equals at least six hours.
If it doesn’t, you should choose another spot so you do not have to have this sunlight struggle throughout your tree’s life or, even worse, so that the tree does not die from being too shaded.
Check out some of the other reasons why lemon trees grow best in full sun!
Once you have found the right sunny location, you are ready to begin planting.
Digging The Hole And Planting The Tree
Before you do any digging at all, clear any debris from your planting site. This includes rocks, tree bark, other plants, weeds, and anything else that is not just plain soil.
Once you have done this, begin digging a hole, removing any rocks or roots you encounter along the way.
The hole should be about twice the size of the root ball of your lemon tree, and it should only be deep enough that it covers the root ball, no more and no less.
Be sure to test the location by gently placing the tree in the hole before you start to replace the soil.
Make sure that the base of the tree trunk will be just barely covered with soil and that the root ball will be completely buried.
You can learn more about the process of planting a lemon tree in our comprehensive lemon tree timeline!
Fertilizing The Tree
Don’t use fertilizer right away. Fertilizer can actually have the opposite of its intended effect when used on plants and trees that are too young.
But, once your lemon tree has gone through a full growth and fruit production cycle, you can start using fertilizer to give your lemon tree an extra boost. Some manufacturers even make fertilizer that is specifically tailored to citrus trees, like this Miracle-Gro Shake ‘n Feed Citrus, Avocado, and Mango Plant Food.
Learn more about the best lemon tree fertilizers (and how to use them) here!
Watering The Tree
Once you have replaced all the soil around your lemon tree’s trunk, it is time to water the tree. Give the tree a thorough soaking with your garden hose, either by using a sprayer on a gentle setting or by placing a soaker hose on the ground for a while.
Make sure the ground is fully saturated with water for the first time. Then, if you live in an area with significant rainfall that is not a very dry climate, you probably will not have to water the tree very often, if at all.
Planting A Lemon Tree In A Container
There are two main methods of growing a lemon tree in a container. The first is to grow the tree in a container that stays outdoors in the warmer months of spring and summer then is moved indoors for the cold weather of the fall and winter.
The second is to grow the tree in a container that stays indoors year-round. Which method you choose is up to you, the locations available to keep a container, and the method by which you might hypothetically move the container around.
Before you make a decision, consider that container plants are usually very heavy, especially large plants like trees. The pots or containers that these plants grow in are very large, meaning that on top of the weight of the tree itself, there will also be the weight of the container, the soil inside, and, most significantly, the water held in that soil.
A container plant can easily get extremely heavy, so, if you plan to move the tree at all, and especially if you plan to move it frequently, you should definitely invest in a plant stand with wheels on the bottom.
This way, you can simply roll your tree around from location to location. This might get a little tricky when going in and out of doorways, or if you have to navigate any stairs, but it is much preferable to having your plant stuck in one location or to pick up such a large container full of tree, soil, and water.
Now let’s look at the steps to planting a lemon tree in a container, no matter where the container will be kept.
Choosing A Container
Lemon trees are available for purchase in a number of sizes, but you should not necessarily choose a container based on the size of your tree at the time you plant it.
Rather, think about the size of the tree when it has reached maturity, or at least in a few years. You want to transplant your container lemon tree as few times as possible, as you do not want the lemon tree to go into shock.
Try to choose a container large enough for a mature tree of the variety you have chosen.
Also, choose a container with adequate drainage. An old, vintage plant container with a solid base might seem like a great idea based on how good it will look in your living room, but you need to choose a container that has holes in the bottom. Otherwise, your lemon tree will be at risk of root rot from sitting water in the soil near the roots.
Planting Your Lemon Tree In The Container
Once you have chosen a container, purchase a good-quality potting soil. You can pick one that already has a fertilizer in it, especially if that fertilizer is specific to houseplants or even indoor trees. Make sure you buy plenty of potting soil for your container.
A large container like one needed for a lemon tree will require a lot of potting soil.
Before you put any potting soil in the container, use some rocks or bark to create a loose layer at the bottom of your container that will provide some space for water to drain even more effectively.
Once you have layered some drainage materials in the bottom of the container, begin adding potting soil. Add enough so that it looks like your tree will sit a few inches from the top of the container.
You do not want to fill the container to the brim with potting soil. Rather, leave some room for mulch or peat moss, which we will discuss in just a little while.
When the soil level looks right, gently place your lemon tree in the middle of the container and loosely surround the root ball with the soil until the tree sits centered and upright on its own.
Continue to gently put potting soil around the root ball until the root ball is completely covered. Then place some peat moss or mulch on top as an added layer to help your tree retain moisture. This is a particularly important step for the winter months when artificial heat makes the indoor air very dry.
Caring For Your Indoor Lemon Tree
Again, make sure to place your indoor tree somewhere that gets several hours of light per day, preferably a southern-facing window. Then make sure to check the water level at least once a week.
If the soil feels moist, you do not need to water the tree, but if the top level of soil starts to seem dry, it is time for some water.
Use a mister to provide extra moisture for your tree by misting the leaves with plain water.
These steps will help keep your tree healthy inside and you will start to see some lemons growing before too long!
Some Final Tips For Growing Your Lemon Tree Long Term
If your tree is planted outside, pay attention to the weather. Heat waves are bad for lemon trees and have a very negative impact on their health and growth. Drought is also very bad for most trees, including lemon trees.
If drought becomes a problem or extreme heat is a problem for more than a couple of days, you should consider watering your tree with a garden hose or sprinkler to make sure it survives these extreme conditions.
Also, keep in mind that in many states it is now illegal to transport citrus fruit across state borders. This is because there are diseases that can kill large groves of citrus trees if they are introduced from other locations, so the rule is in place to keep everyone’s citrus trees safe and healthy.
That’s A Wrap!
Now you are ready to choose a location for your lemon tree and start growing lemons.
Whether you live in a warm part of the country and are planting your lemon tree outside or you plan to enjoy the bright, sunny sight of a healthy lemon tree indoors while the blizzards rage outside your house, you can be well on your way to growing your own lemons in just a few months with the right plan and care.
Once you know what to expect from growing a lemon tree, and you have learned the proper ways to plant and care for your tree, you will be enjoying your lemon tree and its fruit in no time.
Enjoy your new tree!
References
Boaretto, R. M., Hippler, F. W., Ferreira, G. A., Azevedo, R. A., Quaggio, J. A., & Mattos, D. (2020). The possible role of extra magnesium and nitrogen supply to alleviate stress caused by high irradiation and temperature in lemon trees. Plant and Soil, 457(1), 57-70.
French, B. C., & Bressler, R. G. (1962). The lemon cycle. Journal of Farm Economics, 44(4), 1021-1036.
