Q & A to Help Your Potted Lemon Tree Thrive
My dwarf lemon tree experience started when I impulsively bought a little sprig of a lemon tree from a plant catalogue when placing my seed order earlier last year. Based on my limited experience, my first tip would be either don’t buy a lemon tree because you won’t be able to keep it happy or buy one without doing any research first because ignorance is bliss. Then do your research once you already have a needy little tree under your care.
If you fit in this last category like I did, then you may want some tips on keeping your little lemon tree happy . . . Here I’ve gathered up some advice from folks who actually know what they are doing and compiled them into a straightforward, direct, easy to remember Q & A list of tips for us citrus tree newbies.
Basic Needs: What Do Citrus Trees Need?
]Lemon trees seem to have a few very basic needs; heat, light, and humidity. If you can nail these three things then you should be off to a good start. . . ]
Q: What temperature do potted lemon trees need?
A: The ideal temperature is 50 -80 degrees F Plants absolutely need to avoid frost and freezing temperatures.
Q. How much light should I give my dwarf lemon plant?
A: Lemon Plants need about 7-8 hours of direct sunlight, but prefer up to 12 hours. You can supplement with some basic grow lights available online or at your local hardware store in the winter as needed.
Q. How do I give them enough humidity?
A. Lemon trees love their humidity; gardenista.com says that Lemon trees need at least 50% humidity and suggests placing a tray filled with pebbles & water under their pot when the tree is indoors.
Q. Speaking of water, how much do I water my lemon tree?
A. Water your lemon tree very deeply as needed. You can tell it needs to be watered when the top 2-4 inches of dirt are dry. Nancy at lemoncitrustree.com emphasis that you should never overwater then let sit; make sure your pot has excellent drainage. ( I watered mine very thoroughly then realized the pot had no drainage holes and had to clean out all the mud.) However, Nancy also notes that shallow watering here & there (I call this toddler watering because they dump half a cup at a time) is bad too because it does not encourage strong healthy root growth.
Q. Wait, don’t most plants need fresh air?
A. Yes! Mario Vega, Nursery Specialist at the Conservatory of Flowers Golden Gate Park in California notes that citrus trees “would really prefer to be outdoors.” In fact, even the conservatory doesn’t grow their citrus indoors; the bring it in to display then cycle it back outside to keep it happy & healthy. The bottom line is that lemon trees need some air movement but do not like it windy; you can tell if they are getting too much wind because they will curl their leaves up to recapture moisture. Some folks growing their plants indoors even suggested leaving a fan on the plant to cycle fresh air through the room.
Q. Do lemon trees need to be fed?
A. Yes they do. It is suggested that you feed them once per month with micronutrients; a basic 18-18-18 fertilizer should do the trick. Gardenista.com confirms that citrus trees living inside need to be fed year round to maintain a sufficient supply of nitrogen.
Q. When do I prune my lemon tree?
A. Prune your tree in the early spring (February or March) when new growth is just starting to appear. You may want to prune to keep your tree a manageable size, to open up the canopy to improve air flow, and to allow light to enter more easily. Container plants are also prone to growing suckers out from the rootstock; these should be trimmed off immediately.
Q. What is my potted lemon tree trying to say to me?
- Green Leaves falling off = poor lighting
- Leaves curling up= trying to recapture moisture
Best of luck as you start your own potted lemon tree adventure! They are beautiful, fruitful trees that will bring a smile to your face year-round if you can learn to satisfy their needs. Leave a comment & let me know if you have any more insights on keeping a lemon tree happy!