Last Updated on January 26, 2022 by Cinthia
Learning how to plant a lemon tree outdoors will help you provide the citrus tree with its basic needs and get rewarding results.
Growing a lemon tree outdoors is not difficult! You just need to learn how to care for your tree and voila you have a bountiful harvest.
How To Plant A Lemon Tree Outdoors
It is possible to grow lemons in your garden. Choose an area that receives plenty of sunlight and ensure that the soil drains well. The area should also be able to receive some shade to protect the tree from the harsh afternoon sun.
The best time to plant your lemon tree is during spring. You will avoid the harsh winter weather or high summer temperatures.
If your soil is clay-based, mix it with perlite or sand and add organic nutrient-rich fertilizer. To prepare the hole, dig it as deep and twice as wide as the length of the root ball. Put the mixture into the hole and plant your lemon tree.
Once planted, cover the root ball with little soil and tamp it down so that it holds firm in position. Water the new plant so that the soil is adequately wet. Add 2-3 inches of a layer of mulch over the top to keep the soil covered to infuse moisture retention. Be sure to keep the mulch away from the bark of the tree.
Lemons love plenty of water, so water your outdoor lemon tree well.
Outdoor Lemon Tree Care
Now that you have planted your lemon tree, how do you care for it? Caring for your lemon tree can be broken down into five crucial steps. They are watering, fertilizing, Pruning, Pest and disease solutions, and harvesting. Let’s look at each one of these steps.
- Watering. A lemon tree should be watered once a week or bi-weekly depending on the rainfall in your area. Keep a watering schedule to ensure your lemons get enough water. If you are not sure when to water them next, check the top 2 inches of soil. If it’s too dry it’s time to water your tree.
- Fertilizing. It is important to fertilize your trees every four to six weeks. Starting from February to August ensures a healthy cycle of growth. Citrus trees love to feed on fertilizers that are balanced with a rich nitrogen-rich blend.
Jobe’s Organics 09226 Fruit & Citrus Fertilizer with Biozome
- Pruning. Did you know lemon trees need pruning? Pruning is critical to maintaining your lemon tree shape. Cut off branches that are too long and remove those branches growing toward the trunk of the tree. Pruning helps the tree maintain airflow between the branches allowing light to penetrate the center of the tree. Remember to sterilize your pruning tools with rubbing alcohol ensuring a clean cut to keep the lemon tree healthy.
- Pest and Disease Control. Mites, citrus canker, and root rot are the most common diseases and pests that affect lemon trees. Luckily, they are easy to treat with natural, organic solutions. When treating your lemon tree, use an approved fungicide or just remove any diseased areas. Remove all the infected materials from the tree and do not use them to make compost. Simply burn them to eliminate the disease from your garden.
Harvesting
The best part of any fruit tree is to get to the harvesting stage. Lemons are ready to pick when they are yellow-green on the outside. Most lemon trees will be prime with fruit after about 1-2 years. Most lemons ripen between 4 to 12 months after flowering. Blooms appear in Spring to signal a transition to fresh fruit in the summer. If you grow fruit trees, you know there is nothing as delicious as summer fruit harvest.
Lemon Tree Planting
Nothing embraces the warm, carefree vibe of both spring and summer like the citrus fruit. Lemon trees are one of the best trees to choose from for your home orchards. They are super easy to grow for any gardener and fruits fast. They do well in most weather climates making it easy for gardeners everywhere.
Lemon has been long grown in many civilizations. Its health benefits are known across the world and in culinary use, it has thousands of applications.
To keep ants away from climbing up your fruit trees, use lemon to repel them. Simply cut the lemon fruit into slices and tie them around the tree trunk. Be sure to block all the passways for the ants by overlapping the slices.
In general, grow lemons for their much-needed benefits, not just health-wise but around the home. There is so much you can do with this fruit. Don’t be left behind!
FAQs
Can you plant lemon trees outside?
Lemon trees are usually grown indoors because they are sensitive to cold weather. However, there are some varieties of lemon trees that can survive outdoor temperature. And if you live in a subtropical climate like Florida or Southern California it is possible to grow these trees outside year-round.
Planting lemon trees outside can be done if the right conditions are met. Keep in mind that you cannot plant a lemon tree easily in a very cold place. If you live in a warmer climate, you should not have a problem.
You will need to look for the appropriate soil and space for planting too. If you don't have any of that, then you will need to buy some soil and make sure it's well-drained.
Lastly, what type of plant does your lemon tree grow from? Most likely from seedlings or cuttings from the mother plant- so make sure to get one of those too.
What is the best time to plant a lemon tree?
There are many factors that determine the best time to plant a lemon tree. The best time to plant a lemon tree is any time of year but you should only do so if it has been potted and not bare-root. The most important thing is to choose a day when there is no rain in the forecast and keep an eye on your soil moisture levels.
The best time to plant a lemon tree is in the spring. The best months are March through June. Planting your tree now will allow it to grow during the warmer months of the year, giving it plenty of time to take root before winter arrives.
Many people are curious as to when is the best time to plant a lemon tree in order for it to prosper in its new environment. To answer this question, we must first understand what kind of soil conditions are required for lemon trees in order for them to thrive. Lemon trees need full sun and well-drained soil in order for them not only survive but also produce fruit year after year.
How do you take care of a lemon tree outside?
The lemon tree is a plant that requires little care and can grow in many different climates. It is one of the most popular citrus fruit trees.
In order to keep a lemon tree healthy and strong, you have to water it regularly. You should also fertilize it so that the tree can grow and bear more lemons.
The most important thing when looking after a lemon tree is to give it food and water, and take care that it’s not too hot or cold for the fruit to ripen properly.
In addition, make sure that the plant is not waterlogged as well as dried out from time to time.
Keep an eye on pests such as scale insects, mites, borers, whiteflies, aphids and mealybugs because these pests can damage or kill a plant due to their sucking mouth parts.
Caroline is a gardener who loves to get down to the nitty–gritty of gardening. She proudly proclaims herself as a ‘dirt worshipper‘ and can often be found deep in the garden, covered in soil and singing to her plants. As a self–proclaimed ‘plant whisperer‘, Caroline believes that plants need love and attention just like any other living thing, and she loves to give them both. When she‘s not tending to her garden, you can often find her researching the latest gardening trends, or teaching others how to make their gardens thrive
