Lemons are a perfect summertime fruit because they are refreshing, versatile, and healthy. Lemons contain lots of vitamin C to give you an immune system boost. They also support a healthy digestive system because of the fiber they contain and help the body absorb iron better too.
It’s usually easy enough to buy lemons from your local grocery store or farmers’ market, but how cool would it be to grow your own lemons at home instead? Here are some tips for growing lemons in a yard or garden so that you can enjoy fresh, organic ones whenever you like.
Growing Lemon Trees Outdoors
Lemon trees make wonderful additions to any yard, but they do grow better in some yards than others. This is because lemon trees are sensitive to the cold and need a lot of sunlight to grow well. Therefore, it often works best to plant lemon trees on the south side of the house so that they get more sunshine. The trees need steady moisture, so it’s important to water them frequently. Adding mulch around the trees can help them retain moisture on hot days.
It’s best to plant lemon trees in the spring, but the ideal time really depends on the growing zone that you’re located in. Lemon trees should be fertilized to provide them with the nutrients they need to grow well, and we recommend either Seagate Fish Fertilizer Concentrate or Seagate Seaweed & Fish Soil Tabs for this. To maintain the tree’s shape, you’ll need to prune away branches that get too long so that sunlight can reach the center of the tree as it grows. It is common for lemon trees to reach heights of eight to ten feet tall in an outdoor garden.
Indoor Lemon Tree Growing
It might surprise you to learn that you can also grow lemons indoors, which is great to know if you live in a climate where outdoor lemon trees would struggle to survive. In fact, lemon trees do very well between temperatures of 55 to 70 degrees indoors. You can grow lemons from seeds or expedite the process by rooting large cuttings. Lemons make surprisingly great houseplants and can thrive in containers with good drainage and enough room to grow. An indoor lemon tree can get to approximately three to five feet tall. It will also need to be kept moist with regularly watering and fertilized.
During warm days, you can move your lemon trees outdoors and increase the plants’ chances of bearing fruit due to the exposure to pollinating insects outside. Morning sun and afternoon shade are excellent for lemon trees. Lemons from your tree are likely ready to pick when they are yellow on the outside.
Want More Lemon Inspiration? Check out some of our other blogs about lemons for recipe ideas!