How to Grow Lemon Trees: The Complete Guide

Lemon trees need sun and warmth for flavorful fruit. They must have at least 6 hours of sunshine per day. Outside in the ground, it’s best to plan near a location that reflects warmth such as a driveway, patio, or wall. Avoid planting in lawn grass.

They need a location or container with good drainage and prefer slightly acidic soil. Avoid heavy, nearly pure clay soils. Most lemon tree varieties are not tolerant of frost, and high winds are problematic and cause breakage.

Buying a Lemon Tree

For their first lemon tree, gardeners will be more likely to succeed by purchasing a sapling from a well-known and reputable supplier. These small trees with come in containers. Look for healthy leaves and roots. 

Choose rootstock to control the mature size and impart cold hardiness.

If planting in the ground, consider the mature size of your lemon tree, and avoid areas like sewer lines or places too near a parking area where lemons could fall on your car. Large, full-size trees will need at least a 12-by-12 foot space. Semi-dwarf trees will need an 8-by-8 foot space. 

The only true dwarfing rootstock (good for containers) is ‘Flying Dragon’, which will yield a 4 to 8 foot tree.  Learn more about growing citrus in containers.

Can you grow lemon trees from seed?

If you’re feeling a bit like a gambler, you can absolutely grow a lemon tree from the seeds in a grocery store lemon. The seeds will germinate, and with proper care, a new tree will grow. The gambling part comes from the seeds. Many lemons are hybrids bred for disease resistance, fruit quality, and other traits.

Seeds from hybrid plants (and trees) won’t create daughter plants identical to the parent. Some of the traits of the hybrid will revert to those of the parent, and it’s impossible to predict in advance. Your new lemon tree may not be disease resistant, make bitter little lemons with little meat inside, or have poor hardiness. But it’s a nearly free project and can be quite entertaining.

When To Plant Lemon Trees

Springtime planting works well for in-ground lemon trees. Wait for the last spring frosts to pass and the nighttime temperatures to warm. Lemon trees headed for a container life can be planted whenever you bring them home. Of course, you can start a lemon from seed at any time.

How To Plant Lemon Trees in the Ground

Lemon trees can be planted the same way as other fruit trees and ornamentals. Pay attention to their mature size; they’ll grow larger in the ground than in a pot. Space them appropriately from the edge of buildings, sidewalks, and powerlines.
Remember, whether planting in the ground or in a container, your lemon tree likely needs to be hardened off, especially if it was growing in a greenhouse.

• Dig a hole at least twice as wide as the root ball and about as deep. The hole should have sloped sides like a shallow bowl.
• Loosen the soil in the bottom of the hole to help with drainage.
• Remove the lemon tree from its container, grasping and lifting it by the trunk. If it doesn’t want to come free, lay the container on its side and gently roll it back and forth, applying enough pressure to bend the plastic container.
• Prune all circling or girdling roots. Loosen up rootbound lemon trees by scoring the edges of the root ball with your soil knife or trowel.
• Test fit the tree in the hole, ensuring it will sit at the same level in the new spot. Adjust the depth as necessary by adding soil or digging a bit deeper.
• Plant the tree, backfilling the hole with the soil you removed. Don’t forget to keep it upright! It’s easy to plant a crooked tree when focusing on the roots, not the trunk. Firm the soil around the roots to avoid air pockets.
• Form a slightly raised berm like a donut around the plant to keep water from draining away.
• Water your lemon trees thoroughly, letting water soak into the soil.
• Mulch underneath to keep weeds down and keep the soil moist. Extend the mulch two feet from the stems and apply it 3-4 inches thick. But don’t allow the mulch to touch the stem.

How to Plant a Lemon Tree in a Pot

You’ll need a pot with excellent drainage and some potting soil to grow lemon trees in containers. Use half-barrel size or at least 15-gallon containers for most varieties. Premixed products made specifically for citrus trees are the easiest way to go, but regular potting soil can be used, amended with extra perlite or sand to aid drainage.

• Remove your lemon tree from its pot and prune any circling roots. Loosen up the bottom and sides of the rootball.
• Select a pot several inches larger than the current container. While it may be tempting to plant a small young tree in its forever pot, it’s best to move upward in stages.
• Ensure the drainage holes are large and adequate. New pots often need to have them poked or drilled open.
• Add soil until the tree’s root mass rests 1-2 inches below the pot rim. Test fit as necessary.
• When the depth is correct, fill the remaining area around the root ball with potting mix, firming it to avoid air pockets.
• Water your newly transplanted lemon tree thoroughly until water comes out of the drainage holes.