Lemon trees are beautiful, smell lovely and produce a tantalizing fruit that can be sweetened into candy or used unsweetened in savory dishes. Pure lemon juice is also great to have in the kitchen because it kills odors. The lemon tree lends itself to both indoor and outdoor cultivation.
Lemon trees are easier to grow indoors than orange trees. Lemon trees require less sunshine and heat than sweet orange trees; oranges need the sun and heat to develop sugar.
Lemon trees prefer slightly acidic soil, about 5 to 5.5 pH. For indoor plants, use a peat-moss growing mix. For outdoor lemon trees, cover the topsoil with pine and fir needles to keep the soil acidic and deter weeds.
Lemon trees grow from 10 to 20 feet tall. Many varieties have sharp thorns on the branches or twigs. The leaves are reddish when young and become green as they mature. The flowers have red buds and are mildly fragrant. The lemon fruit usually has an oily, fragrant, yellow skin.
Florida produces many of America's lemons. Lemon trees are vulnerable to disease, and in Florida, orchard farmers must be aware of and try to prevent at least a dozen different diseases.
Dwarf Meyer Lemons
The Meyer lemon tree is a variety that does especially well indoors. It is available via online retailers for those who do not have access to good quality garden suppliers. A dwarf variety of Meyer lemon trees is best for people with smaller homes and low ceilings.
- Purdue University
- Four Winds Growers
lemon trees, about lemons, growing citrus
About this Author
Samantha Hanly is an organic vegetable gardener, greenhouse gardener and home canner. She grows a substantial portion of her family's food every year. After receiving her bachelor's degree, Hanly embarked on a career teaching dramatic arts, arts and crafts, and languages. She became a professional writer in 2000, writing curricula for use in classrooms and libraries.