Germinating & Raising a Lemon Tree
- 1). Select three lemon seeds, in case one or two fail to germinate. Rinse them well. Fill 2-inch pots with potting mix, and sow the seeds half an inch deep, one to a pot.
- 2). Water well, until soil is moist but not water-logged or soggy. Cover each pot with a plastic bag to conserve humidity and moisture, and set in bright, indirect light in a warm spot; you may want to utilize a heating pad sold specifically for use under growing trays. Check the soil often to make sure it stays moist.
- 3). When the seedlings are a few inches tall and have two sets of true leaves, transplant them to larger pots.
- 4). Transplant the lemon tree seedling, or seedlings, outside when they are 6 inches tall. Choose a site in full sun with moist, well-drained soil with a pH of 5.0 to 6.0. Give your lemon tree room to spread out, keeping in mind that it can eventually reach 20 feet tall. Make sure there are no overhead wires or obstructions, and don't plant your lemon tree within 8 feet of buildings, walkways, fences or septic tanks. If planting more than one seedling, space them 10 feet apart.
- 5). Water your young lemon tree regularly, keeping soil moist but not soggy. Excess water promotes fungus and root rot.
- 6). Apply a 2-inch layer of mulch, making sure it doesn't press up against the seedling's stem. Pull up weeds if they emerge through the mulch, keeping a clear circle around the young tree.
- 7). Fertilize once a month in spring and summer, using a high-nitrogen fertilizer formulated specifically for citrus trees, after the tree has reached a year old. Do not fertilize it before then. Fertilize every two to three months in fall and winter. Apply fertilizer in a circle with a 3-foot diameter around the tree when it is young. As your lemon tree gets older, fertilize an area twice the size of the tree canopy.
- 8). Add a mycorrhizal fungi treatment to the soil during the seedling's first year. These beneficial fungi, which live on the roots of trees, help with absorption of water and nutrients from the soil.
- 9). Use a foliar, or minor element, leaf spray three times a year in order to supply your young lemon tree with essential iron, boron and magnesium.
- 10
Protect your lemon tree with a well-fitting tree blanket if a frost or freeze is expected; citrus trees will freeze at 28 degrees, and lemons are among the most cold-sensitive of all citrus. According to the Texas A&M University website, tree blankets are very effective for protecting lemon trees from frost, but must be securely tied down.
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