How to Grow Lemons Outdoors and Indoors

Lemons are a type of citrus fruit; they are ellipsoidal in shape, yellow in color, and sour in taste. Lemons natively sprout throughout much of Asia, but people grow lemon trees worldwide because of the fruit’s varied uses. Many distinct lemon varieties, from sour (Bearss lemons) to sweet (Meyer lemons), grow in Florida, Arizona, and California in the United States.

Like other citrus fruits (limes, oranges, grapefruits, et cetera), lemons are prized for their juice, which you can squeeze in everything from marinades to cocktail recipes. You can also use lemon zest to add a zingy flavor to savory recipes and desserts or boil the peel to make marmalade.

Add some yellow citrus to your kitchen by planting a lemon tree in your backyard. Follow these steps to plant a lemon tree:

1. 1. Know where lemons will grow best. Lemons are subtropical fruits, meaning they will do best in warm climates and hardiness zones nine through eleven—this means lemon trees are not cold-hardy, so you’ll have to have mild to warm weather at least to grow these plants successfully. If your weather is milder, plant your lemon tree on the south side of your home so it gets more direct sunlight.
2. 2. Time accordingly. Growers should start their lemon tree in early spring, well after the final frost of the winter.
3. 3. Use proper soil. Lemons need slightly acidic and well-draining potting soil. Ensure that the lemon tree’s root ball is higher than the surface of the ground by digging a hole only a little shallower than the length of your root ball. The hole should be two times the width of the lemon tree container. Place the root ball in the hole, surround it with soil, and pat the soil firm.
4. 4. Water regularly. Watering citrus varieties can be tricky; you’ll have to water your lemon tree once a week, though if spring brings heavy rain, you may not need to water as much. You can add some mulch to help retain water if it’s a particularly wet season. If you are overwatering, the leaves will yellow and fall off.

Indoor lemon trees grown from seed will likely take many years to bear fruit. Your best bet is to transfer a two- to three-year-old dwarf tree purchased from your local nursery or garden center into an indoor pot. Follow these steps to grow a lemon tree indoors:

1. 1. Choose the right tree. The best types of dwarf lemon trees for container growing are Ponderosa and Meyer lemon trees. The Ponderosa is a hybrid citron-lemon tree that yields the largest lemons. The easy-to-grow Meyer lemon tree is a hybrid of a Mandarin orange and lemon tree. If you want to grow the latter variety, try an ‘Improved Meyer’ cultivar, which is resistant to common citrus tree viruses. Variegated pink lemon trees are also indoor-friendly and bear lemons with pink flesh.
2. 2. Choose an appropriate pot. Plant your indoor lemon tree in a terracotta pot with drainage holes to prevent your tree from becoming waterlogged and developing root rot. To determine your pot’s size, measure your tree’s root ball and look for a pot that’s at least two inches larger on all sides. As your tree grows, transplant it into a larger pot if it becomes root-bound.
3. 3. Use a well-drained potting mix. Look for a potting mix formulated specifically for citrus trees. The ideal potting mix should dry out easily to prevent soggy soil. Fill your container with the potting mix, and dig a hole for your tree.
4. 4. Plant the tree. Determine the proper depth to plant your tree’s root ball by locating its root flare (the wide bottom part of the trunk), which should be directly above the soil line. Leave an inch or two of room between the soil line and the top of the pot so that the soil doesn’t spill out during watering.
5. 5. Water thoroughly and treat with a starter formula. Water your lemon tree until water begins to seep out the drainage holes. The next day, treat the soil with a plant starter formula to reduce transplant shock.
6. 6. Choose the tree location. Citrus plants require eight to ten hours of direct sunlight a day to bear fruit, so place your tree near a south-facing window. If you can’t find a spot in your home with enough hours of full sun per day, use an artificial grow light. Indoor lemon trees prefer temperatures between sixty-five and eighty degrees Fahrenheit, so avoid placing them near any heat or air conditioning vents.
7. 7. Assist with pollination. When growing lemon trees outdoors, airflow, insects, and aphids will naturally help your tree pollinate, but indoors, you’ll have to give an extra hand. When the flowers start to open up, give them a gentle shake to help spread the pollen.

Lemon trees grown from the seed won’t produce fruit in the first year, but starter indoor trees may yield lemons within the year. Learn how to properly harvest your lemons so you can add some homegrown zest to your cooking:

1. 1. Examine the skin color. It will be time to pick your lemons when you see the fruits of your tree turn from green to a glossy yellow. If you pick your lemons when slightly green, they will need a few days to ripen off the tree.
2. 2. Monitor the size. The fruit is ripe when it reaches two to three inches in width.
3. 3. Give each lemon a gentle squeeze. A ripe lemon should have some give to it; it can be firm, but you should be able to squeeze it gently.
4. 4. Handpick your lemons. Simply grasp your lemon, give it a gentle twist, and pull. The fruit should easily come off the tree. Avoid shaking your tree, as that can damage the plant.
5. 5. Squeeze and enjoy. Make homemade lemonade, squeeze some juice over a baked white fish, or zest and refrigerate or freeze to store the lemon for later use.

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