“Her kisses reminded me of lemon slices drizzled with sticky honey. Bitter, sweet and strangely irresistible.” Michael Faudet
While the exact origin of lemons is lost in the mists of time, it is said that citrus fruits were the dowry of Hera, the bride of Zeus, who kept them jealously hidden away in a blissful garden situated at the western end of the earth, where the sun dies every day and where lived the Hesperides (nymphs). Each of the three nymphs guarded her own fruit: Aigle tended the citron, Arethusa the lemon and Hesperethusa the orange, thus the Hesperides were the nymphs guarding the “golden apples” which Hercules stole from the garden and gave to mankind.
Thanks to Hercules the lemon is now grown all over the world in regions whose mild climate suits this evergreen fruiting tree.
Lemons are upright growers and can reach great heights. I think they are always better pruned to keep smaller. I like my fruit trees at a height I can pick the fruit so none are wasted
They love the full sun, great soil and mulch.
When they are in flower and fruit I find regular, consistent watering is best to help the fruit form to their best ability. During this time I will liquid fertilise with Plant Care to keep the tree healthy. I use Plant Care, as over fertilising can lead to bud drop.
I find all citrus, lemon included, are heavy feeders. When the tree is not in flower I fertilise my lemons with Organic Link fertiliser about every two to three months. I also alternate fortnight’s of liquid fertilising between Triple Boost and Silica and Potash.
Lemons like all citrus are prone to Citrus Leaf Miner and Leaf Curl. Click here to find more about these problems. They can also suffer from scale and I find adding neem oil to my fortnightly liquid fertilising really helps.
Lemons can grow in a pot but make sure it’s a very large pot or buy a dwarf lemon. They can also be trimmed after fruiting.
There are few different lemon trees.
Eureka
The best all round lemon
Grows well in all climates but hates cold snaps
It produces fruit almost every day of the year.
Relatively few seeds and small thorns.
Grows to around 4m tall but loves to be pruned
There is a Seedless version of Eureka called ‘Lemon Heaven’
Lisbon
Very high quality lemons with a thin skin, good juice and high acidity
Contain natural pectin so best if using for cooking
Can reach up to 8m high but can be pruned and has thorns
Once a year it produces a heavy crop of fruit in mid winter to early spring
Lemonicious
Improved dwarf form Citrus meyer
In a large pot, reaches around 1.5m x 1m
Fruit has low acidity and reduced bitterness
Very hardy and prolific
Its fruit are produced for most of the year
Most cold-tolerant of all lemons
We also stock Lemonade fruit trees (Citrus limon x reticulata).
Lemonade fruit trees are a citrus fruit that is a hybrid between a mandarin orange and a lemon, grown in Australia and New Zealand in the 1980’s. The fruit looks like a lemon, but can be eaten straight from the tree, just like a mandarin or orange.
It’s a lot sweeter than a lemon with a refreshing tang. It truly has to be tasted to be appreciated.
It makes a refreshing drink when juiced but it also works well in cooking when you need something a bit lighter than a lemon but a lime won’t do!
What lemon are you growing?