Lemon trees are a most useful evergreen fruiting tree, baring fruit almost year round.
Talk to your local nursery staff about the best varieties to grow in your area.
Lemon trees are usually sold as small grafted trees in pots. They're best planted in early spring or autumn, giving them a chance to settle in before the extreme conditions of either summer or winter. Trees should be planted in well drained soil in a sunny position.
Prepare a hole 2 weeks prior to planting to a spades depth and about a metre in diameter. Dig in lots of old animal manure and a handful of blood and bone. A week later test the soil PH and, if necessary, add lime. See the soil section of this web site for more information about PH. After another week, you can plant your tree.
Remove soil to planting depth and put aside. Remove the tree from the pot and if root bound, gently tease the roots to loosen them. Place the tree in the planting hole and backfill with soil, making sure the graft/bud union is above the soil level.
Water the whole planting area baring in mind that soil around lemon trees should be kept moist but not soggy.
Mulch trees well, once the soil has warmed up in spring. Do this by spreading a layer of old manure and perhaps blood and bone, to the drip line of the tree and cover this with straw. Make sure the mulch is kept a few inches away from the tree trunk to prevent diseases from developing.
You only need to prune lemon trees to remove dead or diseased wood, or if branches are becoming overcrowded.
Fruit can be picked and stored inside until fully ripe. You'll know when the fruit is ripe if the skin is easily compressed with your fingertips.