El lemon Tree It is a fruit tree that is widely planted in orchards, but it is also frequently grown in pots. It is one of the tallest citrus fruits, but also one of the most productive. Although its fruits have a very acidic flavor, and therefore unpleasant for some people, its juice is used as an ingredient to flavor some recipes, such as paella.
It withstands the cold very well, although it needs protection against frost, especially if it is intense. For this reason, in climates where temperatures drop below 0 degrees it behaves as a demanding species, but on the other hand, in warmer places, it is somewhat easier to care for.
What is the lemon tree?
The lemon or citron It is an evergreen tree or small tree that grows between 3 and 6 meters in height.. It is a hybrid between Citrus medica (citron) and Citrus aurantium (bitter orange, which is sometimes used as an urban tree). It develops a wide crown, about 2 meters long, open and highly branched. Its leaves are simple, entire, about 10 centimeters long by 5 centimeters wide, and bright green.
The flowers are white, very small and aromatic.. They receive the name of orange blossom flowers, like those of the sweet orange tree (Citrus x sinensis). And the fruit is a berry with up to 18 segments. It does not usually have seeds, but if it did, they would be ovoid, small about one centimeter, and yellowish in color.
varieties of lemons
Do you want to know the types of lemon trees that are most grown in Spain? Here's a list:
- Eureka: It has a thin and smooth skin, and its flavor is very acidic. It does not usually have seeds.
- Fino: the skin is also thin, but its flavor is more pleasant and it contains more juice than the Eureka. Of course, it usually has seeds, although few.
- Lemon tree 4 seasonsLemon: it is one of the most appreciated, since, as its name indicates, it produces lemons during almost the whole year (minimum 8 months). The flavor is very acidic, and both the leaves, the flowers and the fruits emit a very pleasant sweet aroma.
- VernaLemon: it is a type of large lemon, with a hard and rough skin but with a very tender pulp.
What is?
The lemon tree It is used both as an ornamental tree and in the kitchen.. It is very beautiful in gardens, orchards, patios and terraces, in pots and on the ground. In addition, it provides color, a very interesting shade, and also aroma.
The fruits are squeezed to extract the juice, which adds flavor to many recipes, such as rice or noodle dishes.
How to take care of a lemon tree?
The lemon tree is a fruit tree that does not really require much care. However, it is important that it does not lack water or nutrients so that it can grow properly. These are the ones that we must provide you:
Location
It is a citrus, and as such, must be in a sunny place. It is not a plant to grow in the shade, nor indoors where there is no direct light. But in addition to that, it is convenient to know that its roots are not aggressive, but it cannot lack room to grow.
Thus, if you are going to have it in the orchard or in the garden, must be planted at least one meter from the wall, since otherwise its trunk would grow leaning forward. And if it is going to be in a pot, it must be transplanted to a larger one every 2 or 3 years.
Earth
- Garden: it grows in rich, well-drained soils, and with a pH between 4 and 7. It tolerates clay soils, but if it is planted in one like this, it is worth fertilizing it from time to time with a fertilizer for acid plants in order to to prevent its leaves from becoming chlorotic.
- Flower pot: you can use substrate for citrus as this, or one of good quality universal cultivation like the one from Flower that you can buy here or Fertiberia.
Irrigation
El Citrus x lemon it does not tolerate drought, but neither does it tolerate excess water. It is important that it is watered regularly, every time the soil dries out, and always bearing in mind that in case of problems, it will always be easier to recover a dry lemon tree than one that is drowning, since you only have to do one thing: pour plenty of water on it.
Therefore, to avoid reaching these extremes, the use of a soil moisture meter can be very useful, because just by introducing it in it we will see if it is dry or wet. But yes: if it is planted in the ground, it will be more convenient to insert a thin wooden stick that is long, at least 40 centimeters, as it is a more reliable method. And it is that if the earth is wet, it will be noticed quickly seeing and touching the stick; and the same if it is dry.
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Lemon trees, and citrus fruits in general, often have problems with a lack of iron and/or manganese, which is why they can end up with yellow leaves too easily when planted in clay soils and/or irrigated with alkaline water. Because, fertilizing them with a specific fertilizer for citrus fruits following the instructions on the package can help, and much, to prevent them from becoming chlorotic.
However, if the land and the irrigation water are adequate, it is more advisable to use Organic fertilizers, such as guano or manure.
Multiplication
It is a tree that multiplies by seeds in spring-summer, cuttings late winter/spring and grafts in spring.
Pruning
It should be pruned in late winter, but only if necessary. In other words, a young tree that is barely 1 meter tall should not be pruned because it must be allowed to grow if you want it to form a more or less wide crown on its own.
But if it is a mature specimen, which has dry, diseased, weak or too long branches, then yes. For this, anvil pruning shears will be used for tender branches, and a small handsaw if they are woody and thick.
In any case, it is important to say that the best pruning is the one that is not noticeable. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid the elimination of main branches, and excessive thinning of the crown.
Pests
You can have several:
- Red spider: it is a red mite that feeds on the sap of the leaves, and that also has the ability to weave spider webs. It is combated with acaricides.
- cottony mealybug: it is a parasite that resembles a cotton ball, which adheres to the underside of the leaves, from where it feeds. It can be removed with diatomaceous earth (you can buy it here), or with an anti-cochineal or polyvalent insecticide, such as this.
- lemon miner: are larvae that dig galleries in the leaves. it is eliminated by applying a citrus antiminer.
- aphids: like the cochineal, they are parasites that absorb the sap of the leaves, but also of flowers and fruits. They can be controlled with yellow sticky traps, such as these.
Management
The most common are:
- alternariasis: is a disease caused by a fungus, Alternaria. It appears when you water too much, or when the soil has too much moisture. It must be treated with systemic fungicide.
- exocortis: it is a viroid that causes cracks and scales in the trunk, as well as stunting in the tender stems. There is no treatment.
- penicillium: it is caused by the fungus penicillium italicum, which causes the rotting of the fruits. Fungicide must also be applied.
- Psoriasis: it is a type of virus that produces the detachment of the bark and even gummosis.
- sadness virus: it is a viral disease that causes rapid yellowing of the leaves, which end up falling. It is usually transmitted by aphids, so it is convenient to carry out periodic treatments to prevent and/or eliminate them.
Rusticity
It supports the cold, as well as frosts of up to -4ºC without suffering damage.
What do you think of the lemon tree?