On 9/6/2007 9:24 PM, Ed wrote:
Hello,
I live in northeastern Pennsylvania. Two years ago, I took a lemon
seed (from a store-bought lemon), stuck it in a pot with regular
potting soil, and now I have a 3-foot tall, skinny lemon tree with
nice, fragrant leaves and some thorns. My problem is: I don't know
how to take care of it from here.
Should it be cut back? How tall will this thing grow? During the
spring and summer, I leave it in an east-facing window all day, and
turn it once a day. It has never been outdoors. It grows rapidly in
the summer, and stops growing during the fall/winter. What is the best
way to take care of my "baby"? This tree has become my pride and joy,
since I never expected it to germinate, let alone grow into a tree!
Here is a photo: http://home.epix.net/~tommonger/LemonTree.jpg
Thanks!
-Tom in Scranton, PA USA
Note that you are trying to grow a plant that is not a house plant where
the climate is not suitable for keeping it outdoors year-round. That
said, citrus is grown in greenhouses in Pennsylvania (at least at
Longwood Garden in the southern part of your state).
Unlike many other plants, citrus is apomictic. This means that they can
form viable seeds without pollination, with the result true to its one
parent. Since they can also form viable seeds with pollination, with
the result a random hybrid, you will thus not be sure what you have
until it finally forms fruit.
Putting it outdoors when there is no danger of frost might be good for
the tree. Just be sure the container does not receive sun all day long;
otherwise the roots will cook. Putting it outdoors might cause it to
grow more sturdy and less skinny.
Since you are protecting it against frost, you may trim the tree at any
time of the year. However, it does not need pruning to bear fruit. You
only prune it for aesthetic reasons.
Yes, lemons are thorny. You can cut the thorns away without harming the
tree.
Grow your lemon in a clay pot. Keep the soil moist but not wet.
Feed very lightly about twice a month. Use a commercial citrus food; in
your area, you might have to mail-order the fertilizer. You can get it
in small quantities. Also get some zinc sulfate, which citrus needs but
apparently is not longer included in commercial citrus food. (If you
have gardenias, they seem to thrive on citrus food with the addition of
the zinc.) For a 3-foot tree, use about a half-handful of citrus food
and a teaspoon of zinc sulfate at each feeding. NEVER feed when the
soil is dry; feed in moist soil and then add some more water to start
dissolving the fertilizer.
Many might think you are foolish for trying to grow a lemon tree from
seed. But it is a great accomplishment if you succeed. I have an oak
tree that I started from an acorn; I'm very proud of it. See my
http://www.rossde.com/garden/garden_oak_acorn.html.
--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/