How to Grow a Lemon Tree in a Pot: 12 Expert Tips for Success

A citrus tree expert reveals how to grow a lemon tree in a pot, including getting the plant to produce fruit.

Growing lemons in a container is easier than you may believe. “On a scale of one to 10, with 10 being hard to grow, I would say lemons are a six,” says Matthew Fleming, lead horticulturist for tropical plants at the Smithsonian Gardens. Fleming cares for the potted citrus and other tropical plants in the nation’s garden.

Meet Our Expert

Matthew Fleming is the lead horticulturist for tropical plants at the Smithsonian Gardens in Suitland, Maryland.

Meyer lemons (Citrus limon) and Eureka lemons (Citrus limon ‘Allen-Newman’) are the best varieties to grow in a container because they are both hardy, semi-dwarf plants that stay under 10 feet tall, Fleming says. “But that’s if you put them in a 3-foot wide pot. They do fine in a smaller pot and will produce fruit when they are just 2 or 3 feet tall.”

Lemon trees grow to the pot, so you can grow a lemon tree that fits your space. Meyer lemons will bloom and set fruit year-round, so they are an especially good choice for growing in a pot. “You can get two crops out of them,” Fleming says.

Tips for Growing a Lemon Tree in a Pot

Here are Fleming’s tips for growing a lemon crop in a pot.

1. Use a terra-cotta planter.

“Lemons are very particular about their roots, and they don’t like wet feet,” Fleming says. “They need to dry out between waterings. Terra-cotta planters breathe and let a lemon tree dry out in a way that plastic, ceramic, or acrylic pots do not.”  

Like other citrus, lemons are prone to root rot and are easier to care for in a terra-cotta pot that can wick excess water off the soil, Fleming says.

2. Pick the right-size pot.

Don’t put a lemon tree in a pot that is too large. “Choose a pot that is about 15% larger in volume than the current pot the lemon is in,” Fleming says. Putting a lemon tree in an oversized container may cause the tree to get root rot because all the excess soil outside its root system won’t dry out as quickly as it would in a smaller container.

“You want to give the lemon tree room to grow, but watering becomes an issue in a pot that’s a lot larger than the tree’s root system,” Fleming says. 

Tips

When repotting a rootbound lemon tree, tease the roots out so you can see the size of the root system, and choose a pot that’s about 15% larger than the root system.

3. Choose a well-draining potting mix.

Lemon trees need a chunky mix that lets water drain off quickly, Fleming says. That’s because—one more time for those in the back—lemons are prone to root rot if the tree’s roots sit in soggy soil for too long.

“Don’t use a soil mix for tropical plants,” he cautions. “Go with a mix blended for cactus or citrus that is looser and slightly more acidic.” Lemons prefer a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.5, lower than most potting soil mixes. If the soil pH is wrong, the lemon tree will not be able to absorb the nutrients it needs from the soil.

Related: The 7 Best Potting Soils of 2024

4. Don’t overwater.

Lemons like to dry out between waterings. To keep from overwatering your tree, stick a finger into the soil in the pot, and if the top inch of soil is dry, give the lemon tree a drink. Otherwise, put down your watering can. You can also use a moisture meter.

Related: The 7 Best Plant Moisture Meters of 2024

Check your lemon tree every couple of days to see if it needs watering because no rule of thumb for frequency of watering will apply to all situations. In extremely hot weather, your potted lemon tree may need watering a couple of times a week. Reduce watering in the winter when the lemon tree’s growth slows down.

5. Choose the right fertilizer.

Lemons are heavy feeders that like more nitrogen than other plants, Fleming says, so choose a fertilizer with a 2-to-1 or 3-to-1 ratio of nitrogen to other elements. Most fertilizers have an NPK ratio on the label that’s expressed in three numbers. The first number is the nitrogen, by weight, in the fertilizer. The second number is the amount of phosphorous, and the third number is the amount of potassium.

Look for fertilizer with a first number that is two to three times higher than the other numbers. Ideally, you want a fertilizer with at least a 2-1-1 ratio. “But any balanced fertilizer will work,” Fleming says. A citrus-specific fertilizer removes all guesswork.

6. Feed three times a year.

Fleming says to give your lemon tree three big meals of fertilizer a year. Feed it once in late winter, a second time in the spring, and then a third time in the fall before its growth slows down for the winter. The goal is steady feeding without overfeeding, which can damage the tree.

7. Remove some of the baby fruit.

Thin out the baby lemons when they are still pea-sized so your tree won’t overbear. Too much fruit saps a tree’s energy and leaves you with a lot of puny lemons instead of a few big, healthy ones.

“Overbearing will drain the plant. If it grows too much fruit one year, it may keep it from fruiting at all the following year,” Fleming says. Lemons have evolved to grow enough fruit to reproduce despite storms that knock off unripe fruit and predators that eat unripe fruit, he says. Since you are growing your lemon in a pot, away from nature’s natural fruit thinners, you must intervene with your pruners. Fleming recommends leaving just one lemon per growing point on the tree.

8. Prune minimally.

Prune your lemon tree in late winter and early spring, Fleming says. It flowers and fruits on new wood, so you want to prune before it starts to put on new growth. He recommends removing any dead or crossing branches, any suckers below the graft, and opening up the center of the tree to allow light and airflow.

Lemons are naturally scrubby, shrub-like trees with multiple branches. Pruning them to a single trunk with a perfect tree shape looks elegant, but it may give you less fruit and a less healthy tree.

“Shaping them is really not necessary,” Fleming says. “They’re not the prettiest if you let them do their thing, but they produce more fruit and are healthier.” That means letting them be scrubby and multi-trunked with a bare-looking middle.

9. Get the light right.

Lemon trees need full sun, so put them where they will receive at least six hours of sunlight a day. Take them outdoors in the spring, summer, and fall, where they can luxuriate in the sun all day. When you bring them inside for the winter, give them the best light you can. You may need a grow light to provide the light they need, even though their growth slows down in the winter.

Related: The 11 Best Grow Lights to Help Your Plants Thrive, Based on Testing

10. Keep an eye out for pests and diseases.

Check your lemon tree weekly for pests, such as aphids, spider mites, scale, and fungal diseases. Treat your plant with neem oil or insecticidal soap as soon as you see signs of insects or insect damage. If your tree shows signs of fungus, prune off diseased leaves and improve the plant’s air circulation. You can do this by pruning the center of the tree so it’s open to airflow.

11. Keep it from freezing.

Lemon trees die when temperatures drop below 32°F, which is why most of us grow them in a pot. We bring them inside for the winter. Lemon trees thrive in temperatures between 70°F and 100°F.

Tips

When you take your plant outdoors for the spring, move it gradually so it can acclimate. Leave the lemon tree in the sunlight a little longer each day for up to two weeks. Move it too fast, and you risk scorching the leaves.

12. Keep humidity levels high.

When your lemon is indoors for the winter, you may need a humidifier to keep the leaves from drying out and dropping off—unless you are keeping your potted citrus in a greenhouse. Citrus needs 50 to 60 percent humidity.

Related: The 6 Best Humidifiers for Plants, According to Testing

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