Lemon trees are good sources of vitamin C and provide a bounty of tangy and delicious fruit throughout the year. But have you ever wondered, how long does a lemon tree bear fruit? A healthy lemon tree is capable of bearing fruit for up to 75 years, depending on how it’s cared for. To keep the tree producing fruit for this long it’s important to provide it with the necessary method of care.
When considering planting a lemon tree, you need to be aware of the length and stages of its growth. A lemon tree can be planted as seed, cutting or a circlet. Trees planted from seed can take approximately 5-10 years before it bears fruit, while a cutting will take between 2-8 years. Circlets usually bear fruit sooner than this, usually within a few years or less.
In order to ensure the longevity of your tree, proper care is essential to get the most out of your tree. Providing the lemon tree with adequate sun, water, and nutrients are key to successful care. It’s best to place the lemon tree in a site that offers full sun and protection from cold winds. Water the tree regularly but do not overwater. Additionally, fertilize the tree with a citrus fertilizer every 6 to 8 weeks during the active season.
Lemon trees tend to bear their best fruit when they are somewhat crowded, but over-crowding should be avoided. Crowding the root structure of your lemon tree can cause malnutrition and kills other plants growing in the surrounding area. It can also lead to rotten fruit due to lack of air circulation.
Pruning is necessary for lemon trees as it keeps them greens healthy and aids in good fruit production. Prune incorrectly and it can have a detrimental effect leading to a decrease in fruit. To check if a lemon tree is mature enough to bear fruit, you need to observe its new growth during the spring. If the tree reaches a height of 10 feet, then it is most likely mature enough to bear fruit.
When it comes to harvesting fruit from a lemon tree, it takes up to 8 months from the time of flowering for the fruit to be ready for harvesting. It’s important to remember to only harvest lemons when they are fully grown, their skin has a yellow to yellow-green color, and their juice is highly acidic. To get the best yield it’s important to keep pests off the fruits by using natural methods.
Harvesting a Lemon Tree
Harvesting a lemon tree can be done at any point in its life cycle, but it is best done when the fruits are ripe and full of flavor. To remove lemons from the tree, twist them off gently. Avoid pulling lemons off with too much force as this can cause injury to the tree. To ensure that the remaining fruits have enough room to grow and ripen, only harvest mature lemons and leave younger fruits on the tree. When harvesting lemons, it’s important to wear protective clothing to prevent getting scratched or stung by the trees thorns.
Maintaining a Lemon Tree
Maintaining a lemon tree is essential for it to continue bearing fruits for a long period of time. Inspection for pests such as thrips, spider mites and citrus flea beetles should take place at regular intervals. If signs of pests or diseases are spotted, try and remedy the problem quickly as this will help to maintain the health of the tree. Additionally, regular pruning can help to keep the tree healthy and free from dead or dying branches.
Storing a Lemon Tree’s Fruits
If you’re cutting your losses and keeping the fruits of your lemon tree to enjoy later, properly storing them is essential. For lemons that will be eaten in 1-2 weeks, they can be stored in an airtight container, such as a zip-lock bag. For those that will be eaten at a later time, they should be refrigerated and kept in an airtight container. To use a lemon later, simply take it out of the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for a few hours before use.
Making the Most Out of a Lemon Tree
Lemon trees can provide an abundance of citrus fruits throughout the year if maintained correctly and consistently. Pruning and fertilizing are two essential steps to producing healthy and plentiful fruit that can extend the life of a lemon tree up to 75 years. Additionally, harvested fruits should be stored and maintained in an air-tight container to ensure that they last for as long as possible. With the right care, a single lemon tree can provide an abundance of vitamin C-rich fruits for years to come.
