Grandma giving you a lemon tree is a bittersweet gesture. It symbolises your need for the sourness of life, but also the sweetness of a love that surpasses all boundaries. Grandma knows that life has its share of ups and downs, but she is also cognizant that surrounding oneself with fruit trees is a tangible way to remind oneself of the beauty of life’s simple treasures. She understands that teaching her grandkids these values are also essential to life’s happiness.
Growing a lemon tree isn’t as simple as it sounds. You need to understand there are two ways to cultivate a lemon tree – planting a seed or purchasing a small sapling. While both ways will eventually bear fruit, an advantage of owning a sapling is that it will bear fruit much faster. Planting a seed is less expensive, but it will take many years before it will yield its luscious juicy flesh.
In order to get the most out of your lemon tree, you need to recognize its basic needs. The tree will need a warm climate and plenty of direct sunlight. It will need to be watered regularly, but remember not to over-water. Nutrient-rich soil will also help the tree grow and be sure to prune it twice a year to direct its growth in a way that will make it more productive.
Understanding when to harvest the lemons will bring a great return. When the lemons are yellowish, they are ready to pick. You can leave them on the tree until they mature fully, in order to get the maximum Vitamin C content. Apart from the vitamin C, lemons are also good sources of calcium, magnesium and potassium.
This wasn’t Grandma’s intent, but the lemon tree has been known to attract hummingbirds, orange-breasted waxbills, mourning doves and citril finches. Birds serve as pollinators and help in the dispersal of seeds in the natural process of ensuring sustainability. This is something that your grandma may not have known, but is no less a part of nature’s beauty.
Grandma’s present was more than a simple lemon tree, it was a way for you to connect to nature and acknowledge the beauty of life. Being able to appreciate the small changes that come with nurturing a tree can help build resilience, creativity, and a sense of personal connection with the natural environment. Grandma’s present was indeed a special one and it’s up to you to make the best of it.
Flowering Lemon Trees
Lemon trees are known to flower twice a year, with the most abundant flowering occurring in the spring and fall season. These flowers are white and they have a subtle scent. They may seem simple and inconspicuous but they add an attractive element that can completely transform a garden. Bees and other pollinators will be attracted to these flowers, making them a great addition to your backyard.
A flowering lemon tree will still produce lemons, but on a smaller scale than the tree will in its full production season. Nevertheless, its blooms will still add a pretty and fragrant touch to your garden. Interestingly enough, its flowers can also be used in potpourri and as a garnish. They can even be preserved to add different plants in arrangements and bouquets.
Lemon trees are known to be a resilient plant, so they don’t require much maintenance to survive. Still, they require care and attention to yield the most amount of fruit and even quite a bit of water. As your lemon tree grows, you will be awestruck by its lush green leaves and vibrant golden flowers.
Apart from its aesthetic value, a flowering lemon tree offers a plethora of benefits that go beyond aesthetics. The white flowers can be used to provide a rich source of nectar for honeybees, which leads to a more robust eco-system outdoors. Furthermore, you can use a solution of those white flowers to make homemade soaps and lotions.
Grandma giving you a lemon tree is a gesture that will bear fruit (apologies for the pun) for many years to come. With the proper care and maintenance, it will bring forth a harvest of both lemons and life’s simple joys that come with nurturing a living thing.
Lemon Tree Care and Maintenance
In order to enjoy the fruits of your gardens labour, taking due care of your lemon tree is paramount. It will require the right climate and soil to thrive. Winter cold snaps and very hot temperatures can kill off a tree as well as a lack of sunlight, water or nutrient-rich soil. Fertilizing the tree is also recommended and fruit-specific fertilizers are available in many garden stores.
Though sometimes overlooked, drainage is also a very important part of the equation. If a tree can’t absorb the water and elements from the soil properly, its growth will be inhibited and cause potential damage to the tree. Have a soil specialist come in and evaluate your soil in order to determine proper drainage for your tree.
Be sure to keep an eye out for pests as well. While bees are beneficial for pollination, ants may carry disease to a citrus tree. Small holes in the leaves can be a sign of a citricola scale infestation, so stay on top of inspecting your tree’s leaves periodically. The same applies for fungus and blight, common illnesses in citrus trees.
As the tree matures, you will want to prune it, again twice a year. You can prune branches back so that there is a healthy balance between flowers, leaves and fruit. With proper pruning, a tree will be able to thrive and you will be able to harvest more lemons as a result of proper training.
Taking care of a lemon tree requires patience, due care and some knowledge of the basics. Your grandma was right, this is a great way of connecting to nature and appreciating the simple things in life. Properly taking care of a lemon tree will result in a harvest of lemons, joy and even a feathered friend or two!
Uses for Lemons From a Lemon Tree
Once a tree has been successfully planted, pruned and taken care of, it can begin to blossom and bring forth a harvest of sweet-tart fruits about a year after planting. Though lemons are most commonly used as a sharp flavouring and preservative, this fruit can be used in a variety of ways to enhance the experience of day-to-day life.
Lemon juice can be used to make delicious lemonade or chilled down and enjoyed as a refreshing summer beverage. You can also make lemon-flavoured dishes such as lemon chicken, shrimp scampi, lemon meringuepie or even a creamy lemon-garlic sauce. In addition, lemon can be used medicinally as an antiseptic, treatment for urinary tract infections, a sore throat or nausea.
Strange as it may seem, lemon water has become quite popular lately as a cleansing agent. Drinking it daily can help regulate blood sugar, digestion, detoxify the body, reduce stress, clear up skin and give you an energy boost. For aromatherapy, one can always add a few drops of lemons to a diffuser. Lemons have an energizing effect and its smell helps reduce fatigue and stress.
Lemons can also be a great addition to beauty and culinary recipes. For example, its high Vitamin C content makes lemon an extraordinary ingredient for a homemade facial mask, specially for those dealing with acne. Even a natural on-the-spot lemon juice can bring about a softening and bleaching effect for particularly pesky spots. Lemons can also be used to reduce the acidity of tomato-based sauces.
In short, Grandma’s sweet and sour lemon tree can feed body and soul. Its fruit can be used in cooking, beauty recipes and even aromatherapy. Enjoy its bounty and remember to be thankful for the choice of joining forces with Mother Nature.
Making the Most of Your Lemon Tree
Your Grandma gave you a lemon tree for a reason and the best way to pay tribute to it is to make sure you take the best care of it. Get to know the needs of your lemon tree and how to make the most of it. Trim and prune the tree regularly and generate a production plan that can help you determine when to let the lemons ripe, what packing material to use, when to set up a market, etc.
Whether you are selling your lemons on a farmer’s market or in a local store, customers will look for fresh, juicy and high-quality lemons. You can also experiment with different types of packing materials to make sure the lemons arrive in perfect condition. cardboard boxes with dividers may be a good idea, especially for farmers markets to prevent the lemons from clashing with each other.
Organic lemons are gaining popularity, specially in the Southern states. Planting your lemon tree in an organic friendly soil and practicing organic methods of pest and weed control can bring you additional money if you decide to go this route. Consider obtaining a certification from a governing body, such as the USDA.
In general, making juice, preserving, pickling and making vinegar from lemons opens a whole different market. Most of these methods are reasonably easy and low-cost. Research other options as well, like limoncello and yuzu-citrus marmalade.
Finally, don’t forget to enjoy the fruits of your labour. Having your own lemon tree comes with a great sense of satisfaction, so don’t forget to take moments to appreciate the bounty of it and just enjoy the small things in life.
