Content
- Cultivating lemon tree in a pot - this is how the subtropical plant feels at home
- Which pot is suitable?
- Why are terracotta vessels not suitable?
- Ensure good drainage in the pot
- Repopulate lemon trees regularly
- Tips & Tricks
Cultivating lemon tree in a pot - this is how the subtropical plant feels at home
In Germany, citrus plants such as the lemon tree in conservatories, on terraces or in the room enjoy great popularity. The beautiful, lushly awake plants with the rich green leaves bloom almost the whole year and, with good care, even produce juicy fruits. However, the lemon trees originating from the subtropical climate zone should best be grown in the pot.
Which pot is suitable?
For the bucket culture of lemon trees only vessels are suitable, which have a good water drainage at the bottom and waterproof sidewalls. It is best to choose plastic pots as they are still easy to transport even with increasing root ball size. Also well-suited are densely fired clay pots - especially for smaller sizes - as they are less susceptible to wind. In summer outdoor locations, you should not use a coaster, so that the excess rainwater and irrigation water can flow away unhindered. In this way you prevent rotting roots.
Why are terracotta vessels not suitable?
Terracotta pots look very pretty and actually fit perfectly to a Mediterranean planting. However, the evaporative coldness that occurs in the low temperature fired terracotta vessels may slow the root activity and thus the growth of the plant. Evaporative cooling occurs in vessels where water can transpire through the vessel wall.
Ensure good drainage in the pot
Lemon trees are also very important for drainage in pots, which on the one hand dissipate excess water and on the other hand prevent waterlogging. To reach this goal, you should pack small pebbles as the lowest layer in the bucket. In addition, citrus soil or self-mixed substrate contains a proportion of expanded clay, which provides the appropriate permeability of the earth. In addition, good pot plant soil should not tend to slurry, but also not be too light (keyword wind sensitivity). Ideal lemon tree soil has a pH between 5 and 6, so it is slightly acidic.
Repopulate lemon trees regularly
So that your beautiful plants stay healthy and can grow optimally, they should be regularly - but not too often! - be repotted. Young plants need to be replanted yearly because of the very small amounts of substrate (which are quickly rooted in roots) and because of their still strong growth, older ones every two to three years depending on their ratio of crown volume to pot size. The root ball is usually about as wide as the treetop. New pots should be about one third larger than the root ball.
Tips & Tricks
To make it easier for you to repot a large lemon tree, you can simply lay it on the side with the pot and then remove the bucket.