Simple Steps to Repot a Lemon Tree

Having a nice-looking citrus tree in your backyard can be very refreshing. But when it is time to repot a lemon tree, things can get tricky!

Who does not love a good lemon tree? Having fresh lemons in your backyard for a cool lemonade in the summer has me relaxed just thinking about it.

But getting an excellent, ripe harvest requires work, including repotting the lemon tree on time.

So, knowing the right time to repot your lemon tree is crucial for its well-rounded care, and we are here to help with that.

In this article, we will discuss at length the whys and the whens of repotting your lemon tree and provide tips on how to repot your citrus tree.

So what are we waiting for? Let us get right into it!

Does Lemon Tree Grow Well in Pots?

Lemon trees do well in the ground but also in pots. However, you might have to give it a little extra attention.

Since the roots of lemon trees can stand temperatures only up to 85ºF, you must find ways to keep your tree warm throughout the colder months.

Your watering requirements will also differ from those for trees grown in the ground. The time it takes for the soil in your container to drain will be specific to the kind of pot you have.

Another interesting problem you will face is the lack of bees indoors. Since the bees won’t help your indoor plant with pollination, you might need to give your tree a hand yourself.

Reasons to Repot a Lemon Tree

There is one main reason a lemon tree needs to shift into a new pot, and that is for growth and nourishment.

Lemon trees prefer pots with enough room for growth but not large enough that it will take years to fill in.

But a pot too small is not ideal either, and your plant will rebel by growing its roots out of the holes.

Rootbound trees like these can also look unhealthy and develop root rots.

As the tree breaks down the nutrients in its soil, it will ultimately eat through them all, giving your tree less nourishment to go on after a certain point.

A malnourished lemon tree can start to look withered or yellow. So, you will want to change the old soil for a healthy mix every once in a while.

Ideal Time to Repot a Lemon Tree

Citrus trees, such as lemon trees, are best repotted in springtime before the growth starts actively.

You can also look for specific signs that your lemon tree needs repotting.

You will know that your lemon tree has outgrown its current pot if you see roots growing out of the drainage holes or cracks in your current pot.

Move your plant into a larger container to get it growing when the roots outgrow as the tree tries to make more space for its growing roots.

Another sign your citrus tree needs repotting is if its leaves are turning yellow or are withering as your plant eats through the nutrients and does not have more to go on.

At this point, transfer your plant into a bigger pot with a mixture of soil and compost.

As a rule of thumb, repot your lemon tree in spring or at the onset of summer. In the colder seasons, your plant will not grow, so repotting is not necessary.

Materials Required to Repot a Lemon Tree

Before you start repotting, here are a few things you want to keep handy.

1. Pot Requirements

First off, you want your pot to be wide sideways. This is how the roots of a lemon tree grow. A shallow pot will not facilitate this growth.

Next, start with smaller pots of about 8-inch diameter. Ideally, your plant should be more than 2.5 times the height of the pot.

Drainage is another crucial factor you should look out for in a pot for a lemon tree.

Soggy soil and a waterlogged pot can rot your tree’s roots and eventually kill them. To avoid this, you will need a pot with enough drainage holes.

Get a pot that has drainage holes at the bottom. You can drill holes into your pot for added drainage if you can’t find one.

Also, elevate your pot off its tray to keep water from being trapped in the bottom of the container.

Amazon has some good plastic pots in a variety of sizes.

You will find a table highlighting the best pots for different age groups of lemon tree plants and links to Amazon below.

2. Soil Composition and Other Requirements

Opt for well-draining, slightly acidic soil with a pH of about 6-7. Sandy loam is usually used for gardening and suits the lemon tree well.

For commercial potting mixes, choose ones with perlite, peat moss, and vermiculite in addition to compost.

These inorganic materials absorb moisture, giving the citrus roots hydration without making the soil soggy.

In short, this combination makes the soil sufficiently drain while providing the nutrition your citrus plant needs.

If making the mix at home, use one-fourth of each sand, perlite, compost, and peat.

Add sand, stones, or grit to facilitate clay soil drainage.

You can pick up mixes from the local nursery.

3. Compost and Fertilizer Requirements

Lemon trees love nutrition, so you will want to incorporate a nitrogen source into the soil mix. Manure and cedarwood chips work wonders for your plant.

Spreading cedar wood shavings on top of your soil adds nutrients as the shaving breaks down. It also repels pests.

We will cover more on this later in the article.

You can find packets on Amazon.

4. Gardening Knife

You can use this to cut away roots that might have been rotting.

It is also helpful when loosening the excess soil from the root ball before transferring it into a new potting mix.

5. Gloves for Safety

Keeping a pair of gloves handy for safety purposes is always a good idea while gardening, especially in an activity like repotting.

These injuries in the garden run a risk of causing tetanus infections because of the bacteria in the soil.

To help you avoid these mishaps, we’ve made a list of some of the sturdiest gloves on the market:

How to Repot a Lemon Tree

And now, let us go step by step through the process of repotting your lemon tree.

Step 1: Prepottingthe Materials

• Gather all your materials and equipment in one location. This way, you will not have to do a lot of back and forth.
• Make sure you are wearing gloves since you will be doing a lot of hands-on work.

Step 2: Mixing and Add the Soil

• Start by mixing your perlite, compost, sand, and other materials for your soil. For whatever ingredients you are adding by yourself, make sure to read the instruction for the correct amounts.
• Fill in the new container to where you want your roots to start. It is essential to plant the tree at the same level as in the previous pot.

Step 3: Repotting the Lemon Tree

• Take some of the soil from the edges to take your lemon tree out of its current pot.
• Then, tilt your pot to a 45-degree angle and gently pull the plant. Make sure to hold on to the base of the plant, which is the strongest.
• Now loosen the soil around the root ball. Take off some of the excess soil. Examine the roots for rotting, and prune them off if you see any.
• You can now transfer your plant into your new container. Make sure you center your plant. If the level is correct, fill in the sides with your potting mix.

Step 4: Finishing Touches

• Pat down the mix a little to avoid air pockets. Take care not to make it too compact, however. You want to allow movement and good drainage.
• Add some wood shavings on top. This will give your plant extra nutrients while at the same time preventing excess weeds from growing in your container.
• Finally, place your pot where the sunlight is optimum, and water your tree in your new pot.

Extra Tips:

1. If the roots are tightly knotted together, gently pull them to loosen them to have more movement in the new soil.
2. Cover the top of the roots with your potting mix, but leave about 2 inches between the soil level and the pot mouth. This will keep the water from spilling over when watering your tree.
3. You do not need to shift your plant into a new pot.
4. Instead, you can prune the roots and repot your lemon tree into the same pot with enriched soil if you want a small tree.
5. We recommend you do some research before you take this step.

Here is a helpful video that teaches you how to prune the roots.

We will talk about all these care tips in the next segment.

Tips to Take Care of a Repotted Lemon Tree

Here, you will learn some neat tips and tricks to take care of your repotted lemon tree.

1. Location and Temperature

Lemon trees love sunlight. Giving it around 6 hours of sunlight every day is ideal.

If you are growing it indoors, it is helpful to invest in LED lights.

Your tree will especially thrive in temperatures between 75 – 85ºF.

Also, place the tree in a spot that does not get intense wind.

In cooler climates, you can keep them outside in direct sunlight.

Lemon trees are frost-sensitive, so you will want to bring your tree inside when the temperature falls below freezing at night and in wintertime.

If the temperature decreases, you might also have to cover your plant with a blanket or plastic.

If your winters do not get below-freezing temperatures, your lemon tree can survive the cold outside.

You will want to keep the trees in partial shade in hot climates. The scorching sun can give your tree sunburn.

2. Humidity Requirement

Lemon trees need humidity levels of either 50% or more. In most climates, outdoor settings provide this humidity.

You can take your plant outside for a few hours on warm days to compensate.

You can also use a spray bottle to spray water on your tree leaves throughout the day.

Preferably get a bottle that sprays mist like the one I found on Amazon.

3. Choosing the Correct Container

The material and the color of your container can affect the temperature and drainage of your soil.

Black plastic containers are the most popular ones. They can be easy to drill holes into.

Terracotta is more porous than ceramic, and it is harder to drill holes into ceramic pots if they do not already have them. Ceramics can also crack in the cold.

Also, be mindful of your need to change the locations of the pot.

If you live in a climate requiring you to bring your pots in and out frequently, you want the material of your container to be sturdy and light.

4. Watering Schedule

Lemon trees love to be watered but not to sit in water-logged soil.

Immediately after you repot your lemon tree, water it with one-day intervals in between, making sure not to drench the soil in water. It should be moist, not soggy.

A good measure for the quantity of water is about 20% of the volume of the container.

To know this, stick your finger into the soil and water it if dry.

You will need to water your plant liberally and more frequently in the summer. Water your plant a few times a week.

In the winter, cut back on the watering. Wait until the top layer of soil is partially dry to water your plant.

If you see that the leaves are wilted and watering makes them perk up, this means the roots are too dry. Pick up the watering at this point.

If the leaves are yellow or curled and stay the same after watering, it is a sign for you to cut back on watering because the roots are getting too much water.

Additionally, spraying the top halves of your plants with water now and then will keep off pollution and pests. It will also aid in pollination.

5. Pollinating the Plant

Speaking of pollination, here’s how you can help your indoor trees:

• Take a soft paintbrush and brush against the antlers of the flower to collect the pollen. These are the tiny buds on thin stems filled with yellow pollen.
• Now brush the pistil of another flower with the collected pollen. This is the long stem growing from the center of the flower.

Pollinate your lemon tree like this every day when it is in bloom to ensure good pollination.

You can take your tree outdoors for a couple of hours during the day if you’d prefer to skip this step.

6. Fertilizer Requirement

Growing lemon trees need a good amount of nutrients. Fertilizing your tree once every month during this time boosts its growth.

Lemon trees are suckers for extra Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Iron, Calcium, and Zinc.

In the summer, use citrus summer feeds that are high in nitrogen.

In winter, use citrus winter feeds. Winter feeds are heavier in phosphorus and potassium to boost your plant in the cold.

Add compost to your mix in the springtime as well. If the leaves are yellow despite adequate watering, increase the feed you are using.

Here are the Amazon links to feeds for citrus trees. The Espoma Citrus-Tone is also a good fertilizer popular among the citrus gardening community.

7. Root Burn

Underwatering and overfertilization can cause the roots of a lemon tree to “burn.”

When used excessively, manures and synthetic mineral fertilizers with high levels of mineral salts can draw water out of the roots.

To avoid root burn, follow the instructions on the label for appropriate fertilizer application. Additionally, you can use mulch to reduce the evaporation of moisture.

8. Pests Information

Heavy infestations can be lethal for your lemon trees. You might even have to prune the infested areas.

So, monitor your plant regularly to catch them early on.

The table below shows the kind of pests you can find on your lemon tree.

Spider mites and thrips can be pretty tricky. They appear as white spots on leaves with similar symptoms to Catnip leaves.

9. Pruning On Time

Lemon trees do not need a lot of pruning. The frequency you prune depends on how small you want your plant to be.

However, some pruning is recommended to keep your plant healthy as well.

It is essential to mention that stunted growth can affect the quantity of fruit-bearing. Smaller trees will give you less fruit.

Pruning for Shape

Pruning off about half of the length of new shoots gives the plant a tight shape. Make sure to cut just above the leaves.

You can also cut off about two-thirds of the tallest branch to get bushy growth.

If your lemon tree is grafted, cut off new shoots below the graft union since these won’t give you the intended fruit variety.

Pruning for Health

Cut off some inside branches so that light passes through to the center. You should also prune overcrowded and leggy branches along with deadwood.

Older plants can also produce water shoots. These are fast-growing shoots coming out of the trunk of your tree or from its old branches.

You only want to shorten the ones that grow around the tips of branches.

When to Prune Your Lemon Tree

The onset of spring and throughout summer are the best times to prune. Avoid pruning in scorching heat, however.

Pruning is ideal after harvests since this give your tree time to heal before the next harvest.

Here is a helpful video for more tips and visual instructions on the overall care for your lemon tree.