How Does a Lemon Grow?
Other People Are Reading
-
Lemon Pip
-
"Pip" is the correct term for the seed of a citrus fruit such as an orange, lemon or lime. Lemon trees are easy to grow from a pip as long as you provide the basic necessities required for optimum growth. Plant your lemon pips in a pot full of peat moss-based potting medium or compost and keep the soil moist. On successful germination, you will notice bright green shoots turning into tiny ovate leaves between ten days and two weeks after planting the lemon pips. The leaves will be shiny and turn dark green in color as they continue photosynthesis (chemical action that turns plants green). This small beginning may be the start of a 20-foot tall tree.
Care
-
Lemon trees need temperatures of around 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 55 degrees Fahrenheit at night for optimum growth; a temperature under 54 degrees Fahrenheit will make the lemon tree dormant. Lemon plants love light and need plenty of it from a southern exposure. To supplement light when ideal conditions cannot be met, a 40-watt fluorescent light strip should be placed above the plant as its winter light needs exceed 12 hours of light per day. Daily misting of the leaves is beneficial to the lemon tree, as is placing the tree outside on a warm day to catch the occasional rain shower.
-
Pollination
-
Growing lemon trees inside as potted plants has its drawbacks. When your lemon tree begins to flower, there are no bees inside the house to pollinate it, therefore you have to get the job done yourself by taking a cotton swab and transferring pollen from one flower to another, mimicking a bee's behavior. On successful pollination of the flowers you should notice tiny lemons forming after the flower dies. Continue to mist the lemon tree every day and keep the soil moist as well as providing steady warmth and you will soon be enjoying the fruits of your labor in iced tea, real lemonade and lemon cakes. Besides bursting with Vitamin C, lemons are a fragrant and zesty addition to your family's diet.
-
