Four-seasons lemon, fruits and flowers all year long

Four-seasons lemon trees are magnificent citrus plants that are called so because during spring, summer, winter and fall, they bear both fruits and flowers.

Four-seasons lemon facts

Name – Citrus limon
Family – Rutaceae (Rue family)
Type – tree

Height – 10 to 16 feet (3 to 5 meters)
Exposure – full sun
Soil – well-drained

Foliage – evergreen
Flowering – January to December

Planting, caring and pruning them are steps that help enhance fruit-bearing and avoid diseases.

• Health: health benefits and therapeutic properties of lemons

Planting and re-potting of a four-seasons lemon tree

• Four-seasons lemon tree planted in the ground
  Preferably in spring after the stronger frost spells.
  Choose a sheltered spot well-endowed with sunlight to support its growth and produce nice lemons.
  Note that four-seasons lemon trees only grow directly in the ground in places where winter climates are mild.
• Four-seasons lemon tree planted in pots
  Growing potted trees is best for all your citrus if ever it freezes in your area.
  You’ll have to bring it indoors from October to May.
  Re-pot upon purchasing and then every 2 or 3 years in spring.
• For more advice on potted lemon trees follow this link.

Pruning of four-seasons lemon tree

Pruning isn’t really needed but if you don’t prune your lemon tree, it will quickly grow very large.

Cut each new shoot back to more or less half its length, taking great care to cut just above a leaf.

• This will result in your tree keeping a nice, tight shape.
• You might need to do this several times a year.

Remove dead wood regularly and clear the inside branches to let light penetrate to the center.

Watering your Citrus limon

In pots, water as soon as the soil is dry, without flooding the pots.
Avoid all heat sources such as nearby radiators, because this could dry your tree out.

• Find all our advice on caring for potted lemon trees.

If your tree is growing outside in the ground, water only in case of prolonged dry spells or heat waves.

Caring for four-seasons lemon tree

Even if the four-seasons lemon tree is one of the hardiest citrus trees, it still is rather difficult to grow directly in the ground where winters are cold.

You must winterize them with horticultural fleece as soon as temperatures drop below freezing.

Regularly give them citrus-specific organic fertilizers to give them the best chances of developing well.

Try to add the fertilizer on the three turning points in the plant’s seasonal cycle

• Before flowering
• As soon as the first fruits appear
• In September, in order to support the growth of the lemon fruits

Growing them in pots is most adapted, because that makes it possible to bring the lemon trees to a spot where it doesn’t freeze in the winter.

Lemon trees aren’t indoor plants, and can’t bear staying in a heated environment all year round. They need relatively lower temperatures from October to May.

• If you’re looking for citrus plants that cope well with growing indoors, check out calamondin trees.

Diseases that are commonly found on four-seasons lemon tree

European brown rot – lemons rot while still on the tree.
Scale insects – whitish masses colonize leaves.
Aphids – leaves curl up and fall off.

Smart tip about four-seasons lemon tree

Pick the lemons as soon as they easily break off from their branch.

Learn more about citrus plants

• Special information on citrus plants.
• Growing clementine trees.
• Growing orange trees.
• Growing grapefruits.