What to Do With a Lemon Tree in July – 4 Crucial Tasks to Get the Biggest and Best Fruits
Simple, proven tips for showing your lemon trees some TLC this month
Lemon trees adore hot, summer days, and a few key care tasks this month will keep them in top shape so you can continue to enjoy their fragrant flowers and fruits. I cared for a large citrus collection as a professional horticulturist, and here are my picks for what to do with a lemon tree in July.
The citrus trees grow strongly during the summer, and all that active growth means watering and feeding are crucial. You also need to keep a close eye on developing fruits and monitor for summer pests. I spent many hours watering, fertilizing, and monitoring the trees in summer, and the good news is that none of these tasks are difficult.
If you grow a lemon tree, such as this Meyer lemon tree at Fast Growing Trees, that can grow indoors or outdoors in the ground or a pot, summer care is crucial. Here I look at four key jobs that keep lemon trees thriving and reveal a few tips I picked over the years to help you grow a great crop of fruit.
1. Keep a Close Eye on Watering
Lemons are finicky when it comes to moisture, so it pays to know when and how to water citrus trees during the summer. They hate both extended periods of drought and having wet roots for too long – it can make watering a delicate balancing act.
I advise checking the moisture levels 2-3 inches under the soil surface using your fingers or a soil moisture meter – you can get an easy-to-use soil moisture meter at Amazon.
When the top inches dry out, water deeply and slowly rather than just a light sprinkling. It is better to give the tree less frequent, deeper waterings so the water reaches the roots, rather than little and often. If you grow a lemon tree in a pot, always water until it flows out of the drainage holes at the bottom.
If you let the soil completely dry out, you risk the flowers and fruits dropping, or any developing fruits splitting or drying out. The tree may also have curling or yellow leaves, or drop foliage due to a lack of moisture.
Be prepared to check trees in the ground every few days (certainly at least once a week) during a heatwave. Citrus trees in pots need checking daily and will need to be watered more regularly than those in the ground.
I always water early in the morning to allow the lemon trees to absorb as much water as possible before the temperatures rise later in the day. It is best to use rainwater wherever possible, such as from a rain barrel or rain chain.
2. Fertilize Trees
In July, the tree will be developing foliage, flowers, and fruits. In warm conditions, lemon trees can have flowers and fruits at the same time, making a stunning, aromatic display in the garden.
However, all that growth means the trees need a good supply of essential nutrients throughout the summer. If the trees experience a lack of nutrients during the year, you may see yellow leaves, a lack of flowers or fruits, or stunted growth.
The best choice for healthy lemon trees is always a specially formulated citrus fertilizer, such as this liquid citrus tree booster, available at Amazon.
Always fertilize citrus trees at the recommended rates, and avoid feeding plants during periods of extreme warmth. It can stress the trees, so wait until the temperatures return to normal for your climate.
3. Check For Pests
Many summer garden pests regularly trouble lemon trees. July is a prime time for pests such as aphids, spider mites, citrus leaf miner, and scale insects to be active and attracted to lemon trees. Any weak lemon trees due to heat or drought stress are more susceptible to these pesky pests.
Take some time this month to inspect the top and underside of leaves, stems, and fruits for signs of pests. Keep your eyes peeled for them or signs of their activity, including sticky residue, sooty mold, webbing, small bumps on the foliage, or curling citrus leaves.
When you spot any issues, take prompt action to prevent further issues, as large pest populations can affect the development of flowers and fruit.
Most pests can be knocked off the tree with a strong blast of water from a garden hose, and smaller ones can be wiped off by hand (it is not glamorous, but it does work). Alternatively, the likes of aphids, mites, and scale can be dealt with by spraying the tree with insecticidal soap.
Get bottles of ready-to-use insecticidal soap at Walmart.
4. Assess the Fruits
Some lemon trees can have ripe fruits that need picking in July. This should be done once the color has developed, the rind is smooth, they have a slight give when squeezed, and the fruits can be gently twisted from the tree.
You may also need to thin fruit trees this month. A lemon tree will naturally drop fruits early in summer, but further thinning is required to give fruits the room to swell and ripen properly.
The best spacing is one fruit every 6-8 inches. If there are congested areas, snip off any small, deformed, or split fruits with a pair of clean pruning snips (such as these Fiskars micro-tip pruning snips at Amazon).
This gives the remaining fruits space, ensures the tree can ripen all the fruits, and prevents branches from snapping under the weight of too many lemons.
What to Shop
Easy-to-use tree food spikes contain natural ingredients and need to be knocked into the ground around citrus trees. There is no risk of overfertilizing lemon trees.
A drip irrigation system can efficiently water lemon trees in containers without soaking the foliage. This kit comes with different emitters and tubing to fit any set-up.
A concentrated, easy-to-mix product that kills a long list of pests on ornamental plants, vegetables, and fruit trees. It is safe for organic gardening and claims not to significantly impact beneficial insects.
What is not recommended for July is pruning lemon trees. In certain cases, very minor trimming to remove any dead, damaged, or diseased branches is OK, as this preserves their health.
However, doing any major work is a pruning mistake that can stress the tree in the summer and leave it susceptible to pests and diseases. Doing so will also massively impact the production of fruit. Stick to showing your lemon tree some TLC in the ways outlined above and leave the pruning tools in the shed.
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