For your very own lemon grove, try the Ponderosa Lemon! This tree gives you giant lemons, the size of grapefruits, that are just full of juicy flavor. In fact, each lemon weighs 1-2 pounds!

This tree works best in warm climates, or indoors where it can be exposed to warm temperatures and full sunlight. It can even bear fruit year-round in these conditions, meaning even your coldest winters can give you a summery citrus taste!

Enjoy tantalizing lemon treats from the comfort of your home. This tree is easily planted in a container and can be moved during colder months. Its lemons even give off a lovely natural scent, which will brighten up your home!

This tree also bears beautiful flowers with its fruit, giving you a colorful display. The white and purple blooms against the bright yellow fruits will liven up your indoor or outdoor garden!

Lemons are a wonderful fruit to add to your diet since they’re so versatile and packed with vitamins and antioxidants. Add them to your baked goods, fresh-squeezed juices, or savory meals for some zest!

Order your Ponderosa Lemon Tree today for year-round citrus flavors and enticing aromas!

Is this tree pet-safe?

Although humans can safely eat lemons, keep your pets away from the leaves and fruit of this tree, as it can make them ill.

How should I return my plant outdoors in warm weather?

When returning your Ponderosa in the spring, do so in a manner to acclimate it slowly over a week or two. Do not begin this process until nighttime temperatures are consistently above 55F. When first taken out, place it in a warm, but shady spot during the day; and then bring it inside for several days. Then expose it to the bright morning sun, moving to a shady area in the afternoon, then leave it outside for the next few days. After this point, you can give it the desired full sun location.

When should I pick the fruit?

Make sure to pick all of your ripe lemons just before the first predicted frost since freezing temperatures ruin the fruit. Squeeze and freeze any extra juice that you can’t use right away.

Planting

In all zones colder than Zone 9, plan to grow your Ponderosa Lemon indoors. Select a container that is one size larger than the container it came in. (Clay pots are recommended.)

Fill your pot about 1/3 with your new soil mix, and set your tree so that the soil level in the container you bought is about an inch below the top lip of the pot. Water the soil in and around the tree to settle it around the roots, then continue filling. Water thoroughly and evenly after planting, but do not saturate the soil to a point where it is ‘soggy’.

For outdoor plants: Choose sites that are at least 25-30 feet from any structures or other trees. A location allowing protection from colder winds (north) is best. Full sun, all day, is ideal. Your hole should be the same depth and twice the width of the pot in which the tree came. Gently lift the tree out of the container, and use a gentle stream of water to rinse away the soil covering the outer roots of the ball.

Backfill the hole about halfway with your soil mix. Fill the hole with water and allow it to leach through, filling air spaces around and under the roots. Once drained, finish filling, water again thoroughly, and top off with soil, mounding the soil slightly around the base of the trunk and pack the last fill of soil well. Form a moat of about 3” high, and 8” wide at a circumference of about 2’ away from the tree.

Fill your moat right after planting, and then again at 3-day intervals for the first two weeks of establishment. In time, the moat will work its way into the soil. After the first couple weeks, water weekly.

Watering

Wait until the surface of the soil is dried out to about an inch or two to the touch. You may find that your container Lemon Tree may require frequent waterings, as many as 1-2 times per day. During the heat of the summer, allow the surface of the soil to dry out before watering. In the winter, the surface soil will not dry out as readily. Never allow your Lemon to be rooted in soggy soil.

Lemon trees love humidity. Mist the leaves with a water spray daily, especially in warm dry indoor conditions and in the heat of summer.

Fertilizing

Use a liquid fertilizer specifically formulated for Citrus. When the tree is actively growing, feed according to the label, twice monthly. In the winter, cut back fertilizer to once a month. Follow dilution recommendations closely.

Maintenance

Your indoor Ponderosa should be pruned before new growth initiates in the early spring. Always use clean and sharp tools. Remove crossing branches, and aim for an open, strong canopy to allow for good air circulation. Make your branch cuts all the way back to the originating shoot. To control overall growth, you can snip the tips of canopy growth by several inches once your tree is established and in the desired form. Remove low-growing shoots below the lowest primary branches. You can remove damaged or dead shoots anytime during the year. You can also snip off erratic, long, or undesirable tips as you see them.

Pollinating: Hand pollination of your Ponderosa is necessary to bear fruit. Use a small paint brush and rub the pollen within the flower to pollinate.