Bonsai Lemon Tree: How to Grow and Care

Lemon trees may not be the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of a bonsai. However, these citrus trees can be a great addition to your bonsai collection. Whether the citrus plant produces fruit or aromatizes your house with a wonderful lemony scent, bonsai lemon trees are quite beneficial to have.

The dark green and glossy leaves of these citrus plants could add decorative value to your collection and smell. You try your best luck to reap a citrus fruit by using the Meyer lemon tree variety.

Read more on how to make bonsai lemon plants, and the best part is the ready availability of the citrus seeds, which can be easily grown into a beautiful bonsai. With regular lemon bonsai care and pruning, you can even reap the benefits of sweet fruits from your bonsai.

Bonsai tools are essential for maintaining the health and beauty of your bonsai trees. From pruning shears to concave cutters, each tool has a specific purpose in bonsai care. You can find a variety of bonsai tools online to help you with your pruning, wiring, and repotting needs. High-quality bonsai tools can make all the difference in creating and maintaining beautiful bonsai trees.

How to Plant Bonsai Lemon Tree

The lemon tree can be propagated by seeds or by cutting. If a mature plant is available, you can easily propagate it as they are already in the growing phase. Plus they might be trained to grow in a container. But what if you don’t have one? Don’t you worry! These bonsais grow quickly from seeds.

Here is your guide on how to make bonsai lemon plants.

To begin with, let’s list down the things you might need to grow a lemon bonsai tree,

Citrus fruit- Choose an organic lemon variety, Meyer lemons, mandarin oranges, or limes. You can choose any small tree lemon plants as they are manageable indoors. Avoid seedless or genetically altered varieties for better success.

Potting soil- You can choose any garden soil or repackaging potting soil. In the latter case, you get nutrient-packed soil that is healthy and pest free.

A shallow tray- Make sure the container is shallow with 6-12 inch depth.

A planting pot- A large pot to grow your bonsai indoors.

A perfect location- They are delicate to cold, so choose a warm location near a window or garden

Here is the next six procedure you follow as we further discuss how to plant a bonsai lemon tree

Step 1- Assemble the planter.

Hydrate your potting soil until it is moist to touch, and gradually pack the shallow container with the soil. Leave about half an inch of space near the trim.

Step 2- Sow the seeds

Choose a healthy citrus fruit and cut them into half to remove the seeds. Wash these seeds in tap water to ensure they are pulp-free. Washing is vital. If not then the seeds might overgo fungal or mold infection.

Sow the seeds at half-inch depth, leaving two inches distance between each other and cover the container with a plastic cover to retain the soil moisture.

Step 3- Select the seedlings.

After two weeks, once the sprouts develop, you can remove the plastic cover and place them in sunlight. Keep the soil and avoid flooding. Uprooting the strong seedling after a month just to maintain soil fertility. So in the next month you are left with strong seedlings to grow your bonsai.

Step 4- Begin planting.

Place 2 inches of pebbles at the bottom of the pot and fill the remaining space with potting soil. Pick the healthy seedlings with roots intact and replant them in the large plant pot.

Step 5- Start training.

You can train your plants when they are one year old and style them using the wiring technique. Shape the branches and trunks to the desired shape carefully.

Step 6- Prune the plant

After six months of training, you can prune the plant to encourage outward growth instead of upward growth. Prune the plant comes every six months to maintain the small structure and healthy look.

How to Care for Lemon Bonsai Tree

Bonsai plants need regular care to maintain their shape and stature. The plants might become oversize and die eventually due to lack of space if it’s not pruned and wired regularly.

Checklist for lemon tree bonsai care

Factors	Requirements for lemon tree bonsai
Sunlight	Six to eight hours of sunlight. Avoid cold temperature
Placement	Place it under the sun in a warm climate. Keep it indoors from autumn to spring in temperate climate.
Temperature	Bring the plants inside if the temperature goes below 50 degrees fahrenheit.
Watering	Water abundantly during summer. Check for proper water draining to avoid flooding them
Fertilizing	Liquid fertilizer twice or once a month
Potting and repotting	Repot every two or three years
Pruning	Every time when four leaves grow, prune two of them. Also prune the roots when you repot
Pest and diseases	Pests include grasshoppers, fruit-tree red spider mites, aphids, etc.

Sunlight

The lemon tree loves sunlight and blooms the best in it. Though it is very delicate to cold and freezing temperatures, it can tolerate warm and shady locations as well.

Watering

As it grows best in the summer, you need to hydrate them adequately. Overwatering can flood the soil and kill the plant; since it can withstand dryness, it’s better to water less than overwatering them. If the water is well-draining, you can always check for surface moisture and water the plant needfully. Lemon trees can tolerate drought conditions, but they are sensitive to hard water. So if the water you are using is harsh for the tree (you will notice it on the leaves) then change the source of water or let the water sit for a few hours before using it.

Placement:

Lemon bonsai trees thrive in full sun, but that doesn’t mean you can keep them outside all year round. Where you will place your bonsai will depend on the zone you are living in.

If you are living in a warm climate you can keep the bonsai outside the whole year. But for temperate climates, you should place them inside a garage or a greenhouse from autumn to spring. But for fruit and flower production light is still important, so you probably have to invest in some artificial grow light.

Temperature:

The Bonsai lemon tree thrives in heat. If your outside temperature stays more than fifty degrees Fahrenheit even in the harshest time of the winter, you don’t have to worry about anything. But if it goes below the mark, bring the tree inside.

Fertilizing

You can choose liquid fertilizers for citrus plants and use them twice a month. During winters, you can reduce the fertilizing procedures to once a month. Dilute your fertilizers in water to avoid overdose in plants. A fertilizer that is designed for acid-loving plants is ideal. You will find stick fertilizer for citrus plants, but it’s better not to use them as they are strong and made for outdoors.

Potting and Repotting

It is advisable to report the plants every two or three years and practice pruning the root to maintain their structure and appearance. Choosing slightly acidic soil will add nutrient value to the plant.

Pruning Bonsai Lemon Tree

Every time four leaves grow in your plant, cut two of them. Keep up the momentum and prune the plant regularly. Pruning regulates the healthy growth of plants and fruits. You can also wire your pants once the branches are sturdy and shape them into the desired shape. Pruning is the most vital step in your lemon tree bonsai care.

Regular pruning is necessary to control the growth of the plant. Even the roots are pruned when we repot the plants from one container to another. Pruning controls the spread of new roots and strengthens the existing roots.

Pests and Diseases

The citrus scent invites many pests and insects. Some of the most common insects are the grasshopper, fruit-tree, tired spider, mite, aphids, etc.

Lemon tree bonsai care requires regular disinfection of the plants with pest-specific chemicals to avoid further spread of infection. Growing the plant in low light and hot temperatures will make them a breeding space for insects and pests. Controlling these conditions will drastically reduce your effort toward lemon tree bonsai care.

Bonsai Lemon Tree Growing Tips

To plant and grow your lemon bonsai tree, you must ensure you follow ideal growing conditions. When you cover most of its planting conditions, you are left with minimum effort to maintain and care for your plants. Though there are many details explained above on how to make a bonsai lemon plant, let’s list down a few tips on lemon tree bonsai care and growth.

Lemons tree love summers. So place them in bright light during the day and shift them indoors to avoid the temperature drop during the night
If it’s winter, your bonsai is safe indoors; place them under a window with a warm temperature. The more the sunlight, the merrier the plant
Water regularly as lemon bonsai needs well-hydrated soil. Pour water until the excess water seeps through the pot’s bottom hole and check for the regular water draining capacity of the soil. If something is blocking the water drainage, take immediate actions to regulate the water flow.
Indoor heating systems can absorb plant moisture; in some political cases, place a tray of gravel and water beneath the plant container to maintain moist soil.
Replenish the soil fertility with fertilizers monthly or more, depending on the climate conditions
Regular pruning and trimming to maintain the miniature attire of the plant. It is the most crucial step in lemon tree bonsai care and maintenance.

Benefits of growing lemon bonsai tree:

Doing bonsai practice with lemon bonsai tree comes with lots of benefits, some of these are;

1) The fruits your lemon bonsai will grow will definitely be smaller in size in comparison to the regular ones. But the taste won’t be sacrificed. You will have constant supplies of lemon in the comfort of your home.

2) If you have an active garden, there’s a 99% chance that it has a lemon tree. As a gardener, if you want to elevate your gardening game, growing a lemon tree as a bonsai will give you that opportunity.

3) Bonsai practice is a satisfying and calming hobby that will teach you patience and a sense of originality. Bonsai lemon trees are no different.

4) A green bonsai is beautiful, but you also have to agree that green leaves and dazzling yellow fruit at the same time are more beautiful. Lemon bonsai trees can easily be your centerpiece in your living room.

5) Lemons are enriched with vitamin C and minerals. That’s why they are the main ingredients of skin care products. Other than that it boosts the immune system and digestion.

Conclusion

With proper lemon tree bonsai care and control, the citrus fragrance and glossy green leaves are worth your effort. When pruned and wired at its best, it will be a joy to reap the fruits of all your efforts, literally! When you follow our guide on how to make bonsai lemon plants, you must keep in mind to also follow lemon tree bonsai care. These growth tips will help grow a healthy plant that lives long.