Do Lemon Trees Have Thorns? Detailed Guide to Pruning Methods and How Many Years Until Flowering and Fruiting

Lemons taste very sour, and combined with their beauty-enhancing and skin-nourishing benefits, they are very popular among women and pregnant women. They have many uses and many ways to be consumed, but most people use them to make infused water, because drinking lemon water gives a refreshing feeling. So, do lemon trees have thorns? Let's take a look together with the editor.

Do Lemon Trees Have Thorns?

Branches have few thorns or are nearly thornless; young leaves and flower buds are dark purplish-red; wing leaves are broad or narrow, or only vestigial; leaf blades are thickly papery, ovate or elliptic, 8-14 cm long and 4-6 cm wide, the apex usually shortly pointed, the margin with obvious blunt crenate teeth. Juice sacs are pale yellow, the juice sour to very sour, seeds small, ovate, pointed at the tip; seed coat smooth, cotyledons milky white, usually single or sometimes polyembryonic.

How to Prune a Lemon Tree

1. Generally, a large tree is pruned twice, in spring and autumn, and a rainy day is best. You can cut off the smaller branches and water sprouts to encourage side branches. Lemons like light and tolerate drought, so place them in a bright, ventilated spot on a balcony, water promptly once the soil dries out, and since they like humidity it is better to mist the leaves regularly; they also like fertilizer, so adding some nutrient solution when watering helps the plant grow better and more vigorously.

2. For potted plants, try to keep the thick branches; tie long branches downward using the old method; branches that have grown diseased or pest-infested leaves should be cut off as much as possible, and the leaves should be cut off too. In summer, timing must be controlled well, around the end of August or early September, gradually and slowly stop watering the lemon. In hot weather, generally give just a small cup of water each day, and when the soil in the pot dries out, water thoroughly all at once, then resume normal watering.

How Many Years Until a Lemon Tree Flowers and Fruits

After planting, lemons begin to bear fruit in the 3rd year, and reach commercial fruit quality after 5 years. The flowering period is April-May, and the fruiting period is September-November. Because lemons bruise easily, wear gloves when picking. The fruit is generally harvested before it ripens, and after processing it can be stored for 3 months. Hand pollination: hand pollination is an important measure for setting more fruit. Pollination is best done promptly after the petals have opened, and doing this work around 9 o'clock every morning gives better results. Pest and disease control: summer and autumn are seasons with frequent pests and diseases, so control should be carried out. Pest and disease control should emphasize prevention over treatment, spraying flower medicine once every half month, with spraying times around 9 a.m. and around 4 p.m.; do not spray under the blazing midday sun, to prevent pesticide damage.

How to Grow a Potted Lemon Tree

1. Repotting and soil changing: potted lemon trees must be repotted and given fresh soil in spring, from March to April.

2. Spring pruning: carry out spring pruning in spring together with repotting, cutting away inner canopy branches, dead branches and fallen leaves, pest-damaged roots and leaves, and water sprouts, to help the plant set fruit.

3. Reasonable fertilizing: before the lemon tree blooms and after it sets fruit, apply additional fertilizer several times, applying a multi-element flower fertilizer once a month, and spraying a flower nutrient solution once every half month.

4. Prevent leaf drop: leaf drop affects fruiting in lemon trees.

Shade at noon: after the lemon tree blooms and before it sets fruit, when the midday temperature exceeds 30 °C, it should be shaded for about 3 hours.

5. Hand pollination: hand pollination is an important measure for setting more fruit. Pollination is best done promptly after the petals have opened, and doing this work around 9 o'clock every morning gives better results.

6. Pest and disease control: summer and autumn are seasons with frequent pests and diseases for lemon trees, so control should be carried out.

Lemons have high nutritional value, so they are loved by many women, and their benefits are quite rich. Growing lemon trees also requires following certain methods and approaches to let them grow better. Every kind of fruit tree needs good care to produce good fruit, and the same is true for lemon trees.