Thinking of planting a Lemon Tree
 

My husband would like to plant a lemon tree in place of a rose bush we had that died. I am afraid of getting mice. Does anyone have one? I would appreciate any advice you could give us.

You really have to keep on top of removing fallen and rotten fruit or it will attract critters. Also, make sure you have enough neighbors to help you with the supply you get otherwise enjoy!

Forget worrying about mice, it is the hordes of lemonade loving big rats...that will be the problem. :D

There's enough palms around to feed the rats, so IMO one lemon tree won't make difference. Go for it. It will take 5 or more years for it to really start producing. IMO if you can't eat something off the plant it's not worth planting especially those pricking hollies.

I hate to be a naysayer but I will. My opinion, and it’s worth what you paid for it, is to not plant the lemon tree.

On a separate note my cousin just returned from a 4-month stay in Italy where he has a home with some acreage. He has olive trees planted. I asked if he saw any snakes, since I truly hate snakes. He said not this time. He had a company put out rat traps and as he said “no rats, no snakes.” Just this one persons opinion.

We have had a Meyer Lemon Tree for about 7 years and it is great. Some years we get lemons the size of grapefruits. We keep it at about 6' tall x 6' diameter. Not much fruit drops - even through Irma.

Meyer lemon - Wikipedia


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Ditto on the Meyer Lemon. The small lemons you see in stores come from trees that are not native to this area.

We have a "fruit cocktail" tree. It has seven types of citrus. We get plenty limes and lemons. A few grapefruit. Still waiting to get the rest. I think our dwarf tree is about 4 years old and we got fruit the 2nd year. You can buy these trees at the nurseries nearby. I have seen a few at either Lowe's or Home depot.

We have a key lime tree that produced a handful of limes last year (first time) and a bucketful this year, enough for 4 large key lime pies! We found that slicing them in half and squeezing them with a garlic press was the easiest way to get the juice. We also have a young Persian lime (good for gin & tonics) that yielded 1 lime this year. Hopefully it will do better next time!

Love key lime pie!

Lemon tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.....

My neighbor has a Meyer lemon tree and shares with us. Bakers love the lemons.

Aw, nuts. I was hoping to say that.

Very good Trini Lopez!

Lemons are used for cooking, mixed drinks, cleaning, and IMO rarely peeled and eaten.