How Often to Water Your Lemon Tree for Prolific, Delicious Harvests

There's nothing better than fresh lemons grown in your own backyard. It's certainly idyllic to think about, but there are plenty of steps that go into making these healthy, delicious harvests possible, most notably watering. Knowing when—and when not—to water your lemon tree is essential for its survival and success.

Here, we spoke to gardening experts about how to properly water these trees, so you'll be able to grow and care for them properly. Follow these instructions and you'll have an abundant, juicy lemon harvest in no time.

How Often to Water Lemon Trees

Exactly when you should water your lemon tree depends on a few factors (more on that below). As a general rule of thumb, though, you can water outdoor trees once, maybe twice a week, depending on the weather. Before you do, though, test the soil to see how wet or dry it is—lemon trees don't need a lot of water, so double-checking can help avoid overwatering issues down the line.

Instead of just testing the top inch or so of the soil, Kitti Cooper, owner of Cooper Farm, recommends sticking your whole finger in the dirt. "The dirt down below is a lot wetter than the soil on top," she notes. "A lot of people make the mistake of just testing the soil on top without thinking that it’s soaking wet halfway down—and then they continue to overwater it."

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Factors to Consider

How often and how much you water your lemon tree needs will depend on everything from the soil to the sunlight. Here's a quick guide on how each will impact your tree's desires.

Soil

Your soil type will certainly play a factor in watering. "Sandy soil drains fast, so it will require water more often," says Anna Ohler, owner of Bright Lane Gardens. "Clay holds water, so you need to be cautious and let the soil dry out completely between waterings."

Temperature

The time of year—and the temperature—will also impact how often you water your tree. Fruit trees typically bear fruit in the cooler months, during the wintertime, so depending on your variety, they may require more water during this period.

"Ponderosa lemons are huge and will need more water," says Ohler. "Lisbon lemons are smaller and require less. Watering does play a big factor in how the lemons are."

Sunlight

Lemon trees need about 6 to 8 hours of full sun per day—if they're grown in the shade, they typically won't produce as many lemons. If yours is getting lots of sun, the top layer of the soil will dry out faster; however, as mentioned, make sure to check deeper than this layer to see if the dirt beneath is still wet.

As a general rule, though, more sun will mean more watering—just be sure always to check first, and never overwater.

Container

Growing your lemon tree in the ground versus in a container is a huge consideration when watering. "In the ground, you don’t have to water as much, because you have a natural water table down below in the soil," says Cooper. "Also, the soil holds water a lot better than a pot does."

The type of pot is also an important consideration. Cooper advises against plastic varieties, which will dry out very quickly. "Terracotta is the best thing to use because it’s a breathable pot and it holds water and releases it really well," she adds. "It almost mimics if a tree is planted in the ground."

How to Water

Ohler warns against overhead watering, which she says can lead to mildew or other fungus problems. Both she and Cooper recommend a drip line, which you can put on a timer so it waters automatically.

Soaker hoses are another option, but should be used sparingly. "They can be a little too much for [lemon trees],  so if you do [use one], make sure you only turn it on once a week, and you’re not using a soaker hose every single day," Cooper adds.

If you're growing your lemon tree in a container, Cooper suggests bottom watering. This will mimic the natural water table in the ground, so the tree can take up water as needed. Most importantly, this method helps to avoid overwatering.

If your pot is too big for a tray or platter, you can use a plastic kiddie pool instead. "It’s great if you’re going on vacation and you’re worried about watering your plants," she adds.

Signs of Underwatering

Lemon trees don't need to be watered too often, so underwatering isn't as much of a concern. However, it's still possible! Watch out for dry, curling leaves.

As always, check the soil before watering—some of the signs of underwatering can look similar to signs of overwatering, and the last thing you want to do to an overwatered lemon tree is dump more water on it.

Signs of Overwatering

Lemon trees don't need a lot of watering, so you're far more likely to overwater them than underwater them—and they're very susceptible to root rot. Yellowing leaves can be a sign of overwatering, and leaves that drop can mean root rot has set in.

"What a lot of people do, which kills their lemon tree, is they prune it and begin dumping fertilizer on it," says Cooper. "By changing its environment too much all at once, you basically put it in shock."

Instead, she recommends changing just one thing at a time. Start with your watering schedule—if you're watering once a week, cut back to once every two weeks.