Lemon tree for Container Gardening

After a visit to Sorrento Italy in April of 2000, we were immediately smitten with all the wonderful lemon trees adorning the Italian coastline. All throughout Amalfi and Sorrento we saw gorgeous scenes of Sorrento lemon trees in terra cotta pots adorning house fronts, store fronts and cobblestone alley ways.

We knew right there and then we wanted something equally picturesque in our backyard. So, we planted a lemon tree in a container!

We really wanted to bring back a Sorrento lemon tree to the USA, but because we didn’t feel like smuggling anything into the country, we opted for the next best option possible – a Eureka lemon tree. This Eureka is studded with fruit and it’s extremely happy with it’s home in the urn shaped container. In winter, when the cool weather beckons the fruit to ripen, the lemon tree is an absolutely gorgeous scene to the garden.

This little lemon tree is our reminder of our trip to Italy and we’re happy to have it on our garden family.

Growing this lemon tree has a few challenges because the heat of the Summer season can quickly dry out the pot. Especially in the rustic looking terra cotta pots. We’ve since transplanted it into the glazed pot seen in these photos and it helps retain the moisture much better. It takes consistent watering in hot days to make sure that the tree stays hydrated and happy. Unfortunately there were a few occasions when we forgot to water our little lemon and the fruits became soft and dehydrated.