How to Get a Lemon Tree to Blossom

Make sure your lemon tree gets enough sunlight. Sunshine is among the top needs of any citrus tree, keeping it healthy and producing fruits and flowers. Lemon trees need a minimum of 6 hours of sunshine a day.

Water the lemon tree about a couple of inches down every time the soil dries out. Regardless of the variety of lemon tree, it is important to keep it well watered but not soaked. This ensures your lemon tree will not wither or dry out. Watering is particularly essential during the first 2 years after the lemon tree has been planted.

Add a citrus fertilizer to the soil so that your lemon tree will absorb the needed nutrients. Make sure that the fertilizer contains essential macro- and micronutrients. Do not use quick-release fertilizers during the cold months of August to February; doing so will produce blossoms and eventually fruits that will be prone to freeze damage. Lemon trees blossom during spring but can also produce flowers during other seasons when certain quick-release fertilizers are used.

Place a potted lemon tree inside the house during the cold months. This will protect the lemon tree and the buds from the harsh weather. A lemon tree produces more blossoms when it experiences less injury from the cold weather. If the lemon tree is too big and can't be taken indoors, place a cozy blanket around it to protect the tree from cold damage.

Use a trowel to remove weeds growing around the lemon tree. Weeds filch nutrients from the tree. Hence, the lemon tree doesn't get properly nourished if stubborn weeds surround it. For a lemon tree to produce flowers, it must get all needed nutrients.

After the lemon tree is more than 1 year old, stop watering the tree during the summer season for around 35 to 60 days until the leaves begin to wilt. Then heavily irrigate the lemon tree and fertilize it with a high-nitrogen-content fertilizer. This technique, known as the Verdelli process, will force the tree into bloom in August or early September.