I Want A Lemon Tree

[Tigs]

I would love to have a lemon tree in the garden. I live in Trang about 80 miles south of Krabi. It is either hot and sunny or hot and wet here, in the rainy season hot and very wet. Am I able to grow a lemon tree that will have fruit? I have seen lime trees about but not lemon trees. It is something i would really like. The local garden shops deny all knowledge of lemon trees. Can anybody help?

If it is not possible then maybe a nice small sweet apple tree?

Thanks

Edited May 9, 2010 by Tigs

[sbk]

I researched this and found that the Southern climate is ideal for limes but it should also be ok for lemons. Finding the tree is going to be the difficult part. You won't find anything in Trang, thats for sure. Bangkok is probably your best bet.

You can grow an apple tree but you'd never get fruit, apples have a chilling requirement in order to flower.

[pnustedt]

I successfully grow lemon trees in Sisaket - they're just coming into fruit now and during the season I make gallons lemonade. I bought the trees from a roadside market in Rasi Sala (near here), they are lemon cuttings grafted onto the root stock of the trees of the lemon favoured double-leaves which are used in Thai soups, the fruit do not have pips. Another advantage of the tree is that I allow a couple of shoots of the double leaves to grow which my wife uses for cooking.

I also grow limes but prefer lemons for most things.

[walterego]

The Lime trees purchased in the Thai plant shops should make suitable root stock if you can find some cuttings for graft anywhere.

[paulchiangmai]

I successfully grow lemon trees in Sisaket - they're just coming into fruit now and during the season I make gallons lemonade. I bought the trees from a roadside market in Rasi Sala (near here), they are lemon cuttings grafted onto the root stock of the trees of the lemon favoured double-leaves which are used in Thai soups, the fruit do not have pips. Another advantage of the tree is that I allow a couple of shoots of the double leaves to grow which my wife uses for cooking.

I also grow limes but prefer lemons for most things.

Interesting. I visit Rasi Salai at least once a year and will be looking for lemon tree cuttings when next there. Presumably you are referring to the market in the town centre.

[pnustedt]

Presumably you are referring to the market in the town centre.

No, it's a small mkt on the left as you leave Rasi heading north, opposite a large municipal building.

[WatersEdge]

Any of you willing to send me some seedlings?

My mouth waters to think of the beautiful lemons

fresh off the tree in southern California

Buy a nice imported lemon from the grocery store,

grow the seeds to seedlings,

and set them out.

The beauty of lemons is that they bear at all stages of growth,

until the growth capacity of tree is filled,

when it will stop flowering and setting fruit.

All young lemons on the tree will then steadily ripen.

while the mature fruit will hold on the tree without spoiling until you pick it.

If you pick fruit, the flowering will start again.

Lemon is one of the smartest plants out there,

it knows how to maximize its potential for usefulness.

[soidog2]

Any of you willing to send me some seedlings?

My mouth waters to think of the beautiful lemons

fresh off the tree in southern California

Buy a nice imported lemon from the grocery store,

grow the seeds to seedlings,

and set them out.

The beauty of lemons is that they bear at all stages of growth,

until the growth capacity of tree is filled,

when it will stop flowering and setting fruit.

All young lemons on the tree will then steadily ripen.

while the mature fruit will hold on the tree without spoiling until you pick it.

If you pick fruit, the flowering will start again.

Lemon is one of the smartest plants out there,

it knows how to maximize its potential for usefulness.

People ask for all kind of things but non-as nicely as you.

If you are skilled at grafting (or know someone) and have rootstock available, I can offer you a scion from my Ponderosa Lemon tree. (Picture attached.)

It's a reliable producer, the fruit is very juicy without any bitterness.

If the graft takes, you could see fruit in as little as two years.

I have a few other yellow lemon species growing but they are three to four years away from fruiting!

PM your address, if interested.

Best

[Tigs]

Thanks for the info everybody. my mouth is watering thinking of fresh lemonade. I guess I am as far from sisaket as I could be. My brother in law is very skilled in grafting so I guess that is an idea. Thanks again.

[WatersEdge]

soidog2,

I will contact you by PM to arrange the details,

but would like to duly recognize your kind gesture in public as well.

I'm happy you thought I asked so nicely,

I was just dreaming while fully alert of long ago at my great Aunt's house.

I will certainly accept your offer of a Ponderosa Lemon scion.

New word for me, scion.

Is your hand tiny or is that lemon huge?

It may just as well be a grapefruit!

A friend north of Chiang Mai has agreed that his 5,000 Valencia Orange trees,

are good surrogates for the grafts,

so we'd like every graftable twig that your tree will spare.

Isn't it nice that for once, graft is an unmistakably positive thing?

Can we now modify the inference of other troublesome words?

[Ricardo]

I've known Mediterranean-style lemons to be called 'Hawaian Lemons', here in Thailand, presumably because that's one route by which they reached here ?

The organic-farm attached to Prem-Center, outside Chiang Mai, has a few rai of yellow lemons, and has been known to sell seedlings, from time to time.

Edited May 28, 2010 by Ricardo

[todd64]

AH, California lemons, how I miss them. I grew up in Ontario, CA, and the tree in my back yard was the best. Back in the early 70's I used to pick some lemons after school and take them around the corner to the little store( I can't remember the name) and trade the lemons for a Mars Almond Bar and an RC Cola. Those were the days. The lemon tree looks like it is gone, what a shame. The best lemons I can remember ever eating.

[thaipete]

I have grown several lemon trees from seed, but many grow the root stock, usually the slower the growth the nearer to the fruit the new plant will be, also planting the seed fresh from the fruit is quicker than drying it.

I have had imported trees flourish well and these are easy to air graft for new plants

[thaipete]

Also grafting a branch onto local bitter orange root stock works well

[Foreverford]

I have grown several lemon trees from seed, but many grow the root stock, usually the slower the growth the nearer to the fruit the new plant will be, also planting the seed fresh from the fruit is quicker than drying it.

I have had imported trees flourish well and these are easy to air graft for new plants

wouldn't know how rootstock would come from the seed but definitely can see bhow many seeds will not produce the original fruit. Reason is that they are super-hybrids that finally started producing fruit for the reason of the breeders that were hybridizing. that is why the all come grafed as it is true to the characteristics of the desired hybrid. that said I grew up on "Myers" lemons a beautiful sweet/sour flesh that was not acrid in the least and the finest lemon-ade under the sun; my wifee brought seeds back from California planted them and we are a few years into seeing what will happen but I don't think we'll end up with anything close to a Meyer but it's part of the fun and life on the farm. I'm going to bring in some stock to graft to some wild stuff she has growing at the house and hopefully in the future I'll be able to pass some onto others if it survives and proves to be a great producer here as it is in the states. yum yum and choke dee

[IsaanAussie]

I have grown several lemon trees from seed, but many grow the root stock, usually the slower the growth the nearer to the fruit the new plant will be, also planting the seed fresh from the fruit is quicker than drying it.

I have had imported trees flourish well and these are easy to air graft for new plants

wouldn't know how rootstock would come from the seed but definitely can see bhow many seeds will not produce the original fruit. Reason is that they are super-hybrids that finally started producing fruit for the reason of the breeders that were hybridizing. that is why the all come grafed as it is true to the characteristics of the desired hybrid. that said I grew up on "Myers" lemons a beautiful sweet/sour flesh that was not acrid in the least and the finest lemon-ade under the sun; my wifee brought seeds back from California planted them and we are a few years into seeing what will happen but I don't think we'll end up with anything close to a Meyer but it's part of the fun and life on the farm. I'm going to bring in some stock to graft to some wild stuff she has growing at the house and hopefully in the future I'll be able to pass some onto others if it survives and proves to be a great producer here as it is in the states. yum yum and choke dee

Ford,

Mark me down for a few trees once you, sorry, your wife has done all the hard "graft". Glad it appears to be normally aspirated FEF this morning, as it had appeared a very much supercharged FEF waiting for the world cup last night?

Isaanaussie

Edited June 12, 2010 by IsaanAussie

[Foreverford]

I have grown several lemon trees from seed, but many grow the root stock, usually the slower the growth the nearer to the fruit the new plant will be, also planting the seed fresh from the fruit is quicker than drying it.

I have had imported trees flourish well and these are easy to air graft for new plants

wouldn't know how rootstock would come from the seed but definitely can see bhow many seeds will not produce the original fruit. Reason is that they are super-hybrids that finally started producing fruit for the reason of the breeders that were hybridizing. that is why the all come grafed as it is true to the characteristics of the desired hybrid. that said I grew up on "Myers" lemons a beautiful sweet/sour flesh that was not acrid in the least and the finest lemon-ade under the sun; my wifee brought seeds back from California planted them and we are a few years into seeing what will happen but I don't think we'll end up with anything close to a Meyer but it's part of the fun and life on the farm. I'm going to bring in some stock to graft to some wild stuff she has growing at the house and hopefully in the future I'll be able to pass some onto others if it survives and proves to be a great producer here as it is in the states. yum yum and choke dee

Ford,

Mark me down for a few trees once you, sorry, your wife has done all the hard "graft". Glad it appears to be normally aspirated FEF this morning, as it had appeared a very much supercharged FEF waiting for the world cup last night?

Isaanaussie

hey good buddy will do and have some other ideas for similar things but it appears I'll be the grafting teacher but would love to be a student. We didn't get together fruity included but at least we tried. I should be up your way after i return if the fish don't haul me away as we will be hopefully purchasing a half of truck full of earth worms to work on the farm. Also got a source for quantity of crickets so organic fish food is in the works, slowly but surely as you have so beautifully shown. Big game in a few hours as the brits and the boys get it on. good refereeing has made the first few games very enjoyable as no hands on or diving is making it a pleasurable game again. go South Africa on a big Ford Truck

[thaipete]

I have grown several lemon trees from seed, but many grow the root stock, usually the slower the growth the nearer to the fruit the new plant will be, also planting the seed fresh from the fruit is quicker than drying it.

I have had imported trees flourish well and these are easy to air graft for new plants

wouldn't know how rootstock would come from the seed but definitely can see bhow many seeds will not produce the original fruit. Reason is that they are super-hybrids that finally started producing fruit for the reason of the breeders that were hybridizing. that is why the all come grafed as it is true to the characteristics of the desired hybrid. that said I grew up on "Myers" lemons a beautiful sweet/sour flesh that was not acrid in the least and the finest lemon-ade under the sun; my wifee brought seeds back from California planted them and we are a few years into seeing what will happen but I don't think we'll end up with anything close to a Meyer but it's part of the fun and life on the farm. I'm going to bring in some stock to graft to some wild stuff she has growing at the house and hopefully in the future I'll be able to pass some onto others if it survives and proves to be a great producer here as it is in the states. yum yum and choke dee

Ford,

I would love some branches to graft or whatever as Imy lemon trees are now so small as I have changes house and farm, so no longer have anything decent in lemon trees

Mark me down for a few trees once you, sorry, your wife has done all the hard "graft". Glad it appears to be normally aspirated FEF this morning, as it had appeared a very much supercharged FEF waiting for the world cup last night?

Isaanaussie

[mariegael]

oh my goodness this seems so complicated!

i recently bought a lime tree with no problem & i was hoping i could find a lemon tree (or orange), but have yet to...

i recently moved to insan & have no idea about grafting. i CAN make it to bangkok at least a couple times a year.

suggestions? are there no websites to order these things in thailand? in america you can order these things & get a small tree in the mail. in such a gardening centric community as thailand, are there no such things? : /

[soidog2]

oh my goodness this seems so complicated!

i recently bought a lime tree with no problem & i was hoping i could find a lemon tree (or orange), but have yet to...

i recently moved to insan & have no idea about grafting. i CAN make it to bangkok at least a couple times a year.

suggestions? are there no websites to order these things in thailand? in america you can order these things & get a small tree in the mail. in such a gardening centric community as thailand, are there no such things? : /

OK, since you are new.

Thailand is not consumer oriented, this is a do it yourself society. If you moved to Issan expecting Wallmarts, Home Depots and other assorted western conveniences, not so fast.

If you do not know where Pak Chong is: 14.719768,101.421261 , put this in Google maps and hit search.

That is the only place in the North East where you will find what you are looking for.

You will still have to find the better nurseries there (along highway #2), for lemons and oranges..

The only other choice; villages have many fairs through out the year.

At least one will have traveling nurseries, you may find them there; patience is required.

Last year I bought seedless tangerine grafts & red pomegranate seedlings from such vendors.

Welcome to Issan

[David006]

oh my goodness this seems so complicated!

i recently bought a lime tree with no problem & i was hoping i could find a lemon tree (or orange), but have yet to...

i recently moved to insan & have no idea about grafting. i CAN make it to bangkok at least a couple times a year.

suggestions? are there no websites to order these things in thailand? in america you can order these things & get a small tree in the mail. in such a gardening centric community as thailand, are there no such things? : /

OK, since you are new.

Thailand is not consumer oriented, this is a do it yourself society. If you moved to Issan expecting Wallmarts, Home Depots and other assorted western conveniences, not so fast.

If you do not know where Pak Chong is: 14.719768,101.421261 , put this in Google maps and hit search.

That is the only place in the North East where you will find what you are looking for.

You will still have to find the better nurseries there (along highway #2), for lemons and oranges..

The only other choice; villages have many fairs through out the year.

At least one will have traveling nurseries, you may find them there; patience is required.

Last year I bought seedless tangerine grafts & red pomegranate seedlings from such vendors.

Welcome to Issan

ah wouldn't it be nice to find a few Myer saplings bearing fruit like you can buy in Melbourne in Bunnings..lol. Being in the Trang province we bought lime "little" trees which 5 years later just up and died..the orange pips I planted at the same time have produced good saplings which have yet to flower though..our Kaffir lime tree ( double leaf for Tom Yum ..) is also looking very sad....

the best place we have found for every imaginable tree or flower is the September Buddha festival market/fair just out side NS Thammarat..great day out too! Never seen the Myer lemon trees though............

[cornishcarlos]

Hello,

Would like to know if anyone

a) is still reading this thread

has some small Lemon trees that could be posted to Surat Thani, just 2 or 3 would be good..

c) has the best recipe for lemonade !!!

Thanks

[samuijimmy]

I've yet to see lemons growing anywhere in southern Thailand, I travel a fair bit around the south.... so I think probably not worth the time to source and plant.

Having said that, the only areas they may grow would I think be at higher elevations, where the night temperatures are cooler.

(We have a totally different climate in the south, than in the north of Thailand, where it cools down much more at night,... some plants need that... )....

Off course there is a possibility I may not have seen them because traveling at the wrong time.... but the locals don't seem to know them when I point them out at Tesco, Makro etc.

Anyone seen???

[khunkeith]

last year, I purchased some lemons at the VIlla Market in BKK. Out of curiousity more than anything, I tried to germinate some of the seeds in a damp paper towel and, several seeds sprouted. I planted them into planters filled with peet moss and put them into the sun and kept them watered regularly. After a couple months, I had seedlings that were knee high. I transplanted them to the ground (5 in all) and I have 5 trees about 2 meters high now. The leaves smell like fresh lemons. No blooms as of yet though, but, I read that can take 3-5 years. I fertilize with a 25-5-5 nitrate fertilizer mixed with water.

[Monkeypants]

I have alemon tree gowing here in Phetchabun, MIL bought it from somewhere, makes great homemade lemonade.

[cornishcarlos]

I have alemon tree gowing here in Phetchabun, MIL bought it from somewhere, makes great homemade lemonade.

Can you ask MIL where she bought it

Or when we drive past at the end of Jan, can I get a cutting to graft back home ??

Cheers

[cooked]

I'm sure that we saw lemon trees, as well as the other related species, limes and so on, at the plant market in Chiang Mai. Biggest plant market in Thailand.

Nice explanation at http://dokmaidogma.wordpress.com/2012/08/25/a-tasty-hardy-and-ornamental-calamondin-orange/

[Monkeypants]

No problem for the cutting, come and choose your own, take a few if you want.

In the meantime, I will try to find where she got it from.

[TommoPhysicist]

Buy a lemon from Tesco, plant the seeds, splice the seedling onto suitable rootstock.

[cornishcarlos]

Buy a lemon from Tesco, plant the seeds, splice the seedling onto suitable rootstock.

Really... That easy ?

Will it bear fruit in a few years ?