When to Plant Lemon in Alice Springs, Arid / Semi-Arid Guide

Plant September to November. Right now in September you can plant.

Published · Last reviewed · By Garden Buddy
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.

This Lemon guide is written for the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, which takes in Alice Springs, Broken Hill and Port Augusta. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.

Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Perth

Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.

Lemon

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The most widely grown backyard fruit tree in Australia. Tough, productive, and fruits nearly year-round in warm climates. Eureka and Lisbon are the main varieties; Meyer is a lemon-orange hybrid (easier to grow but less acidic). A single grafted tree on dwarfing rootstock fits any suburban garden and produces more lemons than most families can use. Grafted trees fruit in 2-3 years.

Best Planting Window for Arid / Semi-Arid

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
- - - - - - - - P P P -

P = Planting window

Plant spring with irrigation.

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How to Grow Lemon in Arid / Semi-Arid Australia

When to Plant

Plant spring with irrigation.

Soil
Well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral. Tolerates most soils except heavy waterlogged clay. Add gypsum to clay soils.
pH Range
6.0-7.0
Sunlight
Full sun, minimum 6 hours. More sun = more fruit.

Companion plants: Nasturtium, Comfrey, Marigold, Chives

Avoid planting near: Grass right to trunk

Arid / Semi-Arid Growing Tips for Lemon

Recommended Varieties

  • Eureka
  • Lisbon
  • Meyer
  • Yen Ben

Key Challenges

  • Water dependent
  • Extreme heat can sunburn fruit

Pro Tips

  • Excellent lemon zone with irrigation. Hot days develop good acid/sugar balance.
  • Mulch heavily and drip irrigate.
  • Mildura/Riverland are commercial citrus regions.

Harvesting Lemon

When ready: Skin turns fully yellow. Fruit feels heavy and gives slightly when squeezed. Lemons can hang on tree for months, getting larger (eventually lose acidity if left too long).

How to harvest: Cut with secateurs or twist-pull. Don't tear bark.

Where to next

What lemon costs in the shops right now, retailer by retailer, updated daily.

Also worth sowing in the arid and semi-arid zone this September: Ginger, Chilli Peppers, Lemongrass and Beetroot.

The pest most likely to find your lemon: Possums (Common Brushtail, Ringtail).

Supermarket Price

Current average retail: $11.00/kg (12-month range: $5.99–$13.00)

Grow your own and save on grocery bills.

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Common Questions About Lemon

When do you plant lemon in Australia?

It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:

Which zone am I in?

Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, Alice Springs is its reference city.