When to Plant Lemon in Brisbane, Subtropical 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 Subtropical zone, which takes in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.

Not your zone? Cairns Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs 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 Subtropical

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

P = Planting window

Plant September-November.

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How to Grow Lemon in Subtropical Australia

When to Plant

Plant September-November.

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

Subtropical Growing Tips for Lemon

Recommended Varieties

  • Eureka (year-round cropping)
  • Lisbon (winter crop, thorny but vigorous)
  • Meyer (sweeter, less acidic)
  • Yen Ben

Key Challenges

  • Citrus gall wasp
  • Leafminer on young trees

Pro Tips

  • Prime lemon zone. Eureka produces virtually year-round in SEQ.
  • Gall wasp inspection and pruning is annual winter task.
  • A single tree produces far more lemons than one family needs, share with neighbours.

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 subtropical zone this September: Lemongrass, Ginger, Beetroot and Chilli Peppers.

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 Subtropical zone, Brisbane is its reference city.