Angeldimana

Hi all,

We've just been given a lemon tree as a present.

Anyone got any tips on how to plant it? And what conditions would be best for it?

Ive seen them locally where people cover them in winter with plastic sheeting. Presume here in Le Marche it'd too cold for them fruit without it.

Ive also heard that chicken droppings are good as natural fertilizer for them?

Any suggestions?

HADENOUGHPIZZA

My OH has two in huge vases which get wheeled outside in the spring and wheeled inside his workshop in the autumn . They seem to be very happy with the arrangement and we had lost of lemons last year . we use a special fertilizer but I suppose you could always google to see if the chicken stuff would suit them....

Pecora Nera

Hi we are near Casale Monferrato (AL) I know a couple of people who keep their lemon trees in tubs and wheel them into the garage and then wheel them out when the weather picks up.

The lady down the road does this and her tree is full of lemons.

Re chicken droppings... fantastic stuff. We have 12 chickens and there stuff gets mixed into my veg plot as soon as the coop has been cleaned out. The land that the chickens are on is on a slight hill. The earth just beyond the chicken fence is the riches earth there is,

I dig it up and use it when starting plants. I know the chickens are responsible for the rich earth because anything that the chickens won't eat finds it's way there ie sea food shells..

Isakat

We have a lemon, lime, tangerine, orange and clementine trees in big pots.
They are just outside the main door and I absolutely love the smell of the flowers( someone told me its called 'zagara?)
The pots get covered with fleece in winter; some people have like a small orangery( plastic sheeting) built around the tree. They put up the plastic sheeting for frost protection, otherwise, the lemon tree lives under the wood/metal structure uncovered.
I once asked a man from the Vivaio how come his lemon trees were full of lemons and he told me to use Nitroposka blue. I then asked him what was the organic alternative and he said chicken manure.
So, that is what all our citrus trees have and we had lots of fruit last year( only the lime did not produce anything, but it is a very young tree).

duffer

I've got chicken shit

Isakat

Really?
Do you keep your chickens on the balcony?

Angeldimana

So, what about planting direct in the ground?

Any reason we wouldnt do it?

Pecora Nera

We have really bad winters here. This year two fully grown fig trees died and another looks pretty sad. I doubt a lemon tree would survive outside even covered.

MarkRD

Have you seen the doctor about it?

HADENOUGHPIZZA

probably wants to bag it and sell it online as lemon tree fertilizer ...

duffer

I've been feeding chicken nuggets to the chickens, they seem to love them, the fools! So it's special (needs) chicken shit.

Pica

I thought all chickens have special needs and that's why I've decided not to keep any, my personal needs are special enough

HADENOUGHPIZZA

I am frightened of chickens, even if they are in a run and I am at a safe distnace they make me uneasy . Its their feet ...

Dorothy

Chicken shit, lots of water if you want juicy lemons, acidic soil and urban legend here in Australia is to have your husband pee on the trunk occasionally. Apparently citrus trees like uric acid.

Pecora Nera

Does he put the lid down after