Description
The Eureka lemon tree is a small, virtually thornless tree that grows vigorously with an open and spreading form. The Eureka lemons have greenish-yellow flesh color (the variegated variety’s flesh color is pink) that is tender, juicy, fine-grained, and has a highly acidic flavor.
The Eureka Lemon tree is a drought tolerant and cold hardy evergreen citrus tree that does well in tropical to subtropical climates and is adaptable to different well-draining soil types and conditions. This lemon lime tree is best grown outdoors in USDA growing zones 8 through 11 and must be protected when temperatures are forecasted to drop below 32°F. The Eureka lemon tree can be grown in USDA growing zones 4 to 7 in a pot, but should be moved indoors during colder weather when there is any danger of frost or strong winds that may harm the fruit tree.
Eureka lemon trees originated from a group of seedlings grown from a fruit of Italian origin in Los Angeles, California that is thought to have been planted in 1858. A few years later, Andrew Boyle and C.R. Workman got their hands on some of the seedlings and selected those that seemed most promising. In 1877 Workman gave a bud from one of the seedlings to a prominent nurseryman from Los Angeles, who propagated and introduced it as Garey’s Eureka (Butterfield, 1963).
The Eureka lemon tree is a small, virtually thornless tree that grows vigorously with an open and spreading form. It can grow up to 15 ft in height but can be kept at a desired height through prudent pinching and pruning. These lemon lime trees are ever-bearing and produce medium to small fruit that are mostly elliptical to oblong in shape, with a medium-thick yellow rind. The Eureka lemons have greenish-yellow flesh color (the variegated variety’s flesh color is pink) that is tender, juicy, fine-grained, and has a highly acidic flavor.
Citrus Tree Care
Growing citrus trees is easy. They need very minimal care as well as just the right amount of water and citrus trees fertilizer to grow and start bearing delicious fruit.
The best Citrus trees, including Eureka Lemon trees, are all grafted or budded. This is done to retain the superior quality of the fruit, speed up the harvesting time, and increase the trees’ resistance to many types of citrus diseases.
A new lemon tree comes in a container and needs to be replanted either in the ground or in a larger pot that has a good water drainage system.
- In Ground Planting – The Eureka Lemon tree can be planted in the ground in USDA growing zones 8 through 11 when winter is consistently warm.
- Shovel the soil and make a hole twice as broad and deep as the root system.
- Put the tree in the hole and fill with acidic, well-draining potting soil. Press the soil down while filling the hole to ensure no air pockets are formed.
- Once done with planting, deeply water the citrus tree for 5 minutes then mulch around the tree canopy to retain moisture and inhibit weed growth. Keep the mulch a foot from the tree trunk to avoid root rot and other citrus tree diseases caused by trapped moisture.
- Potted Planting – Potting is the recommended type of planting for areas where winter could be harsh and temperatures drop below 40°. USDA growing zones 4 to 7.
- Select a pot that is slightly bigger than the container your citrus tree arrived in and has lots of holes in the bottom. Fill the pot halfway with well-draining potting soil then gently place the Eureka lemon tree in the soil.
- Fill the space around the citrus tree with the remaining potting soil and pat it down while doing so. Ensure the grafted area is not covered with soil. Leave an inch of space below the pot rim for easier watering.
- Right after planting the fruit tree, deeply water it until water flows through the holes in the bottom of the pot.
- Place your Eureka Lemon tree beside a south-facing window to give it plenty of sunlight. Also, since the tree is planted indoors, you may need to create humidity by misting the leaves with water or placing a tray with pebbles submerged in water under the citrus tree. Don’t let the soil sit in water.
Fertilization: Growing citrus trees should be fed with fertilizer for citrus trees once every six weeks during spring and summer. Organic citrus tree fertilizer can be used to make certain that your tree has a steady and healthy growth cycle. During autumn and winter season, ease back fertilizing to once every 2 to 3 months.
Fruit & Harvesting
Fruit
Eureka lemon fruit trees produce medium-small sized lemons with thick, bright-yellow rinds all year round. The fruit is often in clusters outside of the canopy. The fruits are elliptic to oblong in shape with a short neck at the stem end and have very few seeds if any. The surface of Eureka lemons are finely pitted with sunken oil glands and have typically low longitudinal ridges.
The flesh of Eureka lemons is tender and has a greenish-yellow color. They are fine grained with abundant juice and have a highly acidic flavor.
Like the fruit from other citrus trees, Eureka lemons are a rich source of vitamin C and contain phytochemicals like polyphenols, terpenes, and tannins which are all known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that are thought to help fight off diseases and boost the immune system.
Eureka Lemons can be used for assorted sweet and savory applications. They can be used to make marmalade, cakes, pies and tarts and the zest can be infused into oils. The zest and juice can be used in syrups, marinades, dressings, and even cocktails.
Harvesting
Eureka lemons are abundantly produced all year round but winter through early spring is the peak harvesting season. Look for a lemon that has a slightly glossy appearance and do a taste test. Once fruit has 25 per cent juice content, Eureka lemons are ready for harvesting.
Use secateurs or clippers when harvesting lemons since they are prone to oil spotting and cannot be handled roughly.
Advice
The Eureka Lemon tree is a great choice as an indoor plant. It can be kept to around 3-5 ft tall and just needs sunlight, room for growth, and adequate drainage. When planted in the ground it can be expected to grow up to 10’ to 15’ ft. Its usual bloom season is in spring/fall with fruit season in winter/spring. Keep in mind that although cold hardy, Eureka lemon citrus trees should still be protected when temperaturesdrop below 32°.
Pests and Diseases
Common pests attacking citrus trees are scales that suck the sap and nutrients of the plant, and citrus leaf miner that causes leaves to become distorted. Other pests of citrus trees include the spider mite, aphid, fruit fly, and snails. These pests can be controlled using beneficial insects that prey on the pests, horticultural oils, insecticides, and pesticides.
Diseases
- Citrus Canker – A serious and highly contagious bacterial infection that causes halo-like lesions on the foliage, twigs, and fruits of affected trees. Left unchecked, canker will result in dieback, leaf loss, and fruit drop.
Spraying copper fungicide is the best way to prevent the tree from getting infected with citrus canker disease. However, once the tree gets infected there is no viable treatment and the tree will have to be removed and destroyed to avoid infecting other trees.
- Greasy Spot Fungus – Symptoms include yellow-brown ulcer on the underside of leaves. As the disease advances, the ulcers begin to look oily.Spray liquid copper fungicide in June or July and follow up with another set of application in August or September.
- Phytophthora fungus – Commonly known as brown root rot or collar rot due to the resulting dark brown patches on the tree trunk characterized by oozing from the infected area. As it progresses, you will notice that the patches turn dry, crack and leave a dark, sunken spot. Treatment of this disease includes removal of affected area and dropped fruit, pruning of lower branches, and application of spray fungicides.
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