Lemon and calamansi tree care in Dubai: sun, water, feeding and problems

Lemon and calamansi trees can do well in Dubai with full to part sun, regular deep watering and regular feeding. They are not as drought-tough as olives or date palms. Yellow leaves are the common complaint, and the cause is usually watering, drainage or a lack of nutrients.

Key takeaways

• Sun for most of the day, with some shade from the fiercest summer afternoon sun for young trees.
• Water deeply and regularly, and let the top layer dry slightly between waterings.
• Citrus needs feeding. Use a citrus fertiliser through the growing season.
• Yellow leaves point to overwatering, poor drainage or hunger, often a mix.
• Leaf curl or silvery trails on new leaves can be leaf miner, a common citrus pest.

How much sun do lemon and calamansi trees need?

Citrus needs plenty of light to flower and fruit. Choose a spot with sun for most of the day. In the Dubai summer, a young potted tree can suffer in reflected heat from walls or tiles, so a bit of afternoon shade, or moving the pot, helps. Wind shelter also helps the tree hold its flowers.

How often should you water citrus in Dubai?

Regularly and deeply. In summer, a tree on drip irrigation usually needs water several times a week, and a potted tree may need it daily in peak heat. Check the soil with a finger first. In winter, reduce the frequency but do not let the roots dry out completely, since stress at flowering time can cause flowers and small fruit to drop.

Water at the base, early in the morning. A drip ring around the tree is better than a wet trunk. Waterlogged soil is as harmful as drought.

What soil do citrus trees need?

Soil that drains freely but holds some moisture and nutrients. Sandy soil in the UAE drains too quickly on its own and can be saline, so mix plenty of compost into the planting hole and add mulch on top. Water deeply to push salts below the roots. In pots, use a quality potting mix with perlite and drainage holes.

How do you feed lemon and calamansi?

Citrus is a heavy feeder. Use a citrus fertiliser, or a balanced one with micronutrients such as iron, magnesium and zinc, through the growing season, following the label. Yellow leaves with dark green veins often point to a micronutrient shortage, not a watering problem.

How do you plant or repot citrus on a terrace?

Choose a large pot with drainage holes, and a lightweight, well-draining mix. Repot every couple of years into a pot a size larger, or top-dress with fresh mix. Plant at the same depth as before and keep the graft union (the bump on the lower trunk) above the soil. Check the weight limits for your balcony.

In our outdoor plants range you can find Calamansi, Citrus Lemon Omani and Spanish Lemon.

How and when do you prune citrus?

Citrus needs little pruning. Remove dead, crossing and weak branches, suckers from below the graft, and lightly shape after harvest. Avoid heavy cutting, since it removes flowering wood. For larger trees, see tree trimming.

Why are my citrus leaves yellow or dropping?

• Overwatering or poor drainage: pale yellow leaves and leaf drop. Check that water drains away.
• Underwatering: wilting and curling leaves, then drop.
• Nutrient shortage: yellowing between the veins. Feed with a citrus fertiliser.
• Salt build-up: brown leaf edges. Water deeply to flush.
• Transplant or position change: temporary leaf drop is normal.
• Winter: some leaf drop in the coolest months can be natural.

Which pests attack lemon and calamansi?

• Leaf miner: silvery winding trails in new leaves, which then curl. Remove badly damaged new growth.
• Aphids: clusters on new shoots. Rinse with water and repeat.
• Scale and mealybugs: sticky leaves and sooty mould on the surface. Wipe off or rinse, and repeat.
• Whitefly: tiny flying insects under leaves. Rinse the undersides and repeat.
• Spider mites: webbing in hot dry weather.

If an infestation persists, talk to a garden professional about what to do.

How big do lemon and calamansi trees get?

Calamansi is usually the smaller of the two and suits large pots. A lemon tree can reach a few metres in the ground, but pruning and containers keep both manageable.

Fruiting depends on tree age, conditions and care, so don't expect a heavy crop in the first year. For routine watering and feeding checks, see garden maintenance.

Reviewed by Hamza, site supervisor at Green Beetle.