Urban Sprout
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Kitchen

Lemon (Nimbu)

⚠ Not pet-safe

Citrus limon

Category
Kitchen
Light
Full sun
Watering
Every 3-4 days
Difficulty
Challenging
Mature size
1-2m in a large container, slower and more compact than a ground-planted tree
Pet safety
Toxic or irritant to cats and dogs if chewed. Keep out of reach.

Growing note

Needs a genuinely large pot, 16 inches or more, with sharp drainage, since the roots resent sitting wet. Hard Indian tap water tends to push the soil alkaline over time, which shows up as yellowing between the leaf veins (iron chlorosis); a dose of chelated iron or occasional rainwater helps. Slow to fruit, often 2-3 years from a nursery sapling. The leaves, stems, and unripe fruit contain citrus oils and psoralens that are toxic to cats and dogs, so keep pots out of reach.