Shade Cloth Needed for Lemon Trees?

Q. I just planted a Lisbon and Meyer lemon in full sun. Do I need to put shade cloth over them in the summer? I put shade cloth over my raised bed vegetable garden. They are planted along a northeast facing wall and not surrounded by rock.

Eureka Lemon growing in Las Vegas. Eureka lemon is a true lemon.

A. It’s a good location for fruit trees but I’m not sure how your citrus will perform in your landscape locale. Its touch and go in our climate. Much of their performance depends on the winter and spring temperatures of your landscape location. If temperatures are very low during the winter, Lisbon and Meyer trees might both get killed. Meyer lemon is more cold hardy, but in a very cold location, or during a very cold winter, it can be damaged or worse. If there are spring freezing temperatures, you might see less or no fruit produced on one or both trees.

Probably Meyer lemon which is not a true lemon. It doesnt have that lemon shape, it is round instead, and it shows off its orange heritage when it ripens but still tastes like a sweet lemon.

‘Lisbon’ is a normal lemon tree. ‘Meyer’ is not. Meyer lemon fruit tastes like a lemon but is actually a citrus hybrid with sour fruit. ‘Lisbon’ is 5 or 6 degrees more tender to winter freezing temperatures than Meyer lemon so it may need winter protection in your landscape locale when Meyer doesn’t.

Shade Protection?

Citrus doesn’t need shade protecting it from our desert sun. Citrus grows in full sun in the Yuma area, so it doesn’t need shade cloth here either. However, the first year after planting it might be a little shocked from its transfer from coastal California nursery to the harsher Mojave desert so it may develop some leaf yellowing or leaf drop the first year. Give it a chance to acclimate to this desert area which is no worse than growing in Yuma if the soil is improved at planting.