Lemon fruits are produced over a long season with the first crop (late October on the Peloponnese) of small, green, unblemished, lemons which are sold for the European market. The fruit ripens after harvest, so that it is young and fresh for the consumer. Harvesting continues with small, yellow fruits in November for the Athens market, and unblemished fruit for use as garnish. Fruit remaining on the tree swells with the Autumn and Winter rain, but remains on the tree and can be harvested until Spring, by which time the lemons have swollwn to almost grapefuit-like proportions and the lemon juice is sweeter. The fruits are then sold to the local co-operative for the lemon juice market.
Lemon flowers bloom mainly in April and are attractive to bees, though orange blossom from the bitter orange is even more attractive and sweetly scented. Lemon peel can be made into a sweet or marmalade and, if thick, can be eaten with salt - better tasting than it sounds!
Lemon juice is acidic and valued for its cleansing properties as much as for its flavour. It turns alkaline in the stomach and a lemon slice or squeeze of juice, in hot water is beneficial as an early morning drink. Lemon zest is used for flavouring.
Trigono-Lamda Lemon Grove produced a 15 ton crop in 2001, consistent with previous years' production; however, after severe frost damage in 2004, most trees failed to recover and have now been removed. Many of the trees remaining may produce bitter oranges rather than lemons, since the growth below the original grafts is stronger and has enabled the trees to survive.
Hopefully enough trees will bear lemons to give a small crop for domestic use in future.
Lemon wood is a useful crop for the domestic user. It burns when still "green" (i.e. newly cut) with a hot, clear flame and ca be used to fuel wood-burning dtoves and pizza ovens. The straight, spiny branches that grow from below the graft on younger trees have been used as broom handles.
Damage to lemon trees
There is a Greek saying that you should "never take a saw to a lemon tree!" This could well be true because open wounds on trees allow fungal growth and pests to attack. Unfortunately, lemon trees seem very prone to die back due to cold wet conditions and attack by pests and diseases. Had we not cleared damaged lower branches in 2000-2001, trees at the lemon grove would have been inaccessable for harvesting and tilling, yet by pruning, we may have hastened their demise. The trees were sprayed with copper sulphate in December 2000 to minimise fungal attack and produced a 15 ton crop in Spring 2001.
Unlike olive trees which live to a great age, lemon trees have a limited lifespan, perhaps between 30 and 50 years. During the last ten years I've observed the decline, not only of the Lemon Grove at Trigono-Lamda but also elsewhere in the area. Commercial groves have been replaced or interplanted with more robust olive trees which might afford them some protection while elsewhere groves have been replanted with other crops or sold for development.
Care of Lemon trees
Spray trees with copper sulphate in December to inhibit fungal growth.
Fertilise annually, following harvest, during winter or early spring when rain will help to ease the fertiliser into the soil and spur new growth.
Remove dead wood (resulting from die back caused by frost damage or fungal growth) in late spring, once harvest is complete and rainy weather has ceased. Fungal spores are less likely to damage the wood during the hot dry summer weather which enables cuts to dry and seal quickly.
Remove growth from below the graft regularly as soon as possible to avoid strong, straight spiny branches which grow through the middle of the tree.
Harvest the main small fruit crop when fruit is still green (around November in Greece) or just turning yellow. Harvest later for larger fruit and in spring for juice.
Note that lemons are not necessarily produced annually and by forcing the correct conditions it is possible to get more than one crop a year. I have described practice in Greece between 2000 and 2002 but recommend research to avoid the losses made at Trigon-Lamda. More information can be obtained by reference to growers organisations and to publications such as "CITRUS" by F.s. Davies and L.G. Albrigo. Published by CAB International, 1994 ISBN: 0 85198 867 9.
Lessons from Trigono-Lamda
The grove had apparently flourished from around 1969 to the late 1990s, regularly producing crops of around 15 tonnes. It was in two parts, around 150 trees grown on rough lemon rootstock furthest from the river and planted around 1970. A later plantation of 150 trees on the lower half of the Lemon Grove grown on a bitter orange rootstock which produced a moderate tree size, some disease resistance but rapid spiny growth from below the graft which should have been removed annually before it could weaken the fruit-bearing branches of the trees.
By the time of purchase in 2000, the drilled well was broken, trees overgrown and borders left wild. The farm building was in a state of disrepair and it was acknowledged that the cost of upkeep far exceeded any return on investment and was insufficient to cover even labour or Upkeep costs.
Following purchase, during 2000 and 2001, the lemon Grove was rejuvenated. Trees were pruned to reduce height and lower branches, which were preventing clearing beneath the trees and had been broken by heavy fruit, were removed. A 15 ton crop was produced in 2001, sold mainly for juice at local fruit co-operative at Gialova.
Subsequent difficulties were mainly due to absence - necessary because it was more sensible to work routinely in the UK, setting funds aside for work in Greece, than to continue working in Greece. In 2003-04 when temperatures dropped to -14 degrees Centigrade causing devastation of lemon trees throughout the Peloponnese, I noted on my March visit that while every tree had blackened leaves the amount of fruit was low. Following the devastation, up to a third of the trees died or reverted to the rootstock type.
Lack of funds to pay increasingly high wages ensured that the trees were neglected even longer. It was not until 2009 that it was possible to pay for Clearance. By the end of 2010 some trees were producing a crop and the land is being looked after.
The pesent aim at Trigono-Lamda is to retain the 100 or so trees capable of surviving, even if they have reverted to the bitter orange type. Orange blossom from the bitter orange is even more attractive to bees and has a sweeter scent. Flowers, which bloom mainly in April- May can be used in Bach Flower rememdies and the trees provide nesting for birds. Moreover, damaged trees close to the stream play hosts to an interesting variety of fungi, mosses and lichen.