Trigono Lamda - Lemon Trees

Lemon trees

Lemon flower by DF Lemons are produced over a long season with the main crop ripening in early November. 150 trees on the lower half of the lemon Grove are grown on a bitter orange rootstock which produces a moderate tree size, some disease resistance but rapid spiny growth, best removed quickly, from below the graft. Die back due to frost is common and pruning, if necessary, should be undertaken in dry summer weather when fungal grwth is minimal. Trees are sprayed with copper sulphate solution in December to combat fungal attack and should be fertilised each year.

mature tree before pruning

From 2000 - 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, sold mainly for juice at local fruit co-operative at Gialova.

The 2002-03 crop was small and the harsh winter of 2003-04 when temperatures dropped to -14 degrees C caused devastation. Every tree was blackened, all leaves and fruit lost and up to a third of the trees died or reverted to the rootstock type.

Exacerbated by the high cost of pruning,clearing and fertilising, it has taken some time for remaining trees to recover.

A fesh look at Crops - Uses of lemon trees

The devastation of the Lemon Grove and the financial problems associated with living away from the groves necessetated a re-think. Land has a value in its own right and, more impotantly, nature had the opportunity to show what it could do when left undisturbed.

With Their dense, prickly branches, lemon trees afford a safe home for small birds. Undesirable for orchard trees, damaged trees close to the stream provide an interesting display of fungi, mosses and lichen. Their importance is not fully understand or appreciated.

Lemon Flower

Lemon flowers are white with orange anthers. They are sweetly scented and attractive to bees. However, orange blossom from the bitter orange is even more attractive and sweeter. Flowers, which bloom mainly in April- May can be used in Bach Flower rememdies.

Lemons remain on the tree for many months if not picked, growing larger and sweeter. The peel can be made into a sweet or marmalade and, if thick, can be eaten with salt - better tasting than it sounds!

Young, shapely, lemons are used as decoration while older or mishapen fruit is squeezed and the juice bottled. 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 sqeeze of juice, in hot water is beneficial as an early morning drink. Lemon zest is used for flavouring.

Lemon tree trunk The slow growing, dense olive wood, with its dark heartwood veining is prized for decorative woodwork. While Lemon wood is not valued in the same way, It burns when still "green" (i.e. newly cut) with a hot, clear flame. Wood from the Lemon grove has been used in local pizza ovens as well as stoves and open fires. The straight, spiny branches that grow from below the graft on younger trees, have been used as broom handles.

Costs for Trigono Lamda

Trigono-Lamda costs approximately €4,000 to run and is mainly funded from the UK at present. The cost includes 3-4 trips a year from the UK to work and supervise, pay taxes etc. The largest expense is hiring labour.

Bartering can be a good way round the financial problems and it has been possible to exchange products and accommodation for labour. Cost breakdowns