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How to repot a lemon tree in the UK

Updated: October 2026

You repot a lemon when the roots have filled the pot, not because the calendar says April and the bag looks new. Move up one modest size, in spring if you can, into a free-draining citrus mix, water once, and let that water leave the pot. This guide is the sequence. Which bag to buy, by litres and by wording, is on the [citrus compost buying guide](/hub/trees-and-palms/citrus-soil/sub/citrus-soil-buying-guide). The eight listings we compared are on the [citrus soil](/hub/trees-and-palms/citrus-soil) page. We did not repot a tree for this page.

You repot a lemon when the roots have filled the pot, not because the calendar says April and the bag looks new.

Our top picks

Topline Topline Citrus Potting Mix (2 × 10 L)

Best overall

Topline Topline Citrus Potting Mix (2 × 10 L)
7.0/10about £20
View offer
Westland Westland Citrus Potting Mix (2 × 10 L)

Rank 2

Westland Westland Citrus Potting Mix (2 × 10 L)
8.8/10about £18.58
View offer
UK GROW UK GROW Citrus Potting Mix (25 L)

Best value

UK GROW UK GROW Citrus Potting Mix (25 L)
6.2/10about £22.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.When a repot is actually due
  2. 2.How much bigger the new pot should be
  3. 3.What you put around the roots
  4. 4.The first watering, and the week after

When a repot is actually due

Look at the roots before you look at the month. If they are circling the base or pushing out of the drainage holes, and growth has stalled in a pot you have not changed for a few years, it is time. If the tree is still comfortable, replace the top 2.5 to 5 cm with citrus compost or John Innes No. 3 and leave the root ball alone. What you should avoid is a full repot in November into cold, wet compost, then a weekly drink while the tree is resting in a porch. That winter pattern sits on the indoor lemon compost page. If you are unsure whether the tree is root-bound, slide it out over a sheet. A few white roots at the edge are normal. A solid mat is the signal to go up a size.

How much bigger the new pot should be

The RHS repotting guidance is to choose a pot no more than about one third larger than the one you are leaving. Excess compost stays wet, which is the overpotting failure. Use a pot with holes. A bowl without drainage is a bucket, whatever the compost says. A 10 litre bag is a top-dress or that small step. A 20 to 25 litre bag is one serious patio repot, with some left over if your step was only 5 cm. The named bags, if you want a pick before you start, are on best citrus potting mix.
Topline Topline Citrus Potting Mix (2 × 10 L)

Testsieger

Topline Topline Citrus Potting Mix (2 × 10 L)
7.0/10about £20
View offer

What you put around the roots

Tip the tree out, and tease only the roots that are circling. Set it so the compost surface sits at the same height on the stem as before, with a small gap below the rim for watering. Fill with a citrus potting mix, or with a peat-free John Innes No. 2 or No. 3 plus about 20 per cent grit, which is the RHS container route. Multipurpose on its own is the bag to leave for the borders. Dry compost is dusty. Westland’s handling advice is to rework it in a ventilated place and avoid breathing the dust. Do not add a thick feed at the moment of repotting.

The first watering, and the week after

Water once, thoroughly, with tepid rainwater if you have it, until water runs from the holes. Then let the pot drain. Empty the saucer. A free-draining mix cannot save a pot that is sitting in a puddle an hour later. After that first drink, wait until the surface starts to dry before you water again. The test is the compost, not a weekday. Lasting wilt, a sour smell, or compost that is still sodden after a week means the pot is too large or the drainage is blocked. The steps stop at a drained pot and a sensible size. They do not promise fruit by summer.

Common questions

What month should I repot in the UK?
Aim for spring, when growth is starting, if the tree is actually root-bound. Summer is acceptable if you keep the new compost from baking dry in a heatwave. Westland says other times are possible and spring is ideal. UK GROW says spring or any time in summer. A brand-new plant can stay in its nursery pot. Do not treat a date in a diary as a reason to repot a tree that still has spare compost around the roots.
How much bigger should the pot be?
Follow the RHS limit: no more than about one third larger, and for smaller pots about 2.5 to 5 cm wider and deeper. A 30 cm tree does not go into a 60 cm tub “to save doing it again”. The spare compost stays wet. If you have already overpotted, water sparingly or move back to a pot just bigger than the root ball.
Can I repot in winter?
A full repot in winter is the risky version, because the tree is growing slowly and the compost stays cold and wet. Prefer a top-dress of 2.5 to 5 cm if you must do something before spring. If a pot has failed and the roots are rotting, you may have to move the tree sooner, into a pot only slightly larger, and then water far less than you would in June.
Do I put crocks in the bottom?
A drainage hole matters more than a layer of broken pots. The RHS does not treat a deep crock layer as the way to fix a compost that holds water. Use an open mix, a pot with holes, and a saucer you empty. A gravel layer can even hold a wet band at the base if it perches water above it.
How soon do I feed after repotting?
Wait until you see new growth, then use a citrus fertiliser through the growing season. A starter in the compost is not the whole year. One retailer puts Westland’s included feed at about six weeks, which is a brand-page figure, not an Amazon test result. Do not feed a cool, leafless tree in December to “help it recover”.

Related pages

Citrus soil vs multipurpose

Citrus soil

Best citrus potting mix: UK top pick and best value

Citrus soil buying guide: litres, drainage, and price

Indoor lemon tree compost: UK winter water and heat

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, used for this page in October 2026. Prices, stars and review counts are from the amazon.co.uk listings stored on 19 October 2026. Garden-centre shelf prices are not Amazon prices. This is not a laboratory test.

  1. RHS, How to grow citrus (retrieved October 2026)
  2. RHS, Citrus problems (retrieved October 2026)
  3. RHS lemon profile (retrieved October 2026)
  4. Westland Citrus Potting Mix (retrieved October 2026)
  5. Hansard written answer, 19 March 2026 (retrieved October 2026)
  6. Responsible Sourcing Scheme (retrieved October 2026)
  7. Thompson & Morgan citrus guide (retrieved October 2026)
  8. Pennells, Westland 10 L (retrieved October 2026)