Nutrition
The lemon tree acquires nutrients in two ways. The
first way is through the roots in which the roots absorb nutrients
and water from the soil. Nutrients that the roots absorb
include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and
sulfur. These nutrients are also considered macronutrients
since the plant needs large amounts of them. The roots
also provide the plant with micronutrients which include: iron,
zinc, manganese, boron, copper, molybdenum, nickel, and
chlorine. The second way the lemon tree gets nutrients is
through photosynthesis. Photosynthesis occurs in the
leaves of the tree and results in glucose and oxygen. To
perform ph
otosynthesis
the plant needs carbon dioxide which can be received from the
air, water which can be absorbed by the roots, and light energy
that comes from the sun. Once these nutrients are absorbed or produced
they are transported through the rest of the tree. Water
is transported via vascular tissue known as xylem and the
glucose and other nutrients are transported by phloem. If some
of these nutrients are not used they are stored in the leaves of
the plant for later use.
Citrus limon is classified as a free living organism. It is considered to be free living since it does not depend on another organism for nutrients, water or anything else to survive. However, Citrus limon can be the host for fungi and other parasitic organisms. Read more about this on the interactions page.