Each tree in the lemon house had an available surface area of between 16 and 20 square meters that was called a plot (cap or campàa). The number of plots determined the size of a garden. Already in the 16th century Agostino Gallo established several rules for growing lemons, recommending that the plants have rich gravel-free soil and that fertilizer be spread before the soil was hoed and the lemon house was still uncovered . Besides fertilizing, the soil had to be weeded and hoed, the trees had to be pruned and irrigated, and the lemon house had to be covered and uncovered. The lemons were picked (spicànda) by hand while pickers stood on special ladders or three-legged stools, and were then placed in a leather sack (grümiàl).

Lemon trees flower several times a year, first in May then throughout the summer and fall. The fruits of May are not as smooth and round as the fruits of June and July. These are the best fruits, while the lemons grown in August are considered less valuable. The trees bloom and fruit is also picked, but in minor quantity, in September and October. Taking into account the production over a decade, one tree in full production supplied between 500 and 600 lemons, on average, during the two main harvests of May and June.
Citrus fruits were used for many things. Agostino Gallo wrote "a good amount of money can be made from many parts of the plants... citron blossoms can be eaten in salads or preserved in vinegar to be served with apples or sugar; even orange blossoms can be used for making superb scented waters... unripe fruit is used for many delicate condiments, and tiny oranges are used to make wreaths that are beautiful to look at and delightful to smell. The ripe fruit is valued for eating, making preserves and is given to the sick and also used in medicines... even orange peels are sold for making good pickled fruit relish, orange juice, paradello focaccias, liqueur and spiced bread".

Citron water, which was first produced in Salò in the second half of the 18th century by Antonio Bonardi and has been made by Luigi Patruzzi since 1840, was also quite popular.