If it's growing in a pot, the possibility is that it may need a bigger root area - perhaps re-potting may be in order. However, one idea may be to remove an inch or two inches of old soil around the rim and replace it with some fresh potting soil - compost preferably.

I have several dwarf trees - one is a Satsuma mandarin orange. This tree bears heavily anyway - producing lots of small fruit at this time of year. They are just beginning to ripen now and will be good for several months. The fruit is small because I didn't cull the fruit this year. I will pick the largest ones first and either eat fresh or preserve, leaving the smaller ones to grow.

Many of these dwarf type trees are prolific bearers anyway, culling is the usual procedure when they begin to over-produce.

The mandarins are a great fruit for freezing - although quite tedious to de-string and remove pith. I usually make a simple syrup after peeling to cover, then freeze.

There was a forum article awhile ago about preserving lemons - whole, in - I believe vinegar or brine. Sorry - perhaps someone else remembers the post. It can then be used for flavoring in salads, etc.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

Repotting is a thought, it hasn't been in a couple of years.

Mandarins make a wonderful marmalade for gifts. Because they have so little pith, it comes out more like store-bought in the sense of not having the bitter edge of traditional marmalades. I like the bitterness myself, but people unfamiliar with traditional marmalades tend to be put off by it. It's also easier to make than some, because since you don't have to remove pith, you can simply cook the fruits whole and then seed & slice them afterwards when the peel is tender and easier to slice.

Is it really necessary to keep the tree in a pot. I should think you could plant it in the ground in zone 8, but perhaps you get freezes there. These citrus trees are quite hardy.

If the fruit has a thick enough skin, it should be able to tolerate light frosts. They grow lemons in the Borrego Desert area, and they have some pretty cold nights at this time of year.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

Citrus in a pot will be a heavy feeder too. So look for fertilizers suitable for citrus. I must assume they like acidic soil, and should have a high potassium content, but I may be wrong. There is a nursery in Conn, that sells all kinds of unusual tropical trees, plants, and shrubs. Don't recall the name, but gave a friend of mine their catalog. I also seem to recall that another person here, was also growing Meyer lemons, a while ago. I like adding the skins of tangerines as they are brighter orange and quite thin too.

It has to be in a pot until my husband and I buy our own place. We're in rental, and I'm getting a start on the yard we haven't bought yet by planting things I want in pots so I can take them with me when I do.

Meyer lemons were originally from China, and are thought to be a cross between regular lemons and mandarin oranges. They're sweeter than other lemons, with a richer flavor.

They're to be treated like any other citrus as far as I know, in terms of conditions and feeding.

Last winter, we had a very long, cold spell fairly unusual for this area. Everyone's gardens suffered. I lost quite a few plants and the lemons I had left on the tree. There was some frost damage on the leaves as well, I wonder if that could have had anything to do with it, though I can't imagine why it would.

You know, ks, you might be onto something with the heavy feeder thing. I had quite the hectic summer, and my usual gardening chores suffered...perhaps I didn't feed it as often as I should.

Perhaps this spring, I will get a bigger pot, mix in some of that polymer stuff to help the soil hold more water (it gets so hot here in the summer time that even large pots can dry out in a day) and actually keep a schedule of feeding etc, as I generally just do it by "feel".

Thanks for all the suggestions!

My fig tree leaves droop in 2 days after a good watering. In the heat of summers, I have to water nearly every day. Its in a huge pot. Ive added a general type fruit tree fertilizer to mine and its done very well so far. Potted plants do need more nutrients compared to those planted directly in a garden.

I make my own potting soil from home-made compost that is made by shredding all my leaves, grasses, branches quite fine, then allowed to break down under a black tarp. This has been great stuff - not only for putting in my gardening boxes (where I grow all my veggies), but is also great for potting plants and young trees.

The compost is mixed with about 1/4th or so of peat moss, which helps it to retain moisture. My potted plants get very little attention, except in summer when I might aim the hose in their direction. However, in the case of a lemon tree - it might be reaching the stage where it is becoming root bound and needs either planting in a bigger pot or in the ground, otherwise, perhaps it could be taken out of the pot and the roots cut back somewhat.

Just a word - if you intend to have lots of fruit trees, would suggest you try to find dwarf or semi-dwarf trees. They are great for small families, and if you are like me, you want a lot of variety but unfortuntaely, have less space - especially as time goes on. The dwarf trees produce very well and are much easier to maintain - as far as spraying, picking and pruning is concerned.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

My Meyer is a dwarf. I wasn't sure exactly how many years it would have to live in a pot, so I didn't dare buy a standard. It's my only fruit tree at the moment, but when the bare root stuff comes in this year, I want to buy a couple of others and get them started. Maybe a mandrin orange, a lime, a peach and a plum. I think you're right, dwarf trees would be better for us...I don't really want to be up extension ladders as the years get on! :S

Here in CA Central Valley, the summers are so hot and dry that anything less hardy than my rosemary or cacti can need water twice a day at times. I've started topping the soil with a couple of inches of landscaping bark or rocks and that helps, but the water absorbing polymer stuff helps quite a bit for things like my tomatoes. I was always getting those dark "bruises" on the blossom end from irregular watering before I started using it (yes, my tomatoes are in pots too...no good ground-level sunshine, so they have to be elevated).

I think I'd find a way to turn those lemons into last-minute Christmas gifts. Whether you turn them into marmalade or lemon curd, or just stick them in a basket with fruit or other goodies. I know I'd get a big kick out of a tiny little lemon as part of a gift basket!

You could probably freeze them for recipes in the coming months, but I don't know if you'd want to freeze them whole, or peel them first. I'm not sure I've ever frozen citrus. Good luck!

I bet there are a lot of folks who would just appreciate getting a few whole lemons as a gift this time of year.

rachelellen -

I've wondered about those polymers and whether they would be useful for our sandy alkaline soil.

What you describe about your tomatoes - sounds like blossome end rot, that is also quite common. When the tomato plants get too much sun - the top growth gets the calcium first out of the soil, and there is less left in the soil for the roots.

I noted that planting my tomatoes too early - means they will be a long time until they get enough heat to ripen (cool summers here). If I plant too late - the blossom end rot problem happens because of the rapid top growth - for the reason above.

The peat moss seems to help the moisture retention, but wondered if polymer additions would be feasible, as I have 9 planter boxes for growing veggies. The expense may be a factor.

I know that folks garden in our local deserts - also in boxes, and they have soil problems - as well as wind, etc., to deal with.

The Vegetable/Fruit Forums have lots of knowledgeable folks that advise.

About lemons - I'd juice them adding some of the zest and freeze in ice cube trays. Great convenience in summer. The limes are heavy this year, but few will go to waste. Also have the mandarin oranges.

I agree about someone that would appreciate having the excess. Unfortunately, California frowns on sending fruit beyond the borders (pest/disease control laws). Most of the neighbors have their own fruit trees - so are not as welcome. I've offered several times. From time to time, my grand-daughter takes the excess to her church group - also fresh eggs - which they really enjoy more.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

Around here, it's difficult to give citrus away as so many people have their own trees. I do mail my stepmother (in Maine) lemons in the winter, but I'll send her some of the nice, plump ones from my neighbor's tree.

bejay, I'd suggest you talk to a good nursery about the polymers. Buying little jars on the net is pretty expensive, but some nurseries will buy it in bulk and repackage it...much less expensive, since you aren't paying extra for the jar and postage. A little goes a long way! Over time, the constant swelling and shrinking of the polymer can make it "squirm" it's way to the top, so I usually mix it into the dirt a little ways under where the root ball will go and then fill with non-polymer laced soil.

When I had a calamondin tree, one year we took the small fruit and sliced them. Then put them on cookie sheets and dried them crisp in the oven - put something down on the sheets before the slices or they will discolor. Mixed with some spices the smell was very nice and made a cute room freshener in a decorative dish.

Hmm...there's a thought. I hadn't considered a non-food use for them. I do have a good dehydrator...hmmm.