Keep it well watered, but not soaking wet. You will be able to keep it outside until you expect your first freeze.
Then move it inside your house and near a window. I kept mine by the french doors. I gave mine to my son, as it was gettin to big for me to haul in and out. One year I got 23 lemons off it.
Enjoy!

Thanks for the advice! It's one thing to screw up any old perennial with trial and error, but I was just so excited about this little guy. I really want it to grow up big and healthy!

How large a pot did you have it in Kathy?

Congrats on your new tree... I got one last year and got 13 lemons.. They were wonderful!!! It is covered with blooms ... I keep mine in a pot on the porch..Natvtxn covered it.. Likes sunshine and moisture I mist mine everyday also especially when I bring it in for the winter... Good luck!!
Chena

How big a pot do y'all keep it in?

By the time I got rid of it it was in this large pot. Since they lived near Corpus Christi they planted it in the yard.
If your's is just a foot or so tall it can stay in a 1 gal for about a year and then move it up to a 2 gal. or 5 gal. depending on the root system. I have a friend in town who has had hers' in a 5 gal. pots for years.

That's a 2 gal. pot beside the big one.

{{gwi:1353065}}

I purchased a Meyer last last summer. The plant looked ugly and sad when I got it but I saved it. I made sure to pollinate it this year by hand and now I have about 8 little fruits on it.

I've had mine in the ground..this is the third year...the blossoms fragrance is divine!!..and the fruit is wonderful!!..Enjoy...Jeanne

Yours is in the ground? So I guess it made it through the last winter okay? The pot I've got for mine is huge, probably way too big to bring indoors in the winter. I was hoping if I pull it up against the house for protection and cover it during freezing temps it might do okay.

Yes it's planted in my backgarden...gets sun most the day..planted right next to my Dwarf Anna Apple Tree..Jeanne

Cseim, if you still check this board, how is your Meyer lemon doing? I bought one in May as well and have it in a 5-gallon pot on my back porch in full sun as well. It has about 6 fruits on it. When do these ripen?

And I have two other questions... 1. does anyone prune these? Mine grew into a funny straggly shape... or should I just leave it and let it fill out its own way. And 2. what kind of fertilizer should I use? I only use a seaweed/fish emulsion mix on all my plants, but I wonder if containers need an extra boost (or citrus needs a special extra thing). When the plant is inside for the winter, does anyone fertilize it or do you just leave it be?
thanks all

Oooh I'd so love to try one of these in the ground, but I'd be sad if I lost it. No fruits on mine yet, but I think I need to move it to a sunnier spot.

Austinwildflower:
Your use of fish / seaweed should supply most of its needs macro and minor elements. Feed less inside but still give it some but cut in half or so depending on how much sun and growth you get through the winter months Nov-Feb. You could use slow-release fert if that is something you are into. I use it as a base fert for most of my containered plants and then supplement individual pots for their own needs. I use seaweed regularly but not much fish (because of the hassle and smell mostly) not because it isn't a great overall fert. One of the best IMHO but a hassle to use. My kitty likes it toooooo much as welllll.
Happy Growing David

I was advised earlier this year to feed ML with liquid azalea food every other week during the growing season. (Guess we'll do that - next year. We have one in a pot and need to prepare the planting spot for it soon.) I think the fruit ripen around Christmas, or early winter anyway.

First year with one. Live in Illinois. It's now Oct. 21, and I have about 15 lemons starting to, or already turned yellow. Do I simply pick them off, or do they drop? Also, what do I do for winter? I have to take inside, but don't have a lot of sunny locations in the house. How much do I water?

Jeanne -- where do you live in zone 8? I would love to put my 4 plants in the ground. I have them in huge plastic pots (20 diameter) and they are too heavy to easily move--and two have grown very tall and top heavy (I pruned to a tree shape although they fruit heaviest on bottom branches). If I had a south facing wall, I would plant and espalier them.

Cseim -- we were OOT last Christmas season and when we left the many many lemons were starting to ripen; when we returned the 2 plants were frozen. However, they surprised me and the little bare sticks returned to leaf but have not flowered this season (now pruned to globe shape). I really think that if I had them in the ground they would have fared much better. I feed them with citrus fertilizer spikes which is not the best idea for a potted plant (salts?).

Cseim -- just measured the pots and they are 24" in diameter. I would think they could live many years in these pots as long as I refreshed the soil and kept the plants pruned.

I have had mine in the ground for several years now and right now I have close to 40 lemons on it. Last year I picked over 50 but it was attacked by white flies this year and it seems to have set it back a bit. I know they like a lot of fertilizer. Mine has been outside with temps as low as 26 and it was just fine. Now watch - this year it will freeze and die!!!

I'm hedging my bets by once again bringing the first Meyer's Lemon [in a large pot] inside for winter. Last spring I planted a second one in the ground where the housewall can block NE winds and an electrical outlet is handy if we get a freeze. I've read that a string of lights under some row cover might be enough to keep them going here in NW Austin.

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

I am in Austin and mine is in a pot, but my neighbor has one against her house that is about 10 feet tall. She got over 100 lemons off of it last year. I use Medina's granular micronutrients on all my citrus trees, and it works wonders. They are not looking good right now because they don't like cool weather. Guess I better clean the junk out of the greenhouse and get it ready. They love it in there!

I just planted my Meyer's lemon in the ground, here in Dripping Springs. There are a few lemon's on the tree, but I'm wondering when do I pick them? Do they turn yellow and then I pick them? I'm really encouraged by your storied of 40 and 50 lemons... how exciting is that!

Well, mine is still alive despite going through some periods of neglect! We moved the pot onto the lawn in the middle of Decemeber while we had our deck redone and totally forgot about it through January. It had no shelter or anything. It was just a bunch of sticks all spring, but is now covered in foliage again. Ours gets plenty of sunshine, water twice a week or so, and a bit of whatever is going on the rest of the yard to feed it (a sprinkle of Osmocote here, a scoop of compost there, etc.) We missed the spring flush of flowers that my MIL got on hers, but I'm hoping it's not to late for some kind of production this year. If nothing else, I'll be much more careful with it next winter.

Chrissy

Ours is in the ground next to a south-facing brick wall. Didn't protect it all winter. We've got probably 15-20 tiny baby lemons on it.

I live near missinformation and I bought my tree from her last fall.

I kept mine in the pot it came in all winter and dragged it in and out. Repotted it in March. Currently, it has about 35 lemons of various sizes, the largest is about 1.5 inches, so I expect to have to rig some kind of stake system soon. It is also still blooming.

It gets lots of sun, water when top of soil is dry, and regular doses of iron.

Also, remember... Meyer Lemons are self pollinating.

HTH

Aargh some of my lemons are doing well and some are turning black and dropping off. I don't see any critter around though. Any ideas?

This thread is great! We just bought a ML this weekend and plan to keep it in a pot. The nursery said they liked being rootbound, so yeah for that! We also brought home special citrus fertilizer.

One of the branches on our tree is pretty low to the ground. The nursery lady said to wait until the fruit there is mostly yellow, then to pick them and prune off that branch. We want to try and root this. Any ideas/suggestions on the best way to get it started? I have rooting hormone. Will that be enough?

I'm thinking about planting my D. meyer lemon in ground. Any tips on how to ammend the soil, hole size and depth, fertilization frequency? I live in north Austin and we've got a thin layer of soil over caliche/rock. Thanks

I love ML, it's the only lemon that I can eat/drink because it has very little amount of acidity.

I first found out about them from my next door neighbor. Years ago, her sons had planted 2 dwarf ML on the ground about 6-8ft. apart from one another. The trees had grown to touch each other and they're about 5-6 ft wide and tall. In the fall, the branches are pulled down with loads of fruits to the ground. She doesn't really do anything to them and they're so fruitful every year.

I now own 2 dwarf ML but are still in pots. I will plant them on the ground soon. When they're flowering, they don't like to be disturbed.

The fruits will turn yellow in October but they're juicy enough to be picked from late August and on. If you let them ripe, the fruit will be bigger and the juice will be a bit sweet but still sour.

As for food, I just give them plenty of ironite. It helps to keep their leaves from turning yellow. Ironite is good for all citrus, azeleas and camelias so I have a big bag handy at all time.

As for soil... here in Houston, we usually have clay soil. Whenever, I plant something to the ground, I've always mixed the clay soil with lots of compost/humus mix. I normally buy the inexpensive Earth's Finest Compost Peat Humus 40lb bag from Lowe's. It's less than $2 and my garden just love that stuff.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lowe's Earth's Finest Compost Peat Humus

I live in Hawaii and bought a small potted ML at Christmas, and now have about 10 fruit each about an inch and a half in size, plus flowers and tiny new fruit too -- not many leaves though. How long does it take for them to gain full size and turn yellow? OK to pick when they are fully colored? Any suggestions on how to encourage more leaves? Your tips from others will be very useful, thanks to all.

My Amazing Meyer Lemon! Two years ago I bought a small grafted Meyer Lemon Tree from QVC. Yes, QVC the home shopping TV channel. The first summer it got leaves, nothing else. I kep it alive in my sunny Vermont kitchen window. Last summer, it really took off! Grew five times it's size and starting blooming in May and still blooming in November!! I brought in it from the cold in September and it's still blooming. My kitchen smells great! Has many lemons, some as large as store bought lemons--still green but growing. Any one else living in a cold wintery climate also have such luck? I love my Lemon Meyer Tree!!!!!!! Can I post pictures on this form?

Post away, georgefromvt..............

I have been doing a lot of reading about them lately and one of the ideas was to pinch off all the leaves in the fall and prune the branches. I'm trying this for the first time this year-I hope I don't kill them all. There's a lot of info over in the citrus forum about this. I bring my ML in for the winter cause it's just alittle too cold around here for them to go in the ground.

The defoliated/pruned trees are in a row on the bottom right in the pic. One still has an orange on it. Cheryl

I live in Arlington, TX and am looking to buy Meyers lemons. Does anyone know someplace in the DFW area to buy them? Thx.

I bought mine from Lowe's, but it may be too late in the season unless they have some left over. If they do, then you should get a nice discount.

Redenta's or North Haven Gardens might have Meyer Lemon now. Good luck!

I lover Meyer Lemons! Where have I been not to see this?

I was told that one of the most cold tolerant citrus trees that can grow quickly from seed is kumquat. Have any of your tried them? I love to eat them.

Love that organized greenhouse! Wow.
I've just started the annual big dig.

c

Hi Cynthia,

My 5 year old Meyer froze back but survived and came back from the several nights in the mid teens last winter. My one year old kumquat did not even freeze back and is doing great. I basically just covered them both with a sheet and that's it. By the way, I am not sure about growing them from seed as far as quality of fruit. You may want to double check that. (I just know that mine happens to be grafted and has good tasting fruit).

greenleaf - when youre meyer froze back... you said it was a grafted tree. did the regrowth come from above or below the graft? ive got a 20' tall sour orange tree in my front yard that i assume was once apon a time the rootstock of something else.

I need help with my Meyer's lemon...I've had it for 2 1/2 years now & bring it into the garage for the winter. It gets fruit on it that has gotten as big as a grapefruit but never ripened...what am I doing wrong? I actually bought it on sale at a Weatherford nursery for GST butterfly host plant, but would love to use the fruit.

My 3 year old ML planted in ground froze last year. We thought it was dead. We cut it back and since Dec 2009 it has regrown beautifully. Has anyone in the Houston area experienced the same thing? Will it ever grow fruit again?

i have one ml in a pot and for 2 yrs it has bloomed and made little lemons about the size of a pea then they fell off. What am i doing wrong?

I purchased one @ McKinney Trades Day on 380. They have them every spring at just about all North Texas Lowe's stores also. The one from the trades day (which was way cheaper than the one I'd purchased from Lowe's) has been a healthier plant.

I saw some gorgeous Meyer Lemons blooming at Redentas in Arlington. They were in the greenhouse, in full wonderful fragrant bloom and covered with happy bees.

Wow! I asked questions and got lots of information. Was told they would need to be in a warm sunny greenhouse. Wouldn't be happy with temps even into the mid 30's because they've been kept in the 50's.
[ Hmmm, didn't notice a gh heater.....]

It was the most wonderful fragrance and several of us just stood there and admired.

I was told that they get the plant in late summer. That these were kept through the winter in the GH. They were about 5 gallon pots and were priced at $56.

That's all I know. I see why y'all love these trees so. I gave ti some serious thought. My gh has a tin roof, I have a fairly sunning indoor room...but a drive with a car full of bees was a bit more than my brain could grapple with. Maybe is I had a screen to keep the bees in the back of my little Forester....hmmmmm

Don and kmltx 9, sorry your questions have gone unanswered. Being at the end of a long thread it probably has not been seen by a lot of people. You might want to start a new thread with your questions.

Kmltx, your tree will fruit again IF it came back above the graft. Meyer lemons are grafted onto a more hardy root stock and sometimes it is the root stock that grows if the top has died back. Perhaps you can carefully inspect it to try and see where it was grafted and determine which you have growing now, the rootstock or the Myer lemon trunk that was grafted onto it.

Don, sometimes young trees or trees in pots that don't have a strong root system to support fruiting will flower nicely, but will drop young fruit. Maybe try putting it in a larger pot. And give it as much sunshine as you can. Since Myer lemon trees are subject to below freezing weather unless protected in some way that means dragging it into a warmer area when the temperature drops. Myer lemons will produce mature fruit while in a pot, but not as many as it would in the ground.

Hope this little bit helps. There are some good tips on growing them in the replies contained in this thread. Google 'Growing Myer Lemon trees' and you will find more.

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing Myer lemon trees ...