I'm sorry you've had trouble. My Meyer is really no trouble at all...very hardy. My Santa Teresa lemon is the PITA in my house! LOL. I do agree with Atheen...it probably has different conditions in your house than it did at the nursery. Also, the peat-based mixtures they plant them in are not ideal for long-term health. I had a meyer that came in that that I bought in the dead of winter and it almost died from root rot because I left it in the mix for too long. Perhaps a gentle repotting into 5-1-1 may be good to ensure good health through the winter. FYI, I bought a cara cara about 2 months ago. It was covered with buds at the nursery. I repotted it and it also dropped a bunch of buds. I think it is ok...it is just acclimating to its new environment. Let us know how it develops!

At the nursery it was in a big glass greenhouse that had two doors open to the outside during the day - it was probably 65-75 degrees in there. It was also up against a big south-facing glass wall, so it certainly was getting more light there than it gets at my house without the addition of the grow-light.

It's actually a four-winds tree and it's packed in a pine-bark mix right now, which is why I am going to wait to re-pot until Spring (when it's getting all the light and heat it could want).

I'd share a picture, but honestly, it just looks like a super healthy little lemon tree. There's on yellowing of any kind, the leaves are broad and flat and deep green.

If you guys had to choose between consistently warmer temperatures and more light, which would you choose? I'll try and share some pictures of the two spots when I get a chance.

That's a great question....I'm not sure...probably more light unless the temperature fluctuations were huge.

Check for Spider Mites..That is usually the cause of bud and blossom drop at such a drastic rate along with some leaves...It should not have done that from the Nursery to your home..Do you own a magnifying glass? I would check asap or if you have a pesticide, spray asap...You probably had the same problem with the last one and did not know it..Nurseries are notorious for selling pest infested trees..

If no Bugs and you are absolutely positive, meaning you have checked under the leaves for anything slowly or barely crawling, then watch you watering practices..

Once removed from a greenhouse, they due go through a bit of a shock, not enough to drop as much as you have, but enough to slow down taking up water..They are use to getting watered almost every day verses once a week in their new environment..Make sure your mix is almost dry before watering or you could develop root rot very quickly..

Lemon Meyer is not as finicky as you think..Many think they are the worst to grow when in fact the easiest by most. That is why they are so popular and so many have huge success with them...

The only 4 things I can think of that would cause such a huge drop so quickly would be in order, Root Rot, drastic light change, spider mites and or under watering...Have any of these happened to you or do you think they have?

I assume that nursery sold you a good plant with good roots. Did you lift the plant and look at the roots?

The light thingy is a personal and choice...)

This is for in door climates in which those of us have to keep them inside for the cold months

Some like to grow their trees actively all year which requires a good amount of light, lots of it and warm temps...

Some like to let their go into a much slower mode which also works well..Less light and cooler temps..Temps held at below 70 degrees............

Some like to just stick them in a sunny window and depending on air temps, they will loose leaves or have success..It depends how much sunlight enters the room and if your window sill get very cool by day and night in the winter months..

To some up...

Check for pests and treaty asap. Check the roots and make sure they are not rotting, make sure to water correctly and provide the right kind of light for the right temps. This goes for ALL citrus trees brought home from nurseries or greenhouses..

Mike)

From my from my very limited experience with Meyers it sounds like its stress from changing conditions. When I got my Meyer it had tons of buds and flowers and within a few days after I brought it home they dropped and the leaves started drooping. About a week or two later it had adjusted and started looking good. It sounds like your doing well with your other citrus so maybe it was just something with the previous Meyer and this one is just in adjustment. But like mike said it may have an infestation of some sort so do your inspection and treatment if needed. Then give it a few weeks to bounce back from the move. I would say more light is better than a steady temp. It's more like they would naturally receive if outside.

I second and third and fourth what everyone else is saying..I'll bet if John were around he would agree too..MOST if not all plants take time to adjust and can be a bit finicky at the start. My Hoya, all 30 of them will drop a leaf or two and not take up moisture for a days at a time..It is when they are most vulnerable to mites.....They are exposed all of a sudden to dry air, heated rooms, improper watering, different light and so on..

But first inspect your tree to be on the safe side and treat it even if you don't see pests....I have bought many Lemon Meyer trees, in fact I have over 12, and only one ever threw off that many buds in one week or leaves and it was because it had mites..There is lots of humidity and air movement in nurseries along with lots of light which makes them very healthy and able to take on pest issues better than those taken home...It is also the reason why they dry out faster in a greenhouse setting.

If no pests, then assume if could be anything starting with watering issues always first and how much light you provide for it..Then dry air heated air, a mix that now all of a sudden take to long to dry out and so on..The good news is that one can figure it coming here and it is always fixable)

Post a picture of the plant and the potting mix, and the plant in its current Wintering location.

Josh

I always forget to ask that Josh...By the way, we should chat soon! I'd like to brag about how warm it is here..lol

Hey, Mike! Yes, we will chat soon, buddy!

You know, it's pretty warm here, too...hahaha. 77F today, 75F yesterday.
My classroom thermostat is going crazy....too hot, too cold, never just right!

Josh