I say buy it and see how it does! I would love a porch like yours to grow plants in! The people here are very helpful with the learning process, so if you came across anything there would be help. Is it a dwarf? They do not get huge like an in the ground tree. Plus, you know, LEMONS haha. I love lemons. Does any of your porch receive direct sunlight?

Yes its direct sunlight. Not sure if its a dwarf or not. I thought the name Meyer meant that it was dwarf. Also what is the 5-1-1 mix that people are talking about?

BUY IT! I love Meyer's (a lemon x orange hybrid btw). They bloom over a longer period of time compared to lemons and I find the fragrance superior. I never have any issue with mine except I think it's a dwarf and it is always top-heavy as it is always stocked with fruit (so turn it to keep it symmetrical). IT WILL LOVE that sun porch as long as temps don't drop below freezing (32 F.).

I keep mine in a detached (frost free) garage over winter and they do MUCH better than they ever did in the heated house over Winter. In the milder season, I would put it completely outdoors (as you can never get enough sun with Citrus). Though if you do move into outside, be sure to acclimate it to outdoor direct sun as it will sunBURN. (Having it outdoor shade for a week or so will be useful.) Good luck!

Subtopix has it down to a science!

Kept very cool on a sunny porch all winter you won't have to worry about winter leaf loss, dead branches and death...

If you buy it, ,make sure you have your good mix ready at the helm for summer, like the 5.1.1 mix so that you can do a re pot and bare root and set that tree in a mix that will allow you to keep your trees that cool without fear of root rot and over watering...

Lemon Meyer can be finicky, but as long as you have us, you can make a transition from outside to inside flawless and everything else you need to know to be successful! Go for it!

I'm thinking Amanda will link you to a 5.1.1. thread since I don't have the time to find it right now)

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/4429054/what-is-the-511-mix-for-meyer-lemon-trees?n=7

I asked the same question and got lots of tips! I would buy it, I'm sure you will do great! Your zone is warm for a long season outside and then place it in that wonderful porch when temps start going below 50-45!

Always listen to Mike, he is an expert :-)

Well they sold the little Meyer I was smelling but they are suppose to get more in a few weeks. When they do one is coming to my house! Thanks for the advise!

Definitely buy one! It will do well for you and we can help you get started. I love my Meyer trees! You will become a citrus addict before you know it. That's how it started for me...;-)

Don't buy it. Meyer lemon trees are the hardest of all citrus to grow being even harder than growing a nagami from seed Get something special like a New Zealand lemoionade tree, Meiwa, or Fukushu kumquat tree. Anything you get should be on dwarfing rootstock. The new Zealand lemonade fruit taste like a lemon but it is somewhat sweet with no sour of bitter after taste. You can't by NZL's or kumquats at the store but you can buy meyer lemons there.

Just my negative 2 cents worth

6b Steve

Yes, PEASE DON"T BUT IT!

Leave it for US to buy! I will find room for another. Laura is probably willing to drive out to Kansas for it...LOL.

Have NEVER had ANY problems with mine..., EVER. Jus' getting too heavy from fruit load and falling over.

(Zone 7/NJ)

If I had to choose between a meyer and a New Zealand lemonade, I would definitely choose the lemonade tree. The fruit tastes just like lemonade, peel and all.

Steve, mi meiwa, which is about 2 ft tall, is a very slow grower. Is yours a slower grower also?

My Meiwa kumquat tree is also very slow growing to. I can expect growth spurts of about 4 to 6 inch 3 times a year. At the end of each growth the tree may put out 2 to 4 shoot in the next growth. This adds up to a lot of new wood even if the shoots are short.

There are a few potted Meyer growers that really know how to grow Meyer lemons but most other New-by''s will have dead trees in less than 2 years. The Meyer lemon is still so acid that the juice can strip the enamel from your teeth faster than you can say "Crest Tarter Control".

6b Steve

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Farmwife, did you decide on what to do yet?

If you are successful with a Lemon Meyer tree, you can grow just about anything. Like I said, the support here is amazing and there is NO reason why you can't grow one without any bad issues....It's quite simple hanging around with us)))

Mike

Like Mike said there is a lot of support here. Have your sprayer, neem oil, 5-1-1 mix, insecticidal soap, and a supply of fresh salt free water. No water softener water. Once you have those materials you should do fine but you will have issues that are persistent to Meyer lemon trees. The Meyer lemon tree is the most productive tree of all citrus. You should be able to get bushels of fruit off of a 60 gallon tree. ML's are shrub and grow well on their own roots when grown in containers. Could you post pictures of your sun room. We can give even more advice on how to make best use of your sun room for your tree.

6b Steve

Take a picture of your tree and share it when you get it!

I agree that the Meyer lemon is the most productive of all citrus. My wife and I do not cook anything other than simple dishes so we would have no use for a Meyer. If I meet someone with a Meyer I'll see if II can buy a fruit to try. Who knows, I might get a Meyer tree. My 2 Meyer lemon trees turned out to be to rooted cuttings of a Cuban Shaddock. Even it tasted better than a store Meyer and it was still green just lightning in color.. I am set up to grow citrus year around with out leaf drop problems.
I planted my Cuban Shaddock and by fall I had a 10 foot tree that was going to push to well over 20 feet. I can grow Thomasville Citrangequats outside here in Cincinnati. They just need to be grafted to Flying dragon so that is stays small and I will be able to protect enough of the tree to do well when we go cold enough to kill it back every 10 years. Since I don't cook and don't drink I have no use for the tree. That is another tree I could otherwise do very well with.

6b Steve

I love to bake with lemon. I need all the lemons I can get! Summer time means lemon muffins, lemon bars, lemon cake, lemon cookies, lemonade, lemon everything! I add in blueberries while I have them and it just gets gobbled up by my family! I cant wait to cook with one I have grown! I would get so overweight if my kids didn't scarf the treats down immediately hahaha.

I have one lemon tree, a Meyer. If I were doing it over I would plant a traditional lemon. Here are the pros for a Meyer that I see:

1. very prolific bloomer, the tree is covered with hundreds of blossoms that perfume the air.

2. very prolific producer, my 6 foot tree had more than a hundred lemons on it.

Here are the cons for a Meyer that I see:

1. I mostly use lemons for lemonade, Meyers lack the sharp acid bite that makes a good lemonade, Meyer lemonade is much milder, almost insipid for someone who really likes a tart drink.

1a. still talking about lemonade, Meyer lemonade doesn't last as long after it is made. If you have ever juiced a navel orange you know that unlike a Valencia orange it develops an off taste after a day or so, my Meyer lemonade does the same thing. I can't make a big pitcher of it and leave it in the fridge for a week.

1c. a corollary to lemonade, Meyer peel is much milder than a traditional lemon, that means that Meyer zest is much milder as well, it doesn't impart the sharp lemon flavor like a traditional lemon.

2. Meyers didn't last as long on the tree as traditional lemons. They did last a good while but the skin started softening and they started getting soft after several months while traditional lemon trees I've had in other houses seemed to give an eternal supply of lemons, staying on the tree almost year round.

2a. a corollary to not lasting as long on the tree, they don't last as long in a bowl after they are picked. Traditional lemons are more bulletproof, their skins are thicker and harder which gives them a longer shelf life.

Meyers are kind of trendy, they have their uses but I've decided that I need a traditional lemon for all of the traditional uses for lemons

Kentc, those are all good and valid points. I don't make lemonade so I don't need them for that. I agree about the rind also...that's why I have other types as well ;-). They are prolific producers...as of now, none of my trees even come close. I wonder if the baboon lemon may come close...time will tell...

Did your store get any more lemon trees? I really hope you get one! There is a lot of fun in growing a citrus tree. It def makes for interesting conversation!

Meyer Lemons make delicious ice cream.

Meyers are the best for making ice tea in summer. Best growing trees in my collection

Yeah, Meyer, I've been looking for that but with no success. All I've found is biggish trees, I want to grow them from scratch. My friend is going to a vacation in Italy, and he promised to look after some smallish citrus plants/cuttings from local nurseries to send to me by mail.

I haven't asked him about where he's staying, but according to him there should be a couple of citrus nurseries nearby.

I used Meyers recently in a recipe for rosemary chicken and tucked a couple of the quartered fruit. It was delicious! Had used regular lemons before and it was not the same.

But I have a question, I believe that the one I have a a DWARF Meyer. Are all Meyer's dwarf in nature? Are there non-dwarf Meyer's available?