Improved Meyer lemon trees can be quite hardy, yet it is best to bring them indoors during winter in all USDA zones except 8b and 9a. Once inside, hand pollination of flowers to promote fruit production as well as regular fertilization are more easily managed indoors.
Pruning can help to promote more compact growth, while diverting energy toward fruiting lemons you select for fruiting.
Planting
Meyer lemon trees can be grown both in the ground and as low-maintenance container plants, providing an easy maintenance option. When planting directly in the soil, select an area with morning sun and afternoon shade (except in regions experiencing hotter summer weather, where afternoon sun may be preferred) with loamy soil that drains well with an acidic pH range between 5.5 to 6.5 (pH 5.5 to 6.5 is optimal). Meyer lemon trees require regular but consistent watering in order to stay vibrant – water when the top inch of soil becomes dry; as a rule-of thumb check this every week or two for optimal success!
If planting your Meyer lemon tree in a pot, select a container 1-2 sizes larger than its nursery container and fill it with an equal mixture of peat moss, potting soil, vermiculite or perlite. Carefully slide out of its nursery container, massage its root ball to loosen up and remove any dry or dead roots as you go. Finally plant so that its upper roots barely protrude above soil level while adding more potting mixture on top of the container for coverage.
Indoor Meyer lemon trees require at least 50 percent humidity for optimal growth; to protect their leaves from wilting and the formation of brown blisters, keep your tree away from heating vents and drafty windows and mist its leaves several times daily or place it on a tray filled with water and stones for extra humidity.
Though fruit trees take time to mature and produce fruit, proper care such as feeding and pest control can hasten their development. Fertilize once every month during the growing season with a citrus-specific fertilizer high in nitrogen content; an ideal choice would be slow release formula fertilizers.
Sunlight
Meyer lemons are less acidic than typical grocery-store lemons, making them an attractive option for food and beverage lovers. Meyer lemon trees thrive indoors in zones 8-11 but require adequate sunlight and regular watering in order to produce fruit. It is best to bring your Meyer lemon tree indoors during fall and early spring when outdoor conditions aren’t yet suitable, providing enough sunlight and regular watering as required to produce fruit. Ensure the soil remains moist without overwatering – keep an eye out for signs such as wilted leaves or roots becoming saturated!
As Meyer lemon trees are self-pollinating, you don’t have to plant them with another tree for it to produce fruit. However, if you bring one inside with you, hand pollination of its flowers is required in order to produce fruit – this can be accomplished using either a paint brush or Q-tip to brush pollen from one flower to the next until either they begin fading away or lemons appear. Repeat daily.
Citrus trees like Meyer lemons require regular fertilization to remain healthy, and adding a slow-release citrus-specific fertilizer or compost tea once every month during their growing season is key to their overall wellbeing. Be careful to avoid overwatering; too much moisture can lead to root rot and fungal growth. When the weather warms up again, your Meyer lemon tree should be transplanted outdoors again in an open but protected location gradually by increasing temperature gradually rather than making sudden temperature shifts, as sudden temperature changes can shock plants. When transplanting between pots be sure that it has room to grow!
Watering
Meyer lemon trees are popular as low-maintenance container-grown plants both outdoors and inside, due to their relatively low maintenance needs. While somewhat cold-resistant than Eureka or Lisbon lemons, Meyers do well in USDA Hardiness zones 8-11 with plenty of sun exposure and good airflow needed. When flowering begins on your tree it’s also beneficial to fertilize with citrus or fruit-producing fertilizer which tends to be slightly more acidic than general purpose plant food products.
Just like other citrus trees, Meyer lemon trees are self-fertile and don’t require cross pollination in order to produce fruit. If you’re growing one indoors during blooming season, however, manual pollination will need to take place manually – use a dry paintbrush, Q-tip or similar tool and gently move pollen from one flower to the next using light circular movements so as to move pollen from its stamen into its stigma ensuring fertilization of each individual flower.
Water your tree regularly but avoid overwatering it. Soil should remain moist but not soggy, while trees prefer an acidic environment with a pH range between 5.5 to 6.5 for optimal growth. If your soil doesn’t meet those standards, add sulfur or lime to change its characteristics or add sulfur powder directly.
Once temperatures drop below 40 degrees, bring the plant indoors slowly while watering it to reduce stress and facilitate fruiting. As soon as temperatures warm again, you can reintroduce it to its environment while using a small fan to promote airflow while the tree readjusts to its new surroundings.
Fertilizing
Producing lemons can be a labor-intensive and energy-consuming task, so it is crucial that they receive all of the required nutrients in order to produce fruit more quickly. That is why fertilizing plays such an integral role – by increasing energy availability to your trees it speeds up growth and accelerates fruit production more rapidly.
Citrus trees require not only ample water and sunlight to thrive, but they also require the correct balance of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium in their diet to produce fruit in optimal condition. You can provide this essential food source by feeding your Meyer lemon tree three times each year with high-nitrogen fertilizer.
When fertilizing a Meyer lemon tree, be careful not to go overboard – too much fertilizer can damage its health and reduce growth. One tablespoon of magnesium sulphate (Epsom salts) per gallon of water in your citrus tree’s irrigation system once every month should help ensure its nutritional needs are fulfilled.
Meyer lemon trees blossom all year long, but at their most productive during fall and early spring when temperatures allow bees to pollinate them. Indoor meyer lemon growers can pollinate them themselves using a paint brush or Q-tip run over each flower daily for maximum productivity.
Preventative care is key to keeping a meyer lemon tree in good health, including regularly trimming dead branches and harvesting overripe fruit. You should also ensure it receives ample airflow so as to avoid fungal issues. In case of pest problems, spraying horticultural oil or neem oil regularly should help eradicate them.
Pruning
Meyer lemon trees thrive outdoors in warm USDA hardiness zones 9-11 climates, but can also do well indoors when kept in a container and brought inside when temperatures fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Once indoors, place it near a south-facing window where it will receive between 8-12 hours of daily sun. Keep away from heating vents that could dry out its leaves or attract spider mites for optimal success.
Once your plant is settled in its new container, pruning it regularly can encourage bushy growth and more compact trees. Remove any dead or diseased branches as well as rootstock suckers that appear throughout the growing season. Aim for one branch in the center of the canopy as support for fruit-bearing blooms on remaining branches.
As your tree matures, regular pruning will help develop scaffold branches for carrying heavy fruit loads. Aim to prune one or two large scaffold limbs every three years or so as well as any others that take up too much room in the canopy or block light from reaching its center.
If your Meyer lemon tree lacks pollination, you can mimic its natural process by gently brushing pollen from flower to flower using either a soft brush or Q-tip. Do this regularly so your trees produce healthy fruit; Meyers planted as rootstock can begin producing fruits after two years while seed-grown varieties often take three or seven.