Lemon trees thrive in warm, humid environments and require regular irrigation. To care for your lemon tree, water it regularly but avoid overwatering. Choose a well-drained area or pot for planting and avoid root rot disease by choosing a well-drained area or pot. Do not overwater your lemon tree and feed it every 4–6 weeks during the growing season. Apply the fertilizer in a circle around the tree, extending as wide as the tree.
When planting or re-potting a lemon tree indoors, ensure the soil is new and sanitize containers before use. Avoid overwatering and feed your lemon tree once a month in spring and summer for more fruit. Water when the top two inches of soil feel dry and check regularly in summer.
When bringing your lemon tree inside over winter, ensure it is planted in well-draining, nutrient-rich soil. Provide it with ample sunlight, at least 6-8 hours a day. During active growth, container lemon trees may need daily watering. In winter, water only enough to moisten soil. Fertilize the tree every 1 to 2 months during the spring and summer and every 2 to 3 months during the fall and winter using a citrus-specific fertilizer.
All citrus trees thrive in soil of medium texture and moderate depth with a slight acidity. Properly caring for your tree includes incorporating a combination of watering and feeding techniques. Lemon trees require a lot of bright, direct sunlight, and aim to provide at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. They grow best in fertile, well-draining soil with a pH of 5.5 to 6.5.
📹 How to Grow Meyer Lemons in Containers Pt. 1
Meyer lemon trees produce some of the sweetest, most delicious lemons out there and growing citrus indoors or outdoors isn’t too …
How do you clean lemon tree leaves?
To treat aphids on your lemon tree, wash them off with warm water and liquid, rubbing the leaves thoroughly. Rinse thoroughly and repot in new soil. Repeat this treatment if needed. Once the bugs are removed, aphids cannot climb back up and the sticky substance for ants is removed. For optimal lemon tree harvest, follow heating tips and read the fruit houses blog for more helpful information.
Are coffee grounds good for lemon trees?
Coffee grounds are a nutritious organic material that can be used to feed your lemon tree. They are high in nitrogen and other nutrients that promote plant health. Instead of using traditional fertilizer, coffee grounds offer a cheaper alternative and reduce the time spent on buying and transporting it. Benefits of using coffee grounds include building strong cell walls, accelerating root system growth, and providing a natural repellent for snails, slugs, and deer.
The calcium in coffee grounds allows the tree to build strong branch structures, while the high dose of nitrogen accelerates root system growth, resulting in healthy foliage. This eco-friendly solution is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to maintain plant health.
Why are the leaves on my lemon tree turning yellow?
Yellowing leaves indicate nutrient deficiencies, such as nitrogen or trace elements like magnesium or zinc. To address this, use a citrus fertiliser with trace elements, such as Bunnings’ options. Water the fertiliser well and give the tree another feed every few months. Additionally, keep a compost bin next to your lemon tree and add it to the bottom, allowing worms to feed it to the tree. This approach can help maintain a healthy lemon tree.
What is the best fertilizer for lemons?
Citrus trees should be fertilized three times a year, with the recommended amount for oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit being 1/3 in January/February, 1/3 in March/April, and 1/3 in May/June. For lemons and limes, the recommended amount is 1/3 in January/February, 1/3 in March/April, and 1/3 in August/September. Newly planted trees don’t need fertilizer for the first 1-2 years, but should use Ammonium Sulfate, Ammonium Phosphate, or Citrus Food fertilizer. The amount needed depends on the tree’s age, size, and type.
What is the best natural food for lemon trees?
To feed citrus, use natural, easily assimilateable materials like homemade compost, well-rotten manure, vermicastings, fish waste, or seaweed. Avoid artificial fertilizers and overfeeding to prevent pests and disease. Apply the feed on top of existing mulch, if well-broken down, or pull it back if raw. Spread a fine layer of compost and a few spades of chopped kelp or well-rotten manure or vermicastings. Mulch is crucial for citrus, as it holds moisture, builds humus, encourages thriving soil life, moderates temperature, and reduces competing weeds.
What does it mean when lemon tree leaves turn brown?
Excess sodium can cause yellowing, bronzing, or browning of leaves and premature foliage drop in citrus trees. This can be caused by high overall salinity or an excess of sodium or chlorine. Symptoms of drought stress, such as stunted growth, can also occur throughout the tree. The citrus year-round IPM program addresses various pests and diseases, including Armillaria root rot, Bacterial blast, Citrus nematode, Dothiorella blight, Phytophthora gummosis, Phytophthora root rot, and Sooty mold.
What is the best natural fertilizer for lemon trees?
To feed citrus, use natural, easily assimilateable materials like homemade compost, well-rotten manure, vermicastings, fish waste, or seaweed. Avoid artificial fertilizers and overfeeding to prevent pests and disease. Apply the feed on top of existing mulch, if well-broken down, or pull it back if raw. Spread a fine layer of compost and a few spades of chopped kelp or well-rotten manure or vermicastings. Mulch is crucial for citrus, as it holds moisture, builds humus, encourages thriving soil life, moderates temperature, and reduces competing weeds.
Are eggshells good for lemon trees?
Eggshells are a valuable resource for citrus trees, as they contain calcium. They can be pulverized and incorporated into the soil surrounding the tree’s base, or utilized as mulch. However, it is advisable to avoid excessive use in order to prevent potential adverse effects on plant health.
Can lemon tree come back after losing leaves?
To determine the cause of leaf drop in citrus trees, consider eliminating causes such as nutrient deficiency, root rot, or salty soils. If leaves are starting to grow back, look for developing buds as the first sign of recovery. High heat or water stress can cause leaf drop, but as long as conditions return to normal, new leaves will start growing within a couple of weeks.
Lemon trees are heavy feeders, so they may not be being fertilized enough. For citrus trees with a foliage diameter of 15 to 20 feet, fertilize with one pound of nitrogen per year. For smaller trees, reduce the dosage proportionally based on the tree’s foliage diameter. Apply fertilizer in small applications each month during the growing season, starting in early spring through late summer. Fertilizing in the fall can cause new growth and increase frost damage. Fertilizer should be applied from the trunk to the drip line and watered in immediately. Ammonium sulfate should not be used in soil with a pH less than 6, as it can make the soil more acidic.
How do I fix yellow leaves on my tree?
To prevent summer leaf yellowing in trees, follow best practices such as regular mulching, fertilizing, pruning, accurate irrigation, and planting the right tree in the right place. However, pests and diseases can still damage trees. To identify the reasons for yellowing leaves, identify the stressors and contact a professional for advice and solutions. If you can’t determine the cause, consult a professional for advice and solutions. Remember, the best way to prevent summer leaf yellowing is to address the root cause.
How do you revive a dying lemon tree?
To reinvigorate an aged lemon tree, one must first prune it to remove superfluous growth, then administer a dose of Dynamic Lifter, and finally incorporate wood ash into the soil.
📹 10 TRICKS TO GROW LOTS OF LEMONS | HOW TO GROW LEMON TREE IN POT | CITRUS TREE CARE
How to grow lemon tree in a pot successfully with lots of fruits in a single tree. This video covers ten important gardening tips to …
Great article brother. If you do not mind, here’s some advice. As a master gardener and specialized in citrus, especially grown in containers. You at some point need to have drainage holes. This is imperative to the health and life of the tree. Just as citrus do not like to sit in a pool of water. That container not having drainage holes will allow the water to be stagnant and stinking. This will only attract gnats and make life for the roots a living hell. Be sure that the feeder roots on top of the root ball sit just above the soil line. This is very important brother. Those feeder roots catches any moisture from above and allows the root system to breath. Another note, do not prune your citrus for the first 2-3 years. Trust me on that. The citrus trees does not like to be pruned like fruit trees. So please allow the branches to form for those required years as they also protect the bottom trunk of the tree from the scorching summer heat. Yes, thin your tree of excess fruit to allow the root system to develop. Allow the soil to slightly dry out between watering also. Take care and Hope this helps.
I am in SW France and have had my Meyer Lemon in a pot for 16 years now. Currently it is laden down with fruit. I repotted it every 5 years for the first 10, then just change the top soil every year. I use a Bokashi system and use the liquid to fertilise it. I bring it in from November to April as the temp drops and it sits happily by floor to ceiling South facing windows. Very interesting thanks for the Vid. Hope you’re going to put drainage holes in that pot
I’ve been growing my meyers lemon in a 10gal fabric pot for 2 years now and we just got our first harvest. They’re HUGE fruits and so delicious. But I wanted to leave a tip here to thin out your fruit early in the season to avoid weighing down your branches enough to break. We barely avoided disaster this year by leaving too many lemons to ripen and though we got a huge harvest, I really felt the stress of worrying about the branches snapping.
My family had an orange grove in Monrovia in the 1930’s, and thankfully I still have the crate label. My childhood home was built on an old citrus orchard and when they dug to put in a 2nd sewer line— they hit large clay “pipes”. Apparently these pipes were used to water at root level for the orchards. We also had smudge pots everywhere. We had the original Meyer lemon tree on our property which was way sweeter than the improved version, but unfortunately it died last year. I’ve also learned that you can easily, on accident, bonsai a citrus tree using a felt pot. They’re very tough trees, and I would encourage anyone in SoCal to grow them instead of ornamental parkway trees. )
Hello, Thank you so much for all of your growing tips and your calm nature – I live in Las Cruces NM in zone 8 but a or b I don’t know, I had a lemon tree in a pot and I grew it mostly indoors and it produced 6 lemons this summer I put it outside & at one point it didn’t do well all the leaves dried and fell off but the lemons didn’t drop they were still ripening -I decided to plant it on the side where the sun rises against our brick house to avoid the hot weather of the desert – and what do you know it’s sprouting more leaves than it’s ever had and the fruit is still ripening – before planting I amended the soil w cactus soil and potting soil, its doing well, we had 3 days of monsoon rain and I think it loves its new home – winter will be an issue, most of our winter days are in the 50 & 60´s & last year we had 15 nights where it dropped to 15 but only for a few hrs at night – I know I’ll have to protect the tree – any suggestions ????
8:04 I have a meyer lemon about this size, from nature hills, purchased in 2019. So its about 3 years old at this point. I am amazed just how much its blooming and fruiting, and have dozens of clusters of 5, 6 7 fruits tat I am trimming back to 2 per cluster as you mention here. I wait until the fruit sets, and keep the strongest looking. Very happy that 2 years of caring for my container meyer lemon tree is paying off this year 🙂
Perfectly timed for me. I’ve got a Meyer lemon tree here in Nova Scotia that has just successfully weathered it’s second winter indoors. A few questions I hope are addressed in Part 2. Why do some indoor, container-grown lemon plants have brown tips at the end of the leaf? How does one know it’s time to transplant into a bigger container? Thanks.
I just found your website as a suggestion in my feed and I love the way you are very clear and concise with the information giving the good and bad. I have been binge perusal several and realized I needed to subscribe! Thank you for sharing all your lessons and information, it’s much appreciated and educational!
I literally just bought a Meyers lemon AND a container to grow it in two days ago. But I haven’t put it together because I want to make sure I’m using the right soil. I bought a beautiful glazed pottery container that is deep and not wide since the tree is only in a one gallon pot to begin with and I figured something bigger really isn’t that necessary. I’ll go get some of that cactus soil as an addition to the compost I plan to grow it in, I’m mainly concerned with the ph of the soil for this little tree. Thanks so much for this article. Have an awesome day!
I have 2 Meyer lemons and a lime tree, all in containers. I thought the lemons needed repotting but when I removed the plant I realized the roots were NOT healthy, and it didn’t really need a new pot so I just gave it new (cactus) soil and right back into the nursery pot. Now the leaves are yellowing …. the soil feels damp to me so I’m waiting to water again. Both plants produced lemons for me, but they always seem near death until they go outside in the summer MOF one plant lost every single leaf and then it came back to life!!!! My citrus enjoy the NE humidity and my southern exposure. I’m looking forward to the rest of this series and was excited when I saw the topic. Good luck with your new lemon it’s beautiful and those roots 👍👍I wouldn’t have used the pot without drainage because I need all the help I can get. My lime is starting to fruit now; I know you’re right about fruit pruning but when is the time to decide? I think I’ll wait until they get a bit larger. I actually learned about fruit pruning when my tomatoe plants collapsed from some very large Roma plum tomatoes. Thanks for this series.
what soil mix do you recommend for growing Myer lemons in containers ? 1) can I use just succulent cactus mix? 2) can I use a mix of succulent cactus mix and palm tree mix? 3) would citrus soil be the best option? if I was to use citrus soil would it be ready to use right away? or would I have to still emend the citrus soil in some way?
My meyer lemon just grown in black plastic bag or we call it polybag. Just harvest 2 times, Lemon very healthy and big lemon. My fertilizer is chicken mannure and organic liquid fertilizer (home made) The soil i use the garden soil around my garden only. I should put in big pot but don’t have much time. Maybe next time waiting until no more lemon and put it in better pot. Thank you for sharing🙏❤😀
1-2ft used to be $40 on fast growing trees. Three years later it’s $70! These are very difficult to grow inside after they have spent their life in a greenhouse or outdoors. I bought a beautiful tree from a local nursery. It did not drop leaves for a few weeks. Then it lost almost all but 13. It would grow little lemons but they would fall off. I know they do not grow true from seed, but I’m going to try and grow hem in self watering pots from this go around. Hopefully it will provide the stability I need to grow this tree indoors.
This will be my fourth attempt (3 epic failures). I also got mine from fast growing trees but this time I bought a 1 year warranty . The article was super helpful especially the part about pruning those 3 little baby lemons I’ve got down to two. I’ll muster up the strength tomorrow. Thank you. Looking forward to part 2. Wish me luck
This is super timely as I just bought one last weekend! Mine has several sweet smelling flowers. So sweet in fact that my whole lanai smells lovely especially at night. Some of the flowers are starting to brown and shed. What should I do with the branch that’s holding them? When do I start pruning? I’m not sure if any of the little nodes I see are THE lemons, or just part of the flowering mechanism.
i learned with under watering a citrus the leaves curl down and with over watering they curl up. i have some small citrus trees and they seem to like it when i let ground dry quit far until some leaves turn yellow then i give them quit some water. every time when the plants go quit dry some leave turn yellow but also fresh leaves appear and the tree seems to make a growth spurt which continues a few weeks after watering.
Thank you so much for your article!! I live in coastal Southern South Carolina. My lemon tree flowered and I see the beginning of lemons and it’s the first part of August. I have not repotted yet. Do I repot at this time? Do I trim the leaves that aren’t producing? This is my first time and I need help.
Thank You Kevin! I live in the high desert mountains zone 7…my little Meyer I bought last year (1 ft tall) didn’t do well after transplanting even though I used cactus/suculent mix with a bit of fertilizer and did not over-water…it had flowers when I got it and tiny baby lemons but the leaves just started curling and dropping and finally it died. When I took it out of the pot I noticed the roots were kind of stuck in the original starter plug and had white fungus looking stuff…I likely didn’t pay enough attention to roots! Also was wondering if I need to humidify better since it is dry here in high desert? I’m now attempting to sprout some organic lemon seeds right from fresh Meyers (in a wet paper towel in a jar in dark, warm place)…hope it works because I HAVE to have a Lemon tree! =D
I grew up with a beautiful giant lemon tree at my grandmother’s house. Unfortunately, it was traumatized and died thanks to a landscaper that apparently didn’t know what they we doing. 🙄 I just bought a Meyer this past weekend and I’m so excited to get lemons! I live in Florida so citrus fruits are easy peasy here. Lol
That’s funny, we bought a Meyer Lemon tree about five years ago from Pam’s Fast Growing Trees. We live in Seattle, which is not ideal for these trees, but it is about five feet tall and stays on our south facing back patio and gets a good amount of sun light. Wish we lived further south since our growing season isn’t great. We get about three or four lemons per year, I know, not much, but they are very flavor-full and end up in our drinks/aperitifs.
Former San Diego girl here 🙂 I now live in Ponte Vedra, FL (NE FL), and bought a mini Meyer lemon tree today, hoping to keep it in a pot, since for some odd reason, whenever I try to transplant, my plants die 🙁 Will be starting some seedlings in a few weeks, need to wait for the hottest part of this lovely Florida summer to pass, so as not to anger my plants.
I got mine at Christmas, then had mites, (first year in a new house) she survived the summer and I’m bringing her indoors in Virginia but because of the rough winter I didn’t repot in the Spring. Can I repot now? I’m sure she really needs it. She has a few lemons which are quite green. Should I just take them off?
I’ve grew a meyer lemon tree for five years from a tiny plant. Potted. Big, beautiful tree., but produces no fruit! It flowers, but it flowers sporadically. I learned it should be pruned regularly last year. I wish I could show a picture of it. I may upload a article of it. I have a lime tree that won’t grow beyond a stub but grows leaves… it was my mother’s. She kept it in a tiny pot. It’s a 6 year old plant b ut actually grew a lime years ago.
I’m growing some kind of lemons in a pot. lol. I planted some seeds from a lemon I bought at the local store. No idea what kind it is though. They seem to be thriving, but I recently got some bugs on them. So I poisoned them and spray the leaves with water in the shower once a day to get them off. I hope to one day have slightly bigger trees. They are currently little sticks of about a hand’s breadth. XD They’re about 9 months old. 🙂
I have a question for you Master Gardeners out there I just bought my first Meyers lemon it’s in a 1 gal pot and it’s already blooming am I going to lose my Bloom when I transplant it? And it will be spending most of its life inside. I do a lot of indoor gardening. I have very good lighting. What is a good light cycle for my first indoor tree?
I just bought a Meyers Lemon and it’s sitting in my brightest window indoors (Bought in Feb in zone 5b). It was flowering when I brought it home and has lost most of the flowers AND leaves. What should I do with it until I can bring it outside? AND – when can I bring it outside? Thanks for your articles
I’m growing in Canada and do not have a south facing window in my house. I have a key lime, Meyer lemon, navel orange, kumquat and bitter orange. They are under 250w led grow lights (actual 250w not equitant) and every year dropped leaves coming inside. This year all of them have started putting off new growth and the key lime is flowering heavily. If not for the new growth I’d be concerned they were stressed. But they seem very happy. I’m just looking for some more advice. What can I do to make my plants happier?
Need advice please!! Bought a baby Meyer lemon tree about a week ago. I’m in zone 8b. I bought the citrus cactus potting soil, terra cotta container with a hole centered in the middle on bottom and citrus fertilizer. After the couple days blooms started falling off then during the next few days ends of the leaves curled and turned brown and some green ones are curling too. I watered after the first initial transfer to terra cotta container. The next day it felt a bit dry by testing with my finger so gave it more water. I haven’t watered again since I’m wondering if it’s too much water or just in shock from initial transplant?? Please help I really want to succeed with this little plant and the fact it was $40 for a baby. Thanks!! 🍋
I also just planted a lemon tree this past weekend! I’m glad I came across this article and subscribed! I planted my tree in a tall pot twice+ the width of the root ball and lots of room in depth. No drainage holes though. 🙁 However, I did put in about 6 inches of golf ball sized rocks at the bottom. Am I okay? Will this work? — Oh, and it is indoors, in my Florida room/enclosed patio.
I planted a lemon tree that exact screen I did go ahead and added some Citrus already pre-mixed fertilizer my question is what do you think of me taking it back out of its pot and redoing it and following the steps that you were doing right now? Or should I just fertilize it when I get help at this point PS I have an orange tree that the same thing to that too. Thanks for your help
I’ve tried reading through the comments to see if mites have been addressed and got overwhelmed. I was potting up my newly (1 month ago) purchased Meyer Lemon and noticed mites in the bottom of the current container. I also see one web on a leaf. Do I need to rush out and buy ANOTHER new gardening essential item? I just got home from the store, where I rushed to get fly traps for my newly (3 weeks ago) set up Urban Worm Bag that has fruit flies….I’m my house!
I love all your articles, but I’m MN, so I kind of have to adjust the info a bit for me LOL But I was wondering if you’ll cover anything for cold climates in the future? We have a pretty short season, but I try and do as much as I can in it. Also wondering if you’ll cover grow lights/bulbs for indoor plants. We have a lot of tree cover from our yard in the summer, where in the winter I get great light. It seems very weird to me to need a light for my houseplants in the summer. Just not sure about lighting for them inside and some of them are suffering.
I live in central Texas (zone 8b). It gets really hot, but we also have some cold winters, although not a lot. Can I grow a lemon tree in a pot on my patio that is covered? There’s plenty of sun coming from all other directions so I feel like sun exposure wouldn’t be an issue. I’d appreciate any advice. And… for pot growing, is it best to get a dwarf lemon tree or is a regular one ok?
So glad you’re doing this series! I have been thinking citrus this last week and ordered kaffir lime and am looking for Meyer lemon as well as kumquat. I doubt I have enough sun for them, but I’m going to give it a good go because someone on another website mentioned growing lemon trees in Canada! Heck, if they can do it up in the frozen north, surely I can do it in TX. They mentioned putting Christmas lights on them to keep them warm during the winter and that the cold is what gives citrus the sour taste.
Awesome! I’ve got one in the ground – we’re sort of at the northern range here of growing citrus and it did get a bit damaged from an early freeze we had here in November, but it’s almost through its second winter so I’m hopeful. I’ve also got a kumquat in a pot, which is great, but I plan on putting another in the ground as the one in the pot doesn’t produce as much fruit as I’d like (you can never have enough kumquats :P).
Hi I bought my daughter this lemon tree for her birthday and she didn’t water it very much so I took it home clipped all the dead leaves on it they were all dead but the stalk of the tree is still green and flexible I repotted it and miracle grow on it do you think it will survive I am growing it in a big pot
I need your help with my Bush Meyer to make sure I am doing it right…ie lighting etc. I have both in seven-gallon grow bags with the right soil and have them under full-spectrum light. They seem to be doing well with a lot of new leaf growth. But I wonder long term if this will be good? I live in ND and can only put them out in summer. Also, grow bags make me nervous, and was wondering about a more solid pot, what is your size suggestion? Do I need to fear a grow bag for my Meyer? Right now, all the light for my Meyer’s is coming for the bought light. Your thoughts. I wish I could contact you and send you pictures of my situation.
Hola amigo, I have two Meyers Lemon trees, the original and the new version here in Mexico, and brought down from Arizona of course. One of my trees, which is many years old, the graft took mostly over and of course I have sucker lemons. I keep meaning to cut down the graft so in my mind the actual Meyers will better thrive. My first Meyers she is a miniature version, and it produces over 100 lemons and the one living with the sucker half of course does not, but she tries. The sucker part of the tree sucks the life out of her I am surprised she is still alive. The sucker is about 10 feet tall, and the improved Meyers is still about 4 feet tall. Do you think this is a good idea to cut down the graft part of the tree? Even though both are mature of many years and not too late? Thank you in advance.
thank you for this article. I have a 3 yo mayer lemon in a container. it gives me about a dozen of lemons each time but it is not growing much. My neighbour has the same tree planted in the ground about the same time i potted mine and his tree is 3 times bigger than mine. I understand in the ground grows faster but it seems too large difference between my neighbour’s tree and mine. Can i do anything to make it grow faster? it is too late for my tree to be planted in the ground after 3 years in the container? most likely it had root bound thsnk you Barbara
Busy growing my sweet lemon from seed, I see the bottom leaves are not looking good with two that have circle type things on. Am I over watering? I have given them citrus food, will be transplanting them to bigger pots soon but I’m worried about the leaves changing colour at the bottom. New leaves are coming out though. How often should they be watered? I have them under a light in the greenhouse while they babies and when it’s sunny I taken them out to enjoy the sun. Before the cold weather comes. Should I keep them in the greenhouse while they still babies. They approximately 10-15cm in height now
I live in Florida and you would think I could easily grow a lemon tree. I have a huge papaya tree, grown from seeds just thrown on the ground last year, that has huge fruit already. I have a beautiful mango tree that has no mangoes and a lemon tree that looks healthy but no flowers or lemons. I also somehow managed to kill a lemon tree last summer – still don’t know what happened. It got full sun all day but it just kept getting worse. I have a suspicion my husband overwatered it – he thinks all plants and trees need tons of water every day. I’m going to try again this year and get a grafted tree from a nursery, and tell my husband to leave it alone. Wish me luck! (By the way, I’m a lemonaholic – love the stuff and put it in everything!)
I planted lemons from seed but I used the kratky method for growing them. Now, I want to transplant them to a pot with soil because it is getting big so I don’t know if when I transplant them, it will impact to much. I know it sounds silly because trees are meant to grow in the soil but…can you give me any advice? Thanks!
Hey! Thanks so much for your articles – if you have a chance, could you do a article on how to grow and take care of Sweet Lemons (I mean specifically the Iranian one called “Limu Shirin”). I know they’re quite common in California as well as Iran. I’m in Scotland and this is one of my absolute favourite fruits so really wanna figure out how to grow it here! I started out well with a few seeds but after a rough Scottish winter (and me being silly not taking the containers inside) they haven’t grown at all! I was freaking out and the plants looked dry, so I cut the main stem, not down to root but quite a bit, so see if it would help it. No idea if I’ve helped or hurt the plant! Beginner garden here, I usually go with my intuition but starting to learn do’s and don’t’s slowly! Any help appreciated.
Hey Kevin I live in Ohio and I want to know your suggestions on what crops I would have the best luck with growing. My property has a 93-94 sun number so very few shade spots. The bulk of my land is east and south facing but there is some space to the north and very little west. Additionally I’m interested in growing citrus and avocados but I’m open to things that will yield best results. PLEASE HELP!
I bought my first Meyer lemon tree with flowers on it, after I transferred to a bigger pot, my tree got really happy I saw a bunch of lemons coming out, after few weeks those same lemons change color and felt. But a month after there were some flowers and here comes the lemons, four but I was happy until they grow to a size of a penny and from green started to turn color to yellow/brown….lemons got dry 😢 what am I doing wrong? I need help!!
Hello! Thanks for the nice article 🙂 I have a 2y old lemon tree that i used to grow indoor environment with a uv lamp. Recently I moved that tree outside under the sun directly. Since that its leaves started to dry from the edge of the leaves. It looks like burnt. Also started to change the shape very waivy. I thought citrus trees need lots of sunshine. Should I avoid the sun?
Okay, so I have the same variety of lemon tree and it used to bear fruit (not a lot, but a few lemons). It hasn’t for at least 2 years. It is in a container, but in a good spot for sunlight, fertilized accordingly, and watered properly (no yellow leaves, good branch growth, etc.). I was told by a landscape expert that I should prune off the branches with thorns because those were “suckers.” It’s the only thing I’ve done differently since it used to bear fruit and now I wonder if pruning those branches is a mistake. Can anyone confirm? Thank you in advance. The tree was given to me by a dear friend at my late mother’s celebration of life, so I want to keep it healthy and happy.
Would love to know how long before you should let it produce fruit. I have a very small tree that i’ve had for a year in a pot- maybe half the size of the one in the article – and it’s been trying to fruit since I got it. I’ve been picking off the buds to help it grow – is this what I should be doing and when is it safe to let it fruit?
Another article said the opposite, to choose a pot that is wider instead of deeper. He claims that Meyer Lemon Trees’ roots don’t go very deep. They spread out instead. You can easily drill drainage holes in that pot with a special 1/2″ tile bit which you can buy at Home Depot of Lowes. I have done it many times. Usually found on the tile aisle but sometimes found in the tool corral.
How’s the tree doing? I plan on planting one of these again. My first try was a fail. I thought because I live in south Florida the Meyer tree would do great outside. But perhaps it was getting too much water from our summer rain. I also had it planted directly under the corner of our home (that had no gutters). So when it rained the water would come down brutalizing the lemon tree 🤦🏾♀️ I’ve learned a lie since then lol
Your friends definitely hooked you up with a great tree! The one I ordered from FastGrowingTrees just arrived and is pretty spindly. Should I be concerned that it looks like the trunk was once two large branches near the base of the plant, and one was chopped off prior to transporting to me? I already had them replace one (cherry blossom) tree for me under warranty so I am weary of running into more issues. And heartbreak
I’ve grown a tiny lemon tree from seed indoors (8″ tall now) but the only soil I had available at that time has too much clay, and since it was small I have been too afraid to re-pot it and change its soil completely. Is there any way to safely change that without damaging the roots and killing it? 🙂 Would appreciate any help!
I just got my dwarf Meyer lemon tree shipped to me and happened to have gotten cactus potting soil for succulents and noticed it said citrus so thankfully it’s used that in transferring it to to an bigger container. It had two little leaves on it. Then I went to outside today and something had been chewing on it 😭😭 I live in Zone 6 B and have some bunnies and cats in the area. Do they eat branches and leaves?!
I have been growing a lemon tree for 6 years. I planted it as a seed from a lemon from my mother in law’s lemon tree around when my son was born. I’ve even moved the tree with my family across the country. It’s bigger than me and has never bloomed. I didn’t know growing from a seed could produce a plant that never blooms. I’m giving it one more year with all these tips. Thanks for the article, and wish me luck!
I just planted 2 seeds from lemons I got at the store, but had no clue what I was doing. Thank you for this article. Both seeds have sprouted, and have leaves. They’re less than 5″ tall, but seem healthy. I just used miracle grow planting soil, but want to use your recommendations when repotting. Thank you for this information🌱🍋💛
I just came across this tutorial and I loved it! Thank you for sharing it w/us citrus lovers. I am on my third attempt at growing a lemon plant/tree. I will have to transplant my transplant sometime, to give it all the different soil accommodations suggested here. I am so excited and am so glad I found you. I will definitely check out your other articles. Great info, concise, pictures of everything, your article is very well made. In Indiana, blessings to all and stay safe.
I have a Yuzu that my parents gifted me so it’s important that it grows well. Recently it’s been getting light green to yellow leaves and discovered that the pot had a dish on the bottom that wasn’t allowing for drainage. I also added some fertilizer today as it hasn’t gotten any previously. I hope to get some fruit in a few years!
Comprehensive, thorough, thoughtful, and easy to follow, this article has it all! I am excited to get going on rectifying issues with my little citrus trees, indoors in the Canadian National Capital Region, and will watch your other article for that! So simple, they just needed more fertilizer and better soil composition. Thank you for the ratios for that too, GARDEN TIPS! ❤️
We live in S. Florida..my 12 yr old grandson bought me 2 plants that come in a bag. I imagine they are for tourist..Anyway they both had two leaves on them. The one didn’t make it. I think the lemon is the one that made it.. it’s still small but doing well. This article will definitely help me as I usually grow vegetables and avocados.
Thanks for this! I’ve been wanting to (successfully) grow Lemons and Limes for some time. One year good, the next year not so good. Great knowledge and tips! Looking forward to some heavy fruiting citrus plants. plenty of good pollenators in the area. The summer heat can be a problem for us. We live in Zone 9 but do get freezes once in a while. I will look for any tips regarding how to protect citrus during a freeze and extreme heat (in Zone 9). Thanks again!! We drink a lot of Lemon and Lime water, sometimes blending the whole fruit, seeds and all. Very nutritious.
I bought a Meyer lemon tree from Lowe’s a couple years ago and it give me fruits but the fruits are just falling off the tree,(cost a lot to buy matured tree)so I grow my own,now I have dozens of trees(3 years old 6 footers) didn’t have no flowers yet.I will try what you suggests.Thank you for sharing.
Very helpful ideas for my lemons trees. During the pandemic and my husband having a car accident that I had to quit my job to take care of him my mind health been has been growing plants. I has so happy to see my lemos and avocado trees growing so nice until now that my lemons are having yellow leaves and my avocado have bright leaves I don’t see any bugs or anything probably they’re deficient nutrients so definitely I’ll try all the tips. Thank you
I live in tropical country which has many natural sources of nutrients. This article helps me to understand the chemistry composition then I will explore to find the substitute so I can use what we have and no need to buy from the store. Thank you Sir. Regards from Majenang. We gro butterflypea blue flower. Have you tried blue tea?
Man I just want to grow a lemon tree. I have a small pot. Got the mud as well. Got the seeds from lemons. Peeled them, sprayed water on them and now they have those root thingy coming out of them. Now I am gonna put them in pot In sha Allah. I thought only sunlight and water can do the trick along with some Fertilizer that I can buy from some shop. Idk if it’s gonna work. But what u mentioned is a lot of work and care. Don’t know if a beginner can do that 😅
Your articles are very much informative. I’m happy perusal them. I just hope you can also share with us the idea on how & where we could possibly purchase those essential (fertilizer, etc) to complete your guidance on gardening to all of your viewers. By the way, I’m from Manila City, Philippines . Thank you ❤️
I’ve viewed your website and earlier, was wondering why my lemon plant hasn’t begun forming flowers. I see that I’ve made a mistake in trying to grow the plant from seeds. I’ll follow your advice and buy a grafted plant from the nursery and see how I can promote its welfare. The only thing is that I don’t know how to encourage butterflies to come to my garden. Any suggestions? Will be checking your website for updates.
Good stuff. In Florida, my biggest issue is the Giant Swallowtail butterfly. Since it only lays its eggs on citrus, I have to decide whether to remove the caterpillars or let them feast and destroy most of the foliage. This year, I’ve let the butterflies win and fortunately, I’m still getting a decent amount of fruit. Meyer lemons take a long time to ripen though.
Your articles are very much informative. I’m happy perusal them. I just hope you can also share with us the idea on how & where we could possibly purchase those essential fertilizer, can i use cow / goat dung in place of chemical fertilizer, your complete guidance on gardening is very useful to all of the viewers. By the way, I’m from Maharashtra, Thank you ❤
Dr Saab how are U ?Thank U sir for your useful Episode These 10 tricks sare exactly correct in my case I got all these verities of Citrus plants Still iam collecting more All are grafted plants growing in big plastic containers Potting Soil mix no doubt iam using only ur universal potting mix And all are in open Terrace of my house So far so good but the most important point I have to do is Fertilizers measurements to this too I got in my GT note book Dr Saab one small doubt u said steamed bone meal whis is not available here So I powdered the bone meal in mixijar and using it Will this harm my plants ? Ur advice pl Once again Thank U so much for doing this Episode on the most important and regularly used Citrus plants God bless you and your family
I would love to grow my own but I live in Scotland and its always cold I bought one in Spain as they grow in northern Spain which is cold but although I protected it from frost etc it died.i expect you live in a hot country.but children in UK don’t eT fruit as its always bitter.but when they go to Spain my grandchildren don’t stop eating every fruit. Thank you 🇬🇧
I have a Lemon tree in a pot for year now. I used regular flower soil (the black thing). During these colder days (Balkans, Panonia) i just took it otuside when it was very sunny and over 15c outside in the middle of the day. During the winter i got a UV lanp and i let it on till 7pm every winter day. I dont live in regions where citrus stuff grows naturally, here i have plums, cherries, apples and stuff. What took some time to get used to is the fact that new branches and new leaves have the color of the light green and yellow. For me on plants listed that would mean the leaf is getting dry but not on cintruses as it seams. There young branches and leafes actually have that color as normal. During summer they say you should let it outside, and i plan to do that. Currently my plant is 1.5m long and in winter i will trim to to stay that size. I have at least 30 flower that will open in about a week. When you pick lemons cut the base, dont pull it like plums, cherries, appriocts and such. I hope i helped others who live in same climate as me where winter is -20c and summer is +40c
I have been growing two lemon trees for a number of years. I live in zone 5. My biggest problem is bringing them in in the Fall. Within a month or two, my plants developed scale. Even though I spray them prior to bringing them in, with a mixture of dawn, Murphys oil soap and water, I still find scale.
Geat work. Go ahead. I have two lemon trees and one orange tree. They are planted in a same ground, area, . The lemon trees have plenty flowering, but the orange tree doesn’t have alot, although they are given the same care and treatment. What is the reason for that, please ? What solution do you suggest ?
I’m not a fan of the thoroughly watering, it washes nutrients out of the pot – but then our lemon tree has also been aborting most of its lemons except the one that is now fully grown and yellowing. Underwatering was a problem for a while, but that was fixed by more regular watering. Later we realized it wasn’t getting enough light because the curtains didn’t actually let enough light through, so we drew them. Since we keep our lemon tree inside, I fertilize the flowers between each other with a soft paint brush ☺️
Hi thank you for these helpful tips. I live in South Africa and have a small lemon tree which I have planted in the ground. It is a few months old and 40 cm in height. We had a couple of very high temperature days in our area and two days ago I saw the lemon tree’s curling leaves. I watered it thoroughly and hoped it would recover fully. This morning it looked the same and I felt a bit disappointed and panicky and decided to look for help. Can you maybe advice me on how often I should water the tree, because I don’t want to over water it either and what natural nutrients I can give it. Thank you.
I try to watch all your articles when I can and I love the way you take care of your plants. I have a couple questions about my soil ph. It’s a little below 6 and it needs to be around 6.5. What can I do to bring the ph up some. It’s for my satsuma tree. I can tell it’s not liking the low ph. Can you help please. And my second question is, I noticed your soil is redish in color. What type of soil is that? Thanks so much for any help as soon as possible. I know that you’re busy but I don’t want to loose my tree. My best friend sent it to me from Florida. Thank you again. Have a blessed day.
This has been the best easy and full explanation I’ve seen so far. Thank you, I was given 2 lemon plants and they were infested with a powdery mildew. I’ve sprayed with Defender garden fungicide when I first got it and sprayed it again 10 days later. Any recommendations ? Or is this going to be ok you think ?
I have a dwarf lemon and lime tree in identical pots i’ve been treating with relative neglect, the lime tree is very healthy and fruiting constantly because of all the bees around here, the lemon tree looks like crap though. Maybe it could use the fertilizer treatments, I guess some plants just demand more than others lol
Hello from Japan 🤟✨ I recently bought a lemon tree which is now growing in a fair sized pot on my balcony. I believe that the soil is healthy and has good drainage. But, the newer leaves have started curling and don’t look as healthy as the older larger leaves… do you have any idea as to why this is happening ❓ Cheers to you 🤟🎶
What about using the citrus food that comes in bars? I bought a stick of citrus food and cut the bar up and mixed it in the soil a few weeks ago, but now I’m worried I did it wrong (I also mulched the tree about 2 months ago). Should I just leave it alone now or try something else? (btw the tree itself is beautiful, but atm there are no lemons on it, and when there are lemons they only grow to the size of about a lime and then drop off). Thanx for the article 👍
Hi… can u make articles for rosemary, henna plant, all type of jasmine plants, and more importantly chrysanthemum…. my chrysanthemums are not flowering… leaves turning brown… it’s just a request. If many people asked about this pls make a article. And thank u for this article. I have a lemon plant, it’s useful. 💚
Thanks so much for such ideas. Now, I have a problem. In my garden I have orange trees, mandarine tree and a lemon tree. The trees zre very old but still, they produce a lot of fruit. The lemon tree from last year, stared to produce lemons on one side and a strange fruit on the other side. The strange fruit is in a form of a mandarine, even inside, but when I tested it, the taste was of a lemon. Shall I prun the branches of the strange fruit? Thanks so much. Mary from Malta.